School with Kids

I've been thinking about posting something on this for quite awhile.  When people who know me as a mother hear that I'm back in school, they tell me I must be crazy.  When my classmates find out I have kids, they get this look on their face and tell me something about how brave I am and how much work it must be. 

So, what's it like?  It's really hard in the way that having lots to do with kids around is really hard.  But it's also easier in some way than working full time.

When is it easy?  When I only have classes for a few hours a day, I get to spend time with the girls.  And....  That's pretty much it.

When is it hard?  The rest of the time. 

There is some special provision to Murphey's Law that applies to people with children.  It states that otherwise perfectly healthy children will come down with an exceptionally nasty flu/cold/puking disease the night before a big exam.  Children who have been sleeping well, will suddenly cease to ever sleep as midterm/final week rolls around.  The children will go to bed easily and quickly on a night when you have nothing to do.  This is a nice break, but it does NOT make up for them being entirely incapable of falling asleep for hours upon hours on a night when you have homework/studying that just must get done. 

And don't forget that all the other student crap still applies.  Except now there are more factors at play.  Remember how it seemed that assignments and tests and other miscellaneous things would somehow manage to all happen at the same time.  That's still true.  But now add in kid's birthdays, special days at school, doctor's appointments, playdates and all the other engagements that small children seem to have.  

Do I regret going back to school with young children?  No.  I think that the way it shakes down is that it's probably easier that working full time.  The day starts a bit later, it ends a bit earlier.  The work can be done after the kids go to bed.  But, I won't be sad when I'm done and can move on.