not supermom

Classes start again in two days. As I write this I have a house full of small children running around inthe background--most of them not mine--and they've created chaos already, though they've only been here half an hour. Beads are strewn all over the floor; clothing is scattered from my daughter's room, out across the hall, and into the backyard; cushions are missing from the sofa because they've been turned into princess accommodations; and a strange, urine-like smell is permeating the air. I think it's the littlest one's lyotard. It felt kind of wet when I picked her up a moment ago.

But that's okay, because all of this, I am sure, will have disappeared in an hour...not because these small tykes ever clean up, but because I do, and because I'm not teaching.

Yet. I have two days until I teach again. And then, I fear, my little home cosmos and the family that lives in it will fall into complete disarray.

So how can you be supermom and a professor, too?

I'm not sure you can.

It's amazing how much time can be swallowed up by a family with a small child and pets. This summer has been quite nice, and our home has been a pleasant place to enter as long as it has lasted. During the summer I can vacuum every day, wipe the sticky fingerprints off the table and shelves, put away the My Little Pony toys and the books, and still have dinner on the table by 6:30. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that there's food in the house--because I can shop for groceries, too.

But classes start in two days....did I mention that? And once that starts, how will I clean up? When will I cook? Who will make sure there is food in the refrigerator and in the pantry?

How can you do two jobs when you've only got one day to do them?