Harvard undergrads - and mothering

Ah, it never ends. I probably spent a little too much time on Tuesday preparing for my Hahvad undergrads to come over for a potluck - of course, cleaning the place, and cooking - I wondered why I was doing that and not spending time with my own kids. None of my students had ever been to a potluck before - it was very strange. I grew up on them at church and then, of course, my hippy communities always have them. It was a fine evening, but it turned out to be all women. It was our last section (optional - so that I wouldn't have to have anyone in my home who didn't want to be there), and we were going to share our "war stories" of shooting - they on their photo projects, but they had so many questions about my filmmaking that I ended up talking most of the time. They wanted to know if I was scared in the guerilla zone, among other things. But a few women really wanted to know how it was juggling work and kids. Interesting that they are conscious of that. I was totally not into having kids when I was in college that I would never have thought of asking someone that. Was that just me? Or was it the time when infertility issues were not on the radar. Some of these women were really trying to figure out when they were going to "fit in" having kids - many wanted to work for awhile and then go back to grad school and then...that's when they weren't sure what was next. If Harvard college students are confused about this then we really have a problem around motherhood and working.

When Chris came home with the kids, Liam boldly came up to everyone and asked them if they would play with him while Kalian, our little fireball, turned into the shyest creature I have ever witnessed. She refused to even look up at me. She just buried her head in my shirt. It was so sweet - I guess it was b/c other people were on her turf. She didn't even want ama, so I knew something was up.