by Anthony Romanelli

I can’t tell you how great it is to be home with my kids. I am there when they wake up, there when they go to sleep and there to help with meals, bedtime, playtime, and every other time of which I can think.

I never imagined being this fortunate. Husband, father, teacher, coach, cancer survivor. It’s funny how life puts you exactly where you are supposed to be…

I was inspired almost 20 years ago to become a teacher but have only actually been in the classroom just shy of a decade and I continue to believe that education is one of the best fields to pursue if you want to raise a family. Knowing I get to see my girls everyday, every night and all summer long, I can only believe I made the right choice. (Though, I’m sure during their teen years, my girls will believe I’m purposely driving them nuts.) Now, I may not drive the Mercedes, but I have made intelligent financial decisions along the way, so I am fairly confident that I should be able to put my girls through school.

Will I miss my daughter’s first crawling? Nope. First word? Nope. Meeting her first boyfriend at the door? Nope. I can confidently say I am going to teach my daughters how to change outlets, hang curtains, clean up after themselves, take pride in who they are and who they want to become—because I am there for my girls.

Just yesterday for example, I ran to the store at 3:30, got home, figured out that my wife, who had also gotten home from her job, in education, was at the park with our girls. I was able to put the few groceries down, walk down the path and play at the park with my girls until dinner. I was then able to help get dinner ready, help clean, and play with the girls a little more.

Am I saying I live a charmed life? Nope, because some of the screaming my 2 ½ year old does could peel the paint off YOUR wall where you are right now---she can be that loud… Am I rolling around in Steve Jobs type money (of whom I am a big fan)…um, no. But I can’t take with me when I die, so what difference does it make….

‘You can be too rich and you can be too thin and you can take them with you…the things that you learn’—The Lemonheads