Gonna?

Is "gonna" a real word?  We say it all the time.  And by we, what I mean is many people, to the point of saying most of the English (or American) speaking population I know.  For example, do you say, "We're going to go in just a minute".  Or do you say, "We're gonna go in just a minute"?

In written form, gonna looks strange.  But in casual speech, "going to" seems to get combined into the single word, "gonna."  Is it slang any more so than using accepted contractions?

And what about, "hafta?"  Okay, I have no idea how to even spell hafta.  I could look all this up online and I'm sure I'd get a head full of what's correct, accepted or slang, but not until I finish this blog post; you know my rules.

I say, "We have to brush our teeth before bedtime."  But I also say things like, "we hafta wait our turn."

I think I'm gonna hafta pay more attention to what I and others say and see if there are other words that aren't true contractions but function in the same manner that may, or may not be grammatically correct.

The Big Boy Update:  Helping his sister.  This morning before we went to school, not once but twice he offered to help bring his sister over.  He brought her by holding her hand to get her jacket on and then he brought her back to get in the car, again holding her hand. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  So sleepy at school.  Today was Grandparents and Special Friends day at school.  My parents came to visit the classrooms of both children today but she was a little too tired to enjoy the visit.  Tomorrow, Uncle Jonathan visits them in both classes.  Maybe she'll be peppier tomorrow.

Fitness Update:  Last day with our trainer before spring break and our family visit to Florida.  He made us work this morning, which is good, because we needed it. 

Someone Once Said:   The Commodore never rejects anyone for failing; what she despises is not trying.