I have another new name

I had a video call with my sister yesterday. She was looking after her 3 year-old grand-daughter, my great-niece, and was trying to explain to her who it was she was talking to on Nanny's phone screen.

"It's your great-uncle," my sister explained, as she showed me to the toddler on her phone. I was waving hello, and trying to engage her in conversation.

Blank look.

I thought maybe this was a bit of a mouthful (and concept) for a 3 year old to grasp, so suggested to my sister that perhaps I could be known as 'gruncle'.

Haha, we thought. Gruncle! A mash-up of Great and Uncle. Funny sounding, and an easier term for young new speakers to grasp, surely?

My great-niece was immediately more on board with this word, and started happily singing 'gruncle, gruncle, la la-laaa' to herself in the background as my sister and I continued chatting.

Then she added her own twist. She suddenly grabbed the phone off her Nan, her little snotty face appeared in extreme close-up on my screen, and she was happily sing-shouting to me repeatedly...

"HELLOOO GRUMPLE!"

Then she shrieked, and judging from the pictures on my end, chucked my sister's phone back at her.

It has been decided.

'Grumple' it is.

Tough.

But fair.