Confused And Ready To Give Up

[cookderosa]

I considered the MLA from Harvard, but the residencies would get me. I have no idea how I could even work that out.

How are you doing it Jennifer? I know you have 4 (?I think) kids, so I'm curious, because I'm nervous how I would work it with leaving Violet, and how it would work financially.

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Well, a few things. This is going to be more than you asked for, but I'm happy to answer. First, I don't have a newborn. 4 years ago this wouldn't have been an option for me. My youngest is 4, and we are finished having children. That puts me in a little different place since I won't be starting over with a baby this year or next (bitter sweet) Second, Harvard allows you to do your 2 residencies in the summer, and those sessions are only 8 weeks long. So, for me, it won't be until summer 2010 that I will be gone for my first 8 weeks. My kids will be 16, 12, 10, and 6 that summer. I'll do my second residency the following summer. This is not the fast pace many people are looking for when they think of their master's degree, but I need to spread it out over 4 years so that I'm not gone. My husband also works a very constant 6-3/M-F shift and the kids are homeschooled, so they don't leave, need to be dropped at school/sitter, etc. We will probably have my mom come in a few of the mornings (she lives near by) or have my husband's mom come stay with us for a few weeks, and probably my hubby will use some of his vacation time- maybe taking off one day per week the whole time. My oldest can even baby sit one day per week as well. Anyway, I'll get it worked out by then. (If not, I will push it back to 2011 as my first summer)
You didn't ask this question, but I have to say it anyway- In 14 years I have never used a baby sitter or even had to fed them a bottle. I have nursed in between teaching classes, brought my mom (and paid) for her to come with me on conventions or catering events, and have always taught classes after 3pm so my husband would be home. Every year that we had a baby we timed it so they would be born in August (yes really, can you say OCD? LOL) because I never teach in the fall and would have that semester off. In the spring semesters when I had newborns, my husband would drive me to work so I could nurse just before I went in, then he would pick me up so I could nurse asap after class. Granted we have been married or 15 years, so this is old hat for us now, but we have always found a way to keep the kids with us. I'm saying ALL of that because I don't want any female here to get the impression that I ever compromised "my" standards as a parent. (I do mean "my" because I'm not trying to tell any other woman what to do) but our kids were always our first priority-and I am simply entering a new season of my life when parenting allows me a little more time.

As a mother, I would tell you to keep Violet front and center. There are options to the tenth power. You'll have more options than you can even consider. You don't have to leave her.