The three questions I am asked most often by my students are:

1) Are you married?

2) Do you have kids?

3) How old are you?

No matter how many times I answer these questions, the kids either forget (pretty likely) or don't hear (also pretty likely), and so it seems as if the same students are asking these questions over and over again.

I have a picture of Rich and me on my desk, and the kids are totally fascinated by it. I don't know if it's the interracial thing or the shock of figuring out that I have a life beyond the school day or that I know people they don't know, but they are constantly asking me about that picture and who the handsome young man in the picture is.

Just the other day, a boy saw the picture while getting a Kleenex from my desk and asked, "Miss, is that your boyfriend?" (He sounded a bit incredulous, I might add.)

"No," I replied, "that's my husband."

"Wow!" he said. "He looks like a really cool guy."

"He is," I answered.

"I mean, he looks like he really likes basketball!"

"Uh.... okay?"

Here is that image, where it is clear that Richard is a huge sports fan.

Nothing says basketball-lover like a pair of khakis.