Things I HATE!

Hate is a strong word. Usually when I say I hate something I really don't mean it. The phrase is often modified with "I don't really hate it, but I don't like it." These my friends, are things that I really do hate.

1- 60 hr work weeks. Not by me, but by my wife Erica. In fact 60 hrs is a low ball estimate of the real amount of time she puts in during a one week period. 60 is just an estimate of the time she puts in at the actual school. She leaves every day no later than 7:00am. She returns every day no earlier than 6:00pm (i would only be so lucky if she actually was home at 6 just a couple days a week). Saturday mornings she is usually headed to her classroom. As a result--I haven't been able to spend much time with my wife lately. I hate 60 hr work weeks.

2- Not spending quality time with my wife. As mentioned above, the work schedule plays into this. Also the fact that last weekend we were apart, this week both of us have been putting in long hours at the office, and next week I will be gone for work. That means I will not be seeing nearly enough of the person I love. I hate not spending quality time with my wife.

3- When people underestimate/under appreciate teachers. More than once I have mentioned to someone the amount of time Erica puts in to her teaching. That person usually says, "Doesn't she teach kindergarten?" I am confident that if those people could see her classroom, the projects she puts together for her students, even the way she interacts with her students and the way that they adore her. Their attitude would change from "What in the world is she doing?" to "How in the world does she do it?" I hate when people underestimate/under appreciate teachers.

Funny how things work--because of these things I hate, I end up loving something even more. I love the dedication Erica gives to her commitments. I love the detail and attention she gives to each of her students. I love meeting the parents of the children she teaches. Without fail when they notice I am around they seek me out and tell me how lucky I am. They tell me how lucky our children will be (when that day comes). They thank me for sharing her with their children. They marvel at the education Erica delivers to such a young age. They make me very proud. They make me feel very fortunate to have found her.

If you are a parent with a child entering Kindergarten at Dalton next year, I have a secret for you. All that money you are spending to educate your child at 5 yrs old would have been enough to cover my 4 years of tuition at the University level... with some change to spare. All that money you are spending to have your child in Ms. Gardner's class.... it will be a bargain. Worth every penny--and then some.