Am mother. Can multitask.

So I'm on maternity leave for now. So I have to look for a job in August. So given the way things are these days (you know, the big R word , and all) I figure it would be in my best interest to be on top of my game. So I decided to start a little prep. Read up a few things about interviewing. So here I was browsing through a list of possible soft skills questions. This one said:
Can you multitask?

Hmmmmmmmmmm...let me see now.

I have nursed a 6 month old cradled in my left arm, and fed a 5 year old with the other hand. A picky 5 year old who wanted me to pick his spinach out of his spinach quiche. Then I have held the 6 month old in the right arm, a very fidgety 6 month old, and cleaned the bum of the 5 year old after he made very big, very messy poo. In a very small, very tiny airplane washroom. On a very long, very tiring 14 hr flight.

I have held a baby in my arms, while stirring the tomatoes for the chicken curry and pureeing the onions for the raita. I have pushed a stroller with one hand, carrying groceries in the other. Through streets laden with snow. I have done up my face, while taking to a citibank cutomer service rep on the phone held between the cheek and the ear, while keeping an eye on the 8 month old on the floor doesn't put any hazardous object in her mouth. I've had one baby in the bathtub, one 5 year old out of it, washing the former, drying the latter.

Oh yes, I can multitask. I'm a mom. I do that.
We do that.

My friend, who has directed films, dealing with everything that goes on while directing a film. Directing, thinking, supervising, managing. Then, on the break, when everyone else sips coffee, she has run to the washroom, got on the cell to check in on her baby. And while on the phone, she is pumping. Pumping with a breast pump to ease the engorgement.

My other friend, who went back to work in three months after having had her baby. Back to work where she had to attend meetings, then dash to the stationery room to pump milk, dash back to her desk to do some R& D, rush home to deliver the pumped milk for the baby, rush back to work, then leave work, dog tired, to again feed, diaper, bath, change.

Don't get me wrong. You don't have to be a mother to be a good multi tasker.

It's just that when you are a mother, you just are a multitasker.