The contrast between my mom and student selves is especially stark on the days I bring the girls with me to campus, pass them off to Jeremy at his office, and go straight to class from there. It has been a long, long time since I needed to be anywhere at a specific, regular time, just for ME. Maybe a doctor's appointment or two over the last few years? I'm still nervous that I'll be late to class and then I end up trying to hustle the girls along faster than they're able. Then Miriam gets to lagging behind and I'm trying to hurry her up and by the time I hand them over to Jeremy, it takes the entire walk from there to my class to focus on not looking like a harried mom when I walk in the door.
I'm so glad I kept up on reading high-level non-fiction over the years. It makes the textbooks infinitely more readable. However, my attention span has definitely taken a hit. I am so conditioned to being interrupted by tiny children at random intervals during any important task that when I do find a stretch of time to study, I find myself looking up after 12 minutes wondering if anything out there needs my attention.
Today I did my homework outside while the girls played. Miriam asked me what I was doing and when I told her I had homework, too, just like her, she got such a kick out of it.
I'm still moderately terrified of a thesis and I know I have a lot of coursework to get through in the next couple of years, but it feels so good to build character and be challenged in a way that does not involve poo, snot, or time-outs. Who's with me?