There seems to be an overuse of exclamation points in writing. Mostly in casual writing like emails, text messages and things online like photo captions. It seems the most obvious when reading something written by someone you know, where the written text comes across as much more enthusiastic than the person ever is in person.
I'm an excitable person, but I don't like to sound too over-zealous in my writing. For years I've put up pictures on web pages. Usually captioning an event or pictures of children (and yes, even my dog has her own domain.) When I would go back and read the pictures captions at a later date, it sounded like I was ending so many of them with a Hip Hip Hooray!! that wasn't necessarily merited.
Sometimes, not putting in that exclamation point makes the very same caption even more cute or funny to me. Strange that adding less excitement or emphasis can make something better in my mind. Maybe I'm striving for a more deadpan humor approach.
But as time goes on, I find myself saving the exclamation point for special occasions. It's the, "I love you" of punctuation marks. Use it too much and it can lose emphasis and distort meaning.
The Big Boy Update: Skin itchy mommy. If I was one to use emoticons—and I am not—I would use one to describe how he's been feeling lately. We've been lubing him up with all kinds of moisturizer and putting hydro cortisone cream on him and trying different things to soothe his itchiness. He has his eighteen-month checkup in two weeks and we're going to ask the doctor and see if she's got any advice. There may also be some seasonal allergies in play as I think he's been itchy in his ears too. Benadryl from time to time is a very welcome help.
The Tiny Girl ChroniclesL Lappin'. She is making laps around the living room and kitchen now in the scoot about. While we had breakfast on the porch with my son, we'd look in and see her making another loop through the dining room into the kitchen. She loves her new mobility.
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