Back To School

Yesterday I received a big box on my doorstep.  And inside it were textbooks.  Yes, that's right.  Big, heavy, intimidating textbooks.  I unloaded the box on my kitchen table and stared at the scene in front of me.  To say I was a bit overwhelmed would be an understatement.

Since I've decided what I want to be when I grow up (for now) and I've also decided to stop being a pansy about it and actually do it, I've found myself with an interesting conundrum.  I've got about 10 textbooks waiting for my attention.  And 4 children.  And a hubs.  And the dishes.  And the laundry.  And...

I have a brand new respect for mamas who go to school.  I have to be honest, I've never really thought about it before.  It just wasn't on my radar.  I had finished college well before becoming a mother.  I did briefly entertain the thought of returning to school to get my RN after Princess #1 was born, but abandoned that idea after some soul searching.  I've always been cognizant of the fact that many many mamas do go to school and run a household and keep up with kids and a hubs and sometimes even work outside the home on top of all that.  But I guess since it never actually applied to me, I never thought about the extreme dedication, motivation and organization (how many "tion" words can apply here?) it takes to actually accomplish it all.

Unfortunately, although I have dedication in spades and the motivation is well-meaning, the organization??  Yeah, well, that leaves much to be desired.  And it's probably not helping that it's all self-directed study.  No one telling me when something is due or what to study for.  I have to actually be a grown-up about it all.

I don't wanna grow up!

But I know I have to.  And I truly do want to.  I just need a plan.  Some sort of system that allows me to get all accomplished that I need to at home and yet still have plenty of time to devote to my studying AND time for myself and the hubs (you know, that whole "the girl I married thing").

Dear friends, are you an at-school mama?  How do you balance it all?  Do you  have a "plan"?  If you're not an at-school mama, are you still really good at organizing your time?  Have any suggestions for me?