Did you know...

• The tonsils are not the dangly thing hanging down in the back of your throat (which is actually called the uvula) -- but rather the puffy balls on either side of it (usually hidden by the back of your throat, but visible in the above photograph, with the one tonsil actually touching the uvula)...
• The Dutch refer to their tonsils as "throat-almonds" (keel amandelen)...
• Furthermore, the Dutch refer to their adenoids -- a related part of the lymphatic system -- as "nose-almonds" (neus amandelen)...
• The Asp family gene pool provides for notoriously bad (easily inflamed) throat-almonds and nose-almonds...
• Bad throat-almonds and nose almonds cause problems with deep breathing (especially during times of physical exertion in the cold), with sinus drainage, with hearing and speaking, with sleep apnea, and with snoring...
• Elliot is getting his throat almonds and nose almonds taken out one month from today...

Did you know all that?  I feel like I've learned a lot about tonsils this week.  We're very glad that we finally got the Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist to order such a treatment.  Hopefully it will be helpful in alleviating many of the aforementioned afflictions.  Elliot is actually excited -- not scared at all -- about the opportunity to undergo such surgery!