How does that work, George Foreman?

We've been accustomed for awhile to Alice's toddler envy of Edith's things: Edith's experience of first grade, her miniature horses, her colored pencils, the plastic crap that seems to multiply in her room. We try to persuade Edith to share those things that can be shared (she's really quite generous) and counsel patience to Alice on those things that can't.

But in the last few weeks Alice has begun requesting that she get the name Edith, too. She likes that name very much, she says. She doesn't like the name Alice. When she asks, I find myself wondering why I've never before heard of siblings envying a brother or sister their name.

I try logic. What would happen if they were both Edith, I ask, and someone called on the phone asking for Edith. How would we know which sister the person wanted?

She thought a moment. "You could ask if they wanted Alice-Edith or Edith-Edith," she suggested.

There may still be a few kinks in the scheme.