I was four years old and I can remember the conversation I had with my mother like it was yesterday. It was shortly before my younger sister Mel was born and we’d been talking about names.

Me: Why did you name me Miranda? (I remember spitting the name out like poison)

Mom: Well Miranda, we were going to name you Ariel but we couldn’t think of a middle name that went with it.

Me: WHAT!!!!??? Why didn’t you name me Ariel?! That’s a way better name mom!! You could have called me Ariel Mermaid duh!

My mother to this day won’t let me live it down. To be completely fair, I would demand to watch The Little Mermaid at least four or five times a day. I actually wore a copy of the VHS tape out, split red cool-aid on another and in fear of a little broken heart my mother went out and bought extras.

Fast forward 26 years.

Luke: I’m Ariel Mermaid! I’m Ariel Mermaid! She’s sooo cute!

Grandma: You’re sure you don’t want to be King Triton or Prince Eric?

Luke: Nope, I’m Ariel Mermaid.

I’m pretty sure that Karma has hit me square on the back. Luke and Leia, Luke in particular, love The Little Mermaid. I foolishly put it on in a nostalgic moment of weakness, thinking that they might sit through 20 minutes of it so that I could drink a cup of coffee in peace. Now they demand to watch it at every free moment. If given the opportunity I believe they would would put it on permanent repeat.

The other day Leia wouldn’t take a nap. Most of the time she reads to herself and eventually passes out. But this particular day she was not laying down. I’m in the next room when I hear what sounds like 2 year old opera. This isn’t so surprising as Leia developed an instant love for Andrea Bocelli when I played her a video. I walked into her bedroom and she has both arms draped over the sides of the crib, chest out, head back and she was singing the Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh moment when Ursala bargains for Ariel’s voice. I wish that I’d walked in with my phone on record.

I’ve recently learned how to add the Disney app to their tablets (yea, we can argue that out later.) so they can watch The Little Mermaid without forcing me to partake for the twelfth billion time. Oh how I’m sure my mother would have killed for such a devise in the 80s.