To take or not to take....

Ever since I was little, I never wanted to fully take on someone else's last name; be it that I still have my mother's last name or that I am established in my career, there are several reasons. Many would think I would want to change my name due to various things associated with it but I do not; I am who I am and if anything, I would want to 'create' a new name. I think that if I have to change, so should my partner; all is fair in love and war ;) Chris does not care for 'Goodat' or 'Matwin' so I guess I will stay Matt and he Goodwin...

My justifications are many; I am a teacher; Ms. Matt is how my students know me. Also, everything we own is in my name and changing everything just seems like more work then it is worth. Moreover, my credit is good haha. Lastly, I do not want to be known or even thought of as the boy's original mother; I am not the crazy one; keeping Matt would help people realize that I am the second one to come along, not first that we care to forget about... I don't want to be the second Mrs. Goodwin; I choose to stay far away from what is associated with first