I'm trying to work with the nieces on "tattling".

Unless something's bleeding or broken (or extremely likely to get that way), I don't wanna hear it.

So at lunch yesterday Evangeline tattles (and it's not like I don't see it!) "Ana just STUCK OUT her TONGUE at me!!!"

Me: Aaaaaand...? (Meaning, of course "and I care why, exactly?")
Evangeline: AND THEN SHE PUT IT BACK IN HER MOUTH!

In fairness to Evangeline, Ana has been antagonizing her all week. Little things, but they add up - for example, she's recently started giggling hysterically whenever her sister is around. Eventually Evangeline, fed up, will tell her to stop laughing at her. "I'm not! *gigglegigglegiggle*"

I'm about to scream. They're acting this way because of school starting, that's obvious, they're both a little nervous. Well, we've only got a few more days.

We've all heard about the Obama speech kerfuffle.

Here's a short list of other speeches that presidents have given directly to schoolkids.

Oh, hey, I totally forgot to post this!

Now, I *know* you all read ozarque, because she's awesome, but just in case you didn't get the memo: Go read her journal! Because she's awesome!

Right now she's also being awesome while writing a series on American English Grammar, so go read it. (Should I post this in linguaphiles, do you think?)