When I am on maternity leave, I usually like to do something to stimulate my brain, besides toddler timeouts, goo goo ga ga, and tummy time.  This time, having 2 kids, I have taken a french course one evening a week to learn the language, since I live in a bilingual city.  A lot of doors are closed to you if you do not speak French.  Besides, I have a lot of french-speaking friends, and I would like to communicate to them and their children.  Especially since they want their children to speak predominantly french.

Well, let me just say that one week into the course I thought, “What the *&^% did I get myself into?”.  The baby refused to take a bottle, I am so darn tired by the evening I am not even thinking clearly, and homework?  You have got to be kidding, right?  How do I have time for homework?

The only chance I get to do homework is in the evening once the kiddies go to bed and by that time my brain is the consistency of swiss cheese.  Not to mention I had an oral presentation to do, in french.  Yikes!  I also have a final exam coming up worth at least 40% of my mark.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to cancel without losing money so I decided to stick with it.  I am actually glad that I did because I am understanding more, but it wasn’t easy.  Everytime I would call home, the baby would be crying and I would feel so guilty.  My poor husband, struggling with two kids at bedtime, the busiest time of the day.

All of this anguish really led me to think about moms that actually go to post secondary education when the have kids.  Not to mention the single moms that do this.  It leaves me to ask,  HOW THE HECK DO YOU DO IT?  No, really….HOW DO YOU?  I can’t imagine!  It totally made me realize I wouldn’t be able to do it, so I have to commend those mommies who get out there and do it because it is probably one of the hardest things you will ever do.  You are burning your candle at both ends to provide a better life for you and your children.  Standing ovation!