I think I can see the light, or it may just be the bathroom light

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/09/2008 (6457 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reading in the dark is just a part of life for moms trying to get a university degree and raise a couple of preschoolers all in the same day.  Why should I be any different?I must admit however, that after last week’s back-to-school debacle, things have started to finally fall into place. To give you a good indication, my son completely ignored me when I dropped him off at the preschool on Friday.  New friends and an understanding that I’m just a cell phone call away eased his tiny little nerves and gave me some much needed time to finally read through my course outline and crack the spine on a couple of my textbooks.So, I guess, some days are better than others.  On those days when I brew and drink my morning coffee, I’m usually in business.  On days when I can’t find my car keys and barely make it to my daughter’s Mommy and me class before snack, it’s a safe bet that the rest of my day will be similarly thrown off track. Tonight, in order to keep an eye on my 19 month old daughter asleep on the bed we share together (my husband sleeps with the boy in the yellow cast), I’m typing in our bathroom.  And come morning, my husband and I will scramble to clean the kitchen, get the kids organized for a busy day and prepare for yet another hectic week.So what’s changed?One night a week (which has now become mandatory in our house), my husband and I  leave our beautiful children with a trusted babysitter and go out for a night on the town.  Daring as it may be, we adults have decided that enjoying a meal, on seats that are not stained with paint or stuck-on Play-Doh, is the only way we will physically and mentally survive these next couple of years filled with sheer and utter chaos. And until we’re found out by the itty bitty people, we will continue to secretly dine in peace, once a week, on a table that isn’t cluttered with craft paper, glue or scissors.But on those other days, when we’re not playing hooky from our new life as musical maitre d’s, we’ll happily sing along to “Bingo was his Nemo” and play pretend with colourful handmade Wiggles figures because we are well aware that one day, like all parents, we’ll wake up and no longer be sleep deprived.  And on that joyous day, if we’re lucky, the only thing we’ll have to show for it is some stained pieces of furniture and a couple of happy, well rounded, kids who know the difference between right and wrong. Who knows?  They may even remember some of the many fun-filled dinners we shared together as a family…