French History

I decided to keep my classes at the U afterall. I went in to the child care center at the Univ. the Friday before school began and there was sawdust and rolled up carpet everywhere. I asked the director of the preschool where the kids would go on Monday because of the obvious safety hazards of buzz saws and hammers lying around. She said, "Oh, they will be done by tomorrow." I remember thinking specificaly that there was no way they would be done by Monday. On the first day of school, sure enough just after dropping Roman off at my friend Hillary's house (both of our boys go to the same preschool) and heading in the car to drop off Hayden Jason calls me on my cell phone to ask me if I got the e-mail informing us that the preschool was still under construction, so "no kids today, sorry for the inconvenience", etc. "Well", I thought "Hayden is going to class with me today".

I sat Hayden down next to me in the theater style push down seat with collapsable mini table with some crackers and hoped for the best. He did great until about mid-way through when he started to get restless. I started to sneak out the back door when my professor said, "it is okay if you stay unless someone complains, your fine." when I tried to go back to my seat Hayden exclaimed loudly "I want to go home!" the entire auditorium awed in unison and luckily my very understanding professor quipped "And he's not even a grad student!" everyone laughed.

The following class day the child care center was up and running, but for the first time in months coincidentally my children were not. Hayden had a raging fever and Roman had an upset tummy. Neither were able to go to school that day, therefore neither did I. I was not off to a good start because they were still sick two days later for the third class. I really struggled about whether I should just drop my classes, but I had been keeping up with the reading and I was really enjoying my French history class. This country that I had spent so much time in, was only fragmented in my mind with small bits of Gaule here and Joan of Arc there, but nothing was cohesive, until now that I am opening my history book and reading. The textbook is all in French as well as class dicussion, but I love it. Staying home with children and watching Sesame Street and Telle-Tubbies for months on end with constant demands for sippy cups and fishy crackers does something to you. It is a priviledge to me to be a stay at home mom, but it has made me crave intellectual stimulation and realize that having the time to study and even think is a priviledge.

I stuck with it although I did trade out my World Lit class for an evening art class, which also gives me an excuse to request that my husband be home by 6:00 that night, so I can go and draw for a few hours and he gets to put them to bed. (smile). It has also forced me to be more organized with my time and to my surprise things actually run a lot smoother.

In all honesty I wish that I had had the opportunity to finish school before I had children, but I only have 30 credits left and maybe it's a bit OCD, but I just can't let it go now. I have to finish even if it is bit by bit.