This morning I wasn’t the only one getting up at 5 a.m. After an incredible summer, Sidney reported to work today. She will have a week and a half of meetings before classes start at Palmetto Bays School on August 17. While she will still have her second grade classroom, she will have a different name. Students, let me introduce you to Mrs. Reser.

For those of us out there who have teachers as spouses, the summer is a pleasant time for us as well. Although our wives or husbands get to actually enjoy the time off, we enjoy the byproducts of the summer break.

I don’t know how many times I texted home this summer asking Sidney to put something in the mailbox for me because I forgot. Or how I asked her to wash or iron something. Or how I would call asking if she would pick something up at the grocery store for me.

But the errands went beyond the grocery store. There was the time this summer where she brought my dress shoes all the way to campus for me because I forgot them that morning. Or recently there was the instance where she picked me up during the lunch hour from the vehicle shop where I was getting my car serviced and took me back to the office (which of course required her to pick me up at the end of the day).

Then there was all the work she did at our residence. She tended to the lawn. She set up our master bedroom. She designed a photo wall in our living room. She looked long and hard to find the perfect pieces of furniture to give us a nice backyard lounging area. She completed what seemed like a project each day. She made our house feel like a home.

Probably the best part of the summer break was our weekly lunch. Usually on a Thursday, she would pick me up at work and we would go somewhere nearby for a bite to eat. As someone who sits at his desk and eats a peanut butter sandwich most days, this once a week occurrence was always something I looked forward to. When you are used to not seeing your spouse until the evening, it is a real treat to get to enjoy 45 minutes with them in the middle of the day.

I am a little bit sad to see Sidney’s summer end. I took comfort knowing that she was at home enjoying her well-deserved vacation from work. But I also look forward to the start of her school year. I am excited for her new students and the new stories. I am also especially excited for the debut of “Mrs. Reser.” Have a great year, Sid! Don’t Blink.