Taylor came home with eyes shining.

“I found the perfect lab for my anatomy students. We’re going to dissect chickens!”

Ever the supportive wife, I immediately bombarded him with reasons why that might be a bad idea. Here was the list:

• We didn’t have any chickens for him to kill and dissect
• Where on earth was he going to store the chickens?
• He needed to get it approved by admin before

Taylor rolled his eyes and assured me that he had it under control. 1) Things like grocery stores exist 2) the science teacher was lending him her tools, including refrigeration units specifically for dissections, and 3) admin loved his idea. “Don’t worry, Mama,” said Taylor with a smile. “Your husband knows what he’s doing.”

That brazen confidence is how we ended here on a Tuesday night after a quick trip to Smiths.

Yep. Handling raw meat without wearing any protective gloves.

In case my heart rate wasn’t racing hard enough: Here he is, giving his best “It’s fiiiine” smile, as he pours bleach into a bag that’s known for its tendency to roll over and spill its guts out everywhere:

We double bagged the meats together (this was a process that required at least 4 hands and 8 teeth). He swore a blood oath for me that he would at least make the students wear gloves dammit and do not let the students know how little you care for your own skin.

His students had an awesome (and 100% safe) time discovering the skin, muscles, bones, veins, and even a nerve ending! A handful of those students really got into the exploration, too busy with their work to indulge their teacher for a group photo. One of his students said she might want to be a medical examiner when she grows up (which is a brave and bold choice to make at 14, but you go girl!).

Taylor is a great teacher. He just cares about these kids. He tries to go above and beyond when he can. The students take in a lot of information every day. Big efforts like these make a small but significant difference in their education. Taylor is smart as a whip, too, so that certainly helps when they try to egg him with the tough questions. 🙂

Congrats on the successful lab, honey! xoxo