A perfect example as to why we teach grammar…and spelling…and general literacy.

So my birthday is on December 27. A number of years ago, my sons went to the bakery at a well-known and reputable grocery store to get a birthday cake for me.

This is true.

Really.

The conversation, I am told, went something like this:

Boys: This cake is marked as being chocolate, and may or may not have filling. Mom loves Bavarian crème filling with chocolate cake. Can you tell us if it is filled or not?

Bakery Lady: It may or may not be filled.

Boys: Right, but is there any way to tell without cutting into it?

Lady: You’d have to cut into it to tell.

Boys: (glancing worriedly at each other) Ok, we’ll go for it. Would you write on it for us?

Lady: Sure, what do you want it to say?

Boys: “Happy Birthday Mom, from your boys”

Lady: Ok, what color do you want it in?

Boys: Purple, please.

Lady: (after a long pause)…ok, what color do you want it in?

Boys: Uh, purple please.

The lady grabs the blue frosting

Lady: Ok, what did you want it to say?

Boys: “Happy Birthday Mom, from your boys.”

Lady: Wait, I can’t remember that much. What’s the first part?

Boys: Happy Birthday Mom.

Lady: Ok, Happy Birthday Mom. One “p” or two?

Boys: Pardon?

Lady: One “p” or two. On “Happy.” Boys: Two, please. H..a..p..p..y.

Lady: Ok, if you want it that way. What next?

Boys: From your boys

Lady: From her boys

Boys: No, from your boys

Lady: (completely seriously) But you’re not my boys.

Boys: No, we’re her boys, and we are giving it to her, so we want it to say “from your boys.”

Lady: But that doesn’t make sense. I don’t have any boys.

Boys: (confused and frustrated by now) Here, we’ll write it down for you and you can copy it from this paper.

Lady: (reciting from paper) Happy Birthday Mom from your boys. Well it doesn’t sound right to me, but I know what to do now.

Lady takes an agonizing period of time to complete the writing, then shows the boys the following cake: