When the author asked her preservice elementary teachers what "order of operations" is and why it is important for children to learn, they recited "PEMDAS" or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" but typically became silent when questioned about the importance of the order of operations. Reys and Fennell once suggested that the mathematics component of preservice elementary education must be examined if real change is to occur at the elementary school level (2003, p. 278). In an attempt to bring such change to the classrooms, in this article the author examines what students understand about the order of operations and offers some helpful hints to correct their misunderstanding. She shares three stories about PEMDAS that she has collected while instructing classes of preservice elementary school teachers of mathematics. (Contains 2 tables.)