Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling have to be one of the most under-the-radar celebrity couples, but Mendes recently opened up about their marriage and how falling in love made her want to be a mother. In an interview with Women’s Health magazine, Mendes shared, “I didn’t see myself as a mother — until I met Ryan.”

Kids weren’t on her radar

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling met and fell in love while working on the movie The Place Beyond the Pines in 2011. Before then, she told the magazine that being a mom “was the furthest thing from my mind.”

That all changed, she explained, because “Ryan Gosling happened.” She clarified, “I mean, falling in love with him. Then it made sense for me to have… not kids, but his kids. It was very specific to him.”

She calls the demands of motherhood ‘survival mode’

With two young children (Esmeralda is 4 and Amada is 2), Mendes admitted, “We’re just starting to get out of survival mode. I’m starting to feel like a person again.”

That includes getting back into a regular exercise routine, which she shared isn’t really her thing. She explained, “I’m envious of women who enjoy working out, because I have the worst attitude about it.” She added, “My vanity gets me to the gym — and obviously health reasons — but I’m kicking and screaming the whole way through.”

How they keep things normal for their kids

Mendes and Gosling have managed to keep their lives out of the spotlight and are doing their best to make things “normal” for their kids, though Mendes admitted, “It’s definitely a concern,” adding, “Not only are we in the industry, but the whole fame component is super scary when you try to raise your kids.”

It’s important to her that she is just ‘Mom’ to her kids, without making the focus about being famous. She explained: “What I try to emphasize is that I don’t let them see me put attention to how I dress. They’ve never seen me get ready for something; they’ve never seen me at work. Which is fine, for whoever wants to do it that way, but the way I keep it normal is by not letting them see me in these situations. I’m just Mom. And I’m more than happy to just be Mom.”

Why Eva Mendes took a break from acting

While Mendes was steadily acting for 20 years, it all took a backseat when their first child was born. She explained, “I felt a lack of ambition, if I can be honest. I feel more ambitious in the home right now than I do in the workplace.”

She intends to return to acting, but is more focused right now on being with her girls and working with New York & Company on a clothing collection that will be out at the end of April.

Parenthood is not without its challenges, but Mendes noted, “Every day is such a learning experience — they challenge you in so many ways. Like, I’m their mom. I have to rise up, and hopefully, most of the time I do, but sometimes it’s definitely maddening.”