As I sent my children upstairs to play, so that I could work on my dissertation, I felt a little bit guilty that I was neglecting them in favor of my studies.  I always told myself that I would make up for it when I was finished and have the time, but he did not realize how much they would grow and how much I would miss.

I figured, that it would not be a big deal for the kids to play together while I was working on my thesis, as long as I make sure they were fed and dressed and put to bed on time.  What I did not realize, is that though I was home, I pretty much left the kids to fend for themselves.

In hindsight, an essay would never be as important to me as my children were and they wish that I could have those two years back, so I could have been a better mom and built a better bond with them.