Teacher Gifts that Keep on Giving

Throughout the school year, my wife gifts me some of the best things. I will list some of my top favorites that come with being a teacher's spouse.

Sickness: Yes, Nothing says I love you like sharing the plague with your spouse. I wait with baited breath at the start of each school year to see which sickness I'll get first. Flu, strep, uncontrollable stomach problems. Since I don't leave the house much, my immune system is shot. So while she stays healthy as an ox, I suffer throughout the school year. Last year she brought me two doses of the type A flu, Strep, and the GI bug on more than one occasion. The best part is it's usually caught right around winter and spring break. That way I get to really enjoy spending time with the family, spreading it from person to person. Yes the gift that keeps on giving.

Spending Time Together: Um... helping her do teacher things. This one is another personal favorite. It's her way of spending time with me, while I suffer through doing stuff I really don't want to do. In fact, if I see her working on projects now, I run the other way and hide. Last time I got stuck cutting out 100 different things she laminated. All the while I get to hear about her day. Don't get me wrong, I love to catch up with my wife, just not about English stuff, or how Sally finally had an "AHA" moment. What the heck is that? Honestly... My all time favorite is after she comes home from conferences. She's so pumped up, but I really don't need to know about how she can push these new standards.

Baked Goods: I'm Italian and love food! Julie is a great baker, and I always look forward to her baking. Which she never really does anymore because she's too busy school prepping. I swear she is like a doomsday prepper, but instead with substitute crap. But occasionally I will smell the sweet smell of baked goods. I get all excited, only to learn that it's not for me. It's for her class. The second baking gift I receive is questionable cookies or muffins she brings home from her kids. Bless their hearts, but some of the food doesn't look edible. She refuses to throw it away at school for fear her students will see it. So instead she brings it home to bribe me with. It doesn't work too often.

In closing, I will leave you teachers with this advice. Wash your hands often, wear a mask, and remember germ-x is your friend. Don't talk about what Johnny did in class, or tell them about the new ways you've learned to engage your students. Instead, for goodness sake, bake or cook for your family instead of giving ALL those delicious cupcakes to your students, or at least make a few extra for us.