It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

No, I don't mean the holiday season. I mean AWARD SHOW SEASON!

The season officially kicked off this past Sunday with the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Now if you know me, you know that I am a sucker for awards shows.  Not necessarily to see who wins and loses the coveted Emmy (although I did watch the show, and determined that I just may be too pregnant to handle the acceptance speeches this year).  I am more interested to see who makes good fashion choices and who should be sent away from the red carpet in shame.

So here are my personal picks for best and worst dressed on the red carpet!

BEST DRESSED:

Lea Michele from Glee.  She never fails to stun on the red carpet.  I just love this navy blue Oscar de la Renta.  And for those of you trend watchers, it appears as though navy is the new black.  Be sure to grab a few navy staples for your fall wardrobe.

Runner-up: Claire Danes.  She embodies Hollywood glamor in this Armani Prive sparkler.  Who doesn't love a shimmering column dress?

WORST DRESSED:

Anna Paquin.  Perhaps she has been spending too much time in the dark and has forgotten that she is not, in fact, a vampire.  Certainly she turned on some sort of light to view her look before leaving the house in this military/bull fighter inspired Alexander McQueen?  For shame.

Runner-up: January Jones.  I am quite sure that I will NEVER be on board with the asymmetrical hemline.  In my opinion, Versace got it all wrong, here.  Aside from the mullet-like silhouette of the gown, the corset top is a mess, the pattern/fabric is heinous, and the stiffness of the skirt is just unappealing.  I do, however, enjoy the color.

So there you have it, folks.  My two cents on this year's Emmy fashion.  And just in case you were wondering, yes, I actually did remember who designed each of these gowns.  Yes, I have an illness.

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 14: The Lemon

Now here is a food I can get on board with.  Enough with the kumquat and the shrimp.  Baby is the size of a lemon.  There's a lemon rolling around in my abdomen!  I just know I'll start to feel it any day now!

Q: Are you still feeling good?  Or was this yet another mean trick?
A: The short answer is that yes, I'm still feeling pretty good.  However, I had a realization.  I believe that morning sickness is never going to leave me 100%.  And I've accepted that.  After an entire week of blissful, barfless days, I had two yucky mornings in a row this weekend.  Turns out smells can still get to me in a nanosecond, and if I don't eat regularly, that can come back to bite me in the ass, as well.  So, lesson learned.  I have 5 1/2 more months of the occasional sickness.  But I'm okay with it.  Anything is better than all the time, all day, every day sickness.  I'm on board. 

Q: How are you feeling about having a boy, when you so badly wanted a girl?
A: I truly feel great about this.  Sure, sometimes I'm still a little sad that I won't be buying pink, frilly things for the peanut, but I keep coming up with more and more reasons why having a boy is great.  To name a few:

1. I like the idea of our oldest child being a boy, so that he can be the big brother that looks out for and protects his younger siblings.
2. Little boys LOVE their mamas.  From what everyone tells me, there is absolutely nothing in the world that compares to a little boy's love for and devotion to his mother.  Not gonna lie- I'm pretty excited for the little boy cuddles.
3. I already had an idea for how I would decorate the nursery if we were to have a son.  And it's C.U.T.E.  More details to come after we're 100% certain.
4. I like sports.  J doesn't.  Maybe our son will get on board with watching the occasional sporting event with his mom.  Better yet, maybe he'll play football, or lacrosse, or some other fun sport that I like to watch!  I like the idea of a rough and tumble, athletic kid.  (But I'll love him just the same if he takes the nerdier, take-apart-and-put-back-together-the-computer-for-fun approach like his daddy.)
5. Have I mentioned how much little boys LOVE their mamas?

Q: Does Baby Boy Anderson have a name yet?
A: No, and I'm beginning to think he never will!  J and I are having a hard time finding names that wow us both.  J has admitted that most likely, nothing will ever WOW him.  He's far too serious and contemplative for that.  So he has a few names that he's mulling over, as do I.  Maybe one day we'll both mull over the same name long enough that it will stick.  We have not yet decided if we will reveal the name, once it's been decided upon.  However, that time may not come until baby is born, so in that case, you'll know right away!

Q: Any new crazy pregnancy symptoms, now that you're in the second trimester?
A: First of all, check that- SECOND TRIMESTER, BABY!  I am officially a third of the way through this pregnancy, and time is flying.

But to answer the question, my dreams have been CUH-RAZY.  This isn't exactly new with the second trimester, but just something I've failed to mention up until this point.  My dreams are so vivid!  And real!  And scary/sad/awesome to the extreme.  Lots of mornings I wake up to immediately tell J about the crazy dream I had that night.  This weekend, he even said that one of them would make a great movie.  I'm tellin' ya.  Coolness.

Luckily the dreams are cool, because I have a lot of them.  That's due to all of the waking up and going back to sleep during the night.  Turns out kidneys work overtime from the moment of conception, and this getting up in the middle of the night to pee nonsense is for the birds.  Also, I am having a hard time finding a comfortable position these days.  I'm a stomach sleeper by nature, and that has just gotten uncomfortable, due to the expansion of both the belly and the "up top."  I bought a crazy body pillow to help.  I'm still trying to figure out the best way to use it, but for now, I'm thinking it helps, even if only slightly.

Q: What's new with the peanut?
A: He's acting like a baby!  He can now suck his thumb, and his facial muscles are getting a workout as he smiles and frowns.  He has also started to pee this week, so for the next 25 weeks, he will officially be swimming around in his own urine.  So basically, he's eating (when I eat), sleeping, smiling, frowning, and peeing.  Sounds like a baby, no?

That's what's new this week!

Happy Day, Amanda and Matt!

Yesterday was a beautiful day! One of my dearest friends married her true love.

It was so nice to see two people, so in love, sharing beautiful, self-written vows, amongst thousands of roses in bloom. Not a dry eye in the house, I'm tellin' ya'!

Afterward, it was so much fun for friends to be together at "The Alley." This reception was unconventional to be sure, but loads of fun!

A few photos to highlight the beauty and fun that was Amanda and Matt's wedding day! Congrats, you two. May the rest of your lives together be filled with as much love as we all felt yesterday!

Exchanging vows and rings in the Rose garden.

Now THIS is a wedding reception you wish you were at, right?

Me and the beautiful bride.

Me and MY true love.

The Many Questions of Pregnancy

It's amazing the things you start to think about when you're having a baby.

Of course, there's the obvious:
"What should we name the baby?"
"How should we decorate the nursery?"
and "How do parents function without sleep?"

Then there's the more bizarre:
"When does that gross thing fall off the belly button?"
"Who knew there were so many choices in the world of breast pumps?"
and ""What the hell is a Boppy, and why do I need one?"

Then we get into the hot topics, which I never really thought about as being so smokin' hot before I got knocked up.  As a matter of fact, I never thought about them at all!  But now there are a few more questions J and I are asking ourselves:
"To cut or not to cut?  Circumcision is the question."
"Vaccines: good or evil?"

J sent me a link to this video today, which was funny, because I had just been reading a message board thread all about vaccinating, thinking about what my preference would be for Baby Anderson.  We are clearly parenting on the same page already!  I felt the need to share.



I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it better that Penn & Teller (especially Teller).  The only thing I can say about this video is the following: word.
 
Disclaimer: I love how this video makes light of a serious situation.  I know that this is a RAGING debate, and I DO NOT judge parents, whether they choose to vaccinate or not!  So please don't be offended, any non-vaccinating parents that may come across this blog!

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 13: The Medium Shrimp?

I'm not really a fan of this week's baby-to-food comparison.  A medium shrimp?  I mean, they couldn't come up with anything better than that?  Oh, well.  I guess the peanut is as long as a medium shrimp this week.  Such is life, I guess!

BIG NEWS OF THE WEEK: It seems that the morning sickness has left the building!  Week 13 was very good to me in terms of that monster.  I am still having moments here and there, but I do not feel like crap all day, every day!  HUZZAH!

In fact, I even went out this past weekend.  As in, got dressed and left the house for reasons other than work.  I even- GASP- put on makeup!  And I must say...it felt really, really good.  J and I went to the Aviator brewery for a few hours on Saturday.  Lots of our friends were there hanging out, having a few brewskis.  (I stuck to my new fave, Dr. Pepper.  Seriously, have to have one.  Like, every day.)  It was great to be part of the living world again.

In other related news- I started to look pregnant this week.  That also felt really, really good.  I'm sure strangers would question whether it is baby or fat, but my pals all knew and noticed the transformation right away.  Odd feeling- my normal, daily, non-pregnant movements find me unconsciously sucking in my tummy.  You know, like all respectable non-flat-stomached girls do on a regular basis.  I've found that I have to tell myself to relax these days when I notice that I'm up to my old tricks.  I think sucking in the tummy is no longer necessary- the jig is up.

Also noteworthy- J and I had our first parents-to-be moments of panic this week!  After we got through last week's appointment and knew FOR REALS that baby is good (which, by the way, was confirmed with test results.  He has a 1:876 chance of having Down Syndrome and a 1:10,000 chance of having Trisomy 13- both of these are great numbers.), we decided to make our first trip to Babies R' Us to begin work on our registry.  Holy overload, Batman!  J freaked when he saw the price tags on everything.  I freaked when I realized that we needed at least one thing from every. single. aisle.  Needless to say, we didn't make it very far.  We got a few big things picked out, then called it a day.  We'll be taking baby steps with this registry!  

It was a slow week for baby, developmentally.  He now has fingerprints- so he'd better wear gloves if he plans on committing any crimes.  And, his body is starting to catch up with his head in terms of size.  So he'll look mostly like an itty-bitty, medium shrimp sized human as he commits said crimes, and not so much like an alien with an over-sized noggin.  I think he's feelin' pretty good about that. 

Starting next week, updates will be posted on Mondays.  My due date got moved up two days, and I always like to post on the last day of any given "week".  Since my new "weeks" now begin on Tuesdays, looks for updates from the Peanut Gallery on Mondays!

The Internet kinda creeps me out.

How does it know so much stuff??

For example, on my Yahoo homepage, there is a sidebar featuring all kinds of different ads.  They change every so often.  I'm not sure I've ever paid too much attention to them- they're just an minor, annoying nuisance which I choose to avoid looking at.

But recently an add for Ann Taylor Loft maternity clothes caught my eye.  I thought to myself, "I didn't know Ann Taylor had a maternity line!  How fortunate that that ad appeared and I happened to catch it!"

After this experience, I started checking out these ads a little more frequently.  Who knew what other gems I might uncover?

Well, this is when I started to get a little creeped out by the Internet.  Almost ALL of the ads revolve around maternity clothes, baby necessities, or cord blood banking, such as this:

HOW DOES THE INTERNET KNOW I'M PREGNANT?

I'm sure the computer nerds of the world (yes, I mean you, J) can give me a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.  But nonetheless, I'm not sure I like it.

Big Brother is seriously watching me.

A little list to make you feel old.

I've come across this list several times lately.

Apparently, it's put out each year to enlighten college professors about the things that the year's incoming freshman have and have not experienced in their lifetimes.

A few of my favorite tidbits about this year's college freshmen?

They have never really needed to wear a watch- they just check their cell phones.

Speaking of phones- the landlines have always been cordless.

John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.

Many of this class do not know how to write in cursive.

And my personal favorite?

Nirvana = classic oldie.

How's that for ya?

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 12: The Lime

What I want to know is, how can I NOT feel that thing moving around in there?  A LIME?  Really?  You'd think that if you had a lime rolling around in your abdomen, you'd be able to feel it.  But alas, no.

Q: How are you feeling?
A: Well, the magic switch was not flipped at the 12 week mark, as I hoped that it would.  But towards the end of this week, things may have started to look up a little.  Now after the last false alarm, I'm not saying anything for certain.  But there is a chance that the morning sickness is beginning to let up.  Let's put it this way.  There have been two or three days (not in a row, though) where I have kept all meals, snacks, and drinks down.  It's a step in the right direction.

Q: Now that baby is the size of a lime, are you starting to show yet?
A: Yes!  But only a tiny bit.  Not in the big, round belly kind of way.  I had to ask friends for their opinions.  You see, when you don't start out with a flat stomach to begin with, it's hard to tell whether what you're seeing is baby, or just your normal self.  When I asked a few friends over the weekend if the little bump was new, I got emphatic confirmations.  Also, J has been taking photos each week to document the belly growth.  When we reviewed the last several weeks last night, there is a noticeable difference this week.  Yay!

Q: So how are your clothes working out for you?
A: Currently, not so well.  I'm in an in-between stage that I don't love.  At the beginning of the week, my choices were limited to yoga pants or dresses.  The dresses are fine for work (if I shave my legs regularly...but let's face it.  We all have those days where the legs are less than smooth.).  And the yoga pants are fine for home.  But as I was quickly running out of options, I broke down and hauled out the maternity pants.  I had bought a few pairs on super sale several weeks ago, for when I was ready.  Turns out, now I'm ready(ish).  They are still a little big, but they feel OH. SO. GOOD.

Q: How did this week's appointments go?
A: Well, in a word- AH-MAZING.

We had our regular monthly OB appointment last Thursday.  It was so quick!  First, pee in a cup.  Second, weight check (to which the nurse replied "SO...either you've been eating really, really well, or you've been really, really sick."  I was sad to report that it was option B.).  Third, see the doc.  She came in in a whirlwind, looked for baby's heartbeat with the doppler (which she warned us she may not be able to find this early, but she did...and it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard), and asked us if we had any questions.  Since Fifth Disease is going around my school, and I know I was directly exposed, we asked if we should worry.  So she sent me for some blood work and sent us on our merry way for the next four weeks!

The next appointment was this past Monday with the perinatologist for our First Trimester Screening.  This is basically just an early screen to see if baby has any obvious markers that would show a risk for genetic disorders such as Down's Syndrome.  Now truthfully, I wasn't even a little bit worried about baby having any of these issues.  I just wasn't.  The real reason I agreed to the test is because it involves a lengthy ultrasound, and I wanted another peek at the peanut.

Here is the best shot.

Looks like a real, actual baby, no?

Baby was very still at first.  J and I were a little disappointed, because we were expecting to see a lot of movement.  But the doc said "Looks like baby is taking a little nap.  Let's see if we can wake him up."  So the doc started pushing on my belly.  Not hard, just kind of bouncing my uterus up and down.  (I know, that's a really weird thing to say.  Sorry.)  It totally worked.  Baby woke up, and started moving and grooving all over the place.  I almost felt a little bad that we had disturbed my peanut, but the cool factor that came with all that movement made it SO worth it.  At one point, baby needed a BIG STRETCH.  Just like mommy does when she wakes up.  It was so cute.

Oh, and everything looked perfect.  I guess that's the really important part, right?  We'll get the full report, which includes blood work, in a week or so.  But the doc didn't have any reason to be concerned at this point.

Okay, okay...the news you've probably been waiting for through this whole, long post...

Q: Could the doc tell the sex of the baby?
A: Well, there is some debate on whether or not gender can be accurately determined by ultrasound this early on.  BUT, the results are pointing toward the fact that yes, although the genitals have not completely formed yet, there is enough of a difference between boy and girl that a determination can be made.

That being said, we won't be 100% sure until our next ultrasound in October.

However, doc used the word "very convinced" when he told us...

It's a BOY!

So much for my intuition, right?  Hey, I'm a first time mom.  What the hell do I know? ;) 

Until next week!

Thank God there's only one in there.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks, TwoPretzels, for finding this video!

Pretty please?

I thought I'd take advantage of this here blog thing to reach out to my readers and ask a favor.

In honor of their tenth anniversary, Kohl's is giving away $10 million dollars to schools.  That's $500,000 each to twenty schools.

This in and of itself is amazing.  But what's even more amazing is that Willow Springs Elementary, where I began my teaching career and where many of my best friends and former students call home, is actually in the running to be awarded one of these prizes!

So please, please, PRETTY PLEASE take a minute to add your vote and help them out!  If you have a Facebook account, follow this link and add your five votes! 

As an incentive, the wonderful PTA at WSES has started a raffle for all those who enter.  Read here for more information about the contest, and to enter the raffle!

Thanks in advance to all who vote!

Would you?

According to a new poll published in this article, half of women would give up sex for the entire summer rather than gain 10 pounds.

Although this may or may not be surprising to you, I have to imagine that this one will come as a shocker: a quarter of men said the same thing!  This was a much higher percentage than I would have guessed!

Consider this, dear readers.  What would you give up this summer rather than gain a little weight?  The television?  Your iPhone? (Which apparently leads to having more sexual partners than ownership of other smart phones, but that's another story.)  Shopping?  Showering?  (I realize that this last one is weird, but 6% of those polled said they would do just that.)

I realize that I am not a good candidate to answer this question this particular summer.  One does not get pregnant in the hopes of keeping off the pounds.  But how about you?  What would you give up?

In my opinion, if you really want to avoid gaining those ten pounds...giving up cookies for the summer might be a good place to start.

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 11: The Fig

This has been a big week!  I *think* I witnessed the beginning of the end of the first trimester yuckiness.  There were four days in a row where I felt good!  It was really an amazing feeling.  I was in a good mood, I was enjoying food, life was good.

Then I got overly ambitious.

I decided to cook dinner.  Yes, cook.  For the first time in a good six weeks.

Turns out all of the smells in the kitchen are still no good for me.  They sent me right back down into the morning sickness abyss (and down two more pounds)!  And I'm not back out of it yet.  BUT, those few days of feeling good let me know that it can't be too much longer until the joys of the second trimester.  Those joys that I used to take for granted, like having energy, enjoying food, and being a good wife.

Baby has kept right on developing throughout all of this.  The biggest news this week is that the peanut is moving and grooving.  Unfortunately, I can't feel her yet, but that doesn't mean that she's not dancing all around!  Hopefully I'll be able to feel the movement in the next 4-6 weeks.  Until then, I'll look forward to next week's first trimester screening, which includes an ultrasound, so that I can at least SEE baby's movement!

Look for some good baby pics in next week's update!

Let's Talk TV

Since I have recently become one of the "bump on a log" variety, I have had some serious TV time.  Tricky business, becoming a couch potato during the summer months.  Summer is the time when people usually frolic outdoors, hence the networks don't put a lot of effort into summertime television line-ups.

Here is a glimpse at how I have been rotting my brain these past weeks.

1. So You Think You Can Dance

This show is actually new during the summer, and not currently in reruns.  I actually love, love, LOVE watching many of these performances.  Most of the contestants are truly gifted dancers, and as a former dancer my self, I have a true appreciation for the beauty of their movement.  But in my opinion, they kept Jose around a little longer than necessary.  Also, Alex Wong's injury was tragic.  Hoping cutie Kent from Wapokoneta leaves with the title "America's Favorite Dancer" this week.

2. Hell's Kitchen

Another show that is actually current, and not in reruns.  I love to cook, so seeing all of the culinary expertise is fascinating to me.  Also, I giggle constantly at Chef Ramsay.  His violent outbursts make for excellent television drama.  I also love how he calls everyone 'donkey' and tells them to 'piss off'.  Gotta love the Brits.  I am hoping for Holly to come out victorious this week.

3. Bravo

I can't even narrow this down to a show- I have to give a shout out to the entire network.  This is a network that we usually don't get with our Dish Network package, but it happens to be a freebie this month, so I am soaking up every minute of it that I can.  This network is truly a guilty pleasure for me.  I could literally spend HOURS watching reruns of "The Real Housewives of ..." doesn't matter which city.  I love them all (except maybe Atlanta).  New Jersey is my favorite- that Danielle is SERIOUSLY a crazy bitch.  I also love Top Chef (again with the food shows), Bethenny Getting Married, and sometimes Flipping Out.  Really, it's best that come September 1, this network will no longer be an option for me.  I've wasted away chunks of my life watching.

And finally...

4. The Nanny

Yes, I realize that Fran Drescher has the most annoying voice ever.  And yes, I realize that this show is not actually funny.  And yes, I realize that this show was last current in 1999.  But I can't help it.  I love it.  TV Land has recently added this to its evening lineup, and truly, I am happy.

What are YOUR guilty television pleasures?

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 10: The Kumquat

I'm not even sure what a kumquat is.  I'm dying to know if any of my readers has actually eaten, or even seen, a kumquat.  Please, PLEASE enlighten me if you have!

Q: Now that you're a quarter of the way through your pregnancy, how are you feeling?
A: Excited.  Just excited.  So excited that I cannot stand it.  I'm finally at a place where I believe, FOR REAL, that I'm pregnant, and that our family will be expanding.  This is most likely due to the fact that baby reminds me of her presence several times a day, every day, as I lose my lunch (or breakfast, or dinner, or snack...you get the idea).

Q: Have you noticed any changes in your body yet?  Are you starting to show?
A: No, but I cannot wait for that baby bump!  Although apparently my uterus is now the size of a grapefruit, I am not expecting to see it for another couple of months, as this is my first baby, and it oftentimes takes a while to "pop" with baby number one.  I have lost four pounds now (thank you, morning sickness), so no weight gain yet, either.  And, I am thinking this is definitely a good thing!  Because lemme tell you...when I can finally eat again, I'm gonna EAT.  I miss food.  I really do.  And I'm sure I'll make up for those pounds I lost when I am finally feeling better.

Q: Will you find out the sex of the baby?  When? 
A: Yes, please!  I am dying to know what we're having.  Of course, you all know I think it's a girl.  J has no feelings either way (but he hates it how I exclusively say 'she' or 'her').  We won't be able to find out for sure until our October appointment.  OCTOBER!  That's still pretty far away, so I'm trying not to focus on it too much.

Q: What is new with baby this week?  Is it even a boy or girl yet, or still just an 'it'?   
A: Baby is now a fetus!  She has kissed her embryo days goodbye.  This means that all of her major tissues and organs are formed, and now begin growing at a rapid pace.  Pretty amazing that I grew a whole person in just ten weeks, huh?  Peanut grew finger and toenails this week (this makes me think of the movie Juno- anyone with me?), and is working on some peach fuzz.  Baby is still officially an 'it' for a few more weeks, but other than that, just a teeny-tiny human, growing away.

Until next week, folks!

Why, firewalls? Why?

Dear School System Web Police,

Here at work, I am faced with many firewalls.

 I get it.  Of course, we don't want students to happen upon some terrible, pornographic site and be scarred for life.  This can happen to even the most tech-savvy of us.  (For everyone's reference, if you want to check in on your favorite Miami oldsters, DO NOT visit www.goldengirls.com.  Seriously.  Don't do it.)

But please tell me, dear web police, why I cannot visit the sites of Old Navy, Gap, or Banana Republic?

I have the occasional downtime here in my little office, and sometimes I just want to do a little online shopping or browse for new fashion inspiration.  As Old navy is one of my faves (both chic and affordable!), this site would be a stop of choice.  Especially for maternity clothes, as their shirts do not all tie in the back and scream FRUMPMEISTER.

What is so terrible about the Gap family?  I can see naked ladies on NatGeo, I can search for lingerie at Macy's, I can read foul language here, there, and everywhere!  I just do not understand this clearly ill-informed choice.

Please, school system web police...reconsider.  I find your exclusion of these sites to be morally reprehensible.

Sincerely,
A Disgruntled Employee Who is Forced to Limit Her Online Shopping Experience While at Work

From the Peanut Gallery- Week Nine: The Grape

AND the Peanut Gallery is all caught up!  Look for updates once a week from this point on!

Q: Feeling any better this week?
A: Feeling worse, in general, but trying to stay distracted if I can!  My mom and brother were here for the majority of the week, so that helped.  I tried my best to stay awake as often as I could, and I loved, loved, loved that my mama cooked some delicious meals for me (even if I didn't keep all of them down).

Q: How are those hormones workin' out for you?
A: Well, the crying still happens randomly.  But I suppose that's to be expected!  I did have a crazy moment this week.  J and I went to Lake Gaston for the weekend with our good friends Cecie and Neil.  There was a big salad at dinner, and the fresh cucumber and farm stand tomato were beyond delicious to me.  Throughout dinner, I pretty much ignored my hamburger and continuously picked through the salad bowl for cucumbers and tomatoes.  After we had finished eating, and were sitting around the table chatting, I saw Neil reach his hand into the salad bowl and pull out a piece of cucumber.  This stopped me dead in my tracks, and I felt a look of hatred come over my face.  I couldn't fathom that someone else at the table would dare eat MY cucumbers or tomatoes.  Luckily I quickly realized that I was CUH-RAZY, and we all laughed about my temporary insanity.  Ah, hormones.

Q: What has the peanut been up to this week?
A: This week is baby's last week as an embryo.  The rest of her organs finish forming, her heart divides into four chambers, and...she completely loses her tail!

Grammar Nazi

Yes, I have been referred to by this loving moniker a time or two.

It's okay.  I embrace it.  I AM a bit of a grammar nazi.  The improper use of the English language just grates on my nerves.  Can't help it.

From what I understand, this runs in the family.  When my dad and his siblings were little, they enjoyed eating the olives from my my grandparents' martinis (I mean, what kid doesn't love a vodka-soaked green olive?).  If they asked their father, in typical kid style, "Can I have a olive?"  Well then, the answer would be no.  But if they asked in grown up, correct grammar, "May I please have an olive?"  Well then they would then be rewarded with the olive.

That's certainly one way to teach 'em.

But I digress.

I apologize in advance for the obscenity of this link (sorta).  But I do love it, yes I do.  It makes the grammar nazi in me smile with delight.