EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to the A to Z Challenge, an exercise in self-flagellation we bloggers inflict upon ourselves to teach us discipline as writers and to build audience. During the month of April, I’ll be posting 26 times, once for every letter in the alphabet. Looking on the bright side, we can each be thankful this is an English language exercise and not Khmer, the language of Cambodia, which sets the world record with a 74-character alphabet! After some misgivings, I’ve decided to proceed with my initial idea of blogging about the special people in my life whose names begin with the appropriate letter. There will be difficulties, like having more than one special person whose names begin with the same letter, forcing me to choose. And then there are those letters — O, Q and X among them — where no name springs readily to mind. What will I do then? We’ll have to wait and see!

Evan and Ethan
My daughters did me no favors when they gave birth to boys within a few weeks of one another, then gave each a name that begins with E.
It’s a real exercise in senility when you’re thinking of Ethan but say Evan, or thinking Evan but say Ethan, and of course it’s impossible to write an A-to-Z-Challenge post about one but not the other.
Therefore E is for both of my E Street Boys, who will forever be mixed up in my mind, though their differences are readily apparent.


Evan is the firstborn son of my second daughter, and is a native New Yorker, though he has now moved to Virginia. Ethan was born in Maryland, the second son of my oldest daughter and the middle brother to Caleb and Danny, who have already been profiled in this series.
As an outside observer who is also their grandpa, I enjoy watching these two. Evan is a little older and was a lot burlier when they both were small, but the size differential is evening out now. They both like Star Wars and both love superheroes, but there are more differences than similarities.
Evan has darker hair and coloring similar to my own when I was a kid, while Ethan has a fair complexion that goes with the red hair from his father’s side. But when things get crazy and loud, Ethan’s personality better matches my own at that age, as he seems to withdraw a bit and let most of the rambunctiousness pass him by.


They’re both good-looking boys. Evan has an infectious smile and flashing eyes, while Ethan seems to have a bit of a James Dean thing going on. I think they’ll both be charmers when they’re older.
You’ve now met four of my six grandchildren, though it will be a little while before you meet the other two. But in the meantime, keep an eye out for my E Street Boys. I know I will!
You have a really good looking family. Lovely boys. At least you only mix up the names Evan and Ethan. My mom sometimes calls me Richard (my brother) and I’m Nicola (very female) :):) Great post. Thank you.
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I haven’t made that mistake yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time. I DO have female grandchildren, too, but the A-to-Z Challenge hasn’t reached them yet. Stay tuned!
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My mother used to run through both my brothers and the dogs before getting to my name!
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I’m strangely happy to know that I’m not the only one having such problems!
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I’m having a great time going through all the letters – I missed the start of of AtoZ challenge, but I’m going through them now. The ‘E’s are real cuties. And my mom has the same problem with names too. Even though I am an only child. So it’s the names of all my cousins, and the cats and the neighbours’ cats before she gets there 😀
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In so glad to learn I’m not the only one suffering from name confusion! Glad you’re enjoying all the posts!
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Handsome chaps. My daughters look totally unlike. It takes some convincing that they’re sisters.
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I know people like that, you’d swear they couldn’t be related! Thanks for reading, and thanks for the follow!
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They are so cute kids 😃😃
And Lovely name 😃😃.
@dixita011 from
Cafenined words
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Thank you very much!
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You hit the grandchildren jackpot, huh. all as endearing as can be. We need a chart to keep it all in order of who is whose.
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I would make a chart, but I can’t remember!
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Evan and Ethan are great names. I especially like the hat Evan is wearing. Hats are so in now, and when I was a kid it was considered uncool in Southern California to wear a hat unless it was a baseball cap. I am glad this has changed, and now I see people wearing hats.
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I completely agree! I watch these old movies from the ’40s and ’50s, and it seems that every single guy is wearing a nice fedora! I think it’s a nice look!
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Oh god, they are so cute. Definitely going to grow up to be handsome young men.
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You forgot to say, “Just like their grandfather!” But I know that’s what you meant!
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Exactttly. Whoops 🙂
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E is for especially, effortlessly adorable! Ethan and Evan are so cute! The E Street Boys will certainly conquer the world with their engaging smiles.
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I think their dads are looking forward to the day when they can conquer the lawn!
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I LOVE the peapod outfit! I don’t think people dressed little ones up in adorable outfits like those back when I was a kid. Or, at least my mother hid all of the photos of me dressed up like vegetables and the like.
Cheers – Ellen | http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/2016/04/e-is-for-epirb-nancy-drew-investigates.html
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You could probably find a carrot or broccoli suit to wear as an adult. Don’t want to miss out!
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Evan and Ethan look similar so no surprise that you’d occasionally trip up on their names 🙂
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Adorable boys! I am guilty of name confusion as well – I often call my son by my sister’s name and vice versa! Possibly because they are the ones I have known as babies. Strangely my sister too mixes me up with her own daughter! Funny but true. Thanks for sharing
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