Kate Gosselin on Juggling Kids, Custody Battle and DWTS: "It's Tough, but I Will Not Quit"

We catch up with America's busiest mom as she rehearses her tango for next week with partner Tony

Warning: If you run into Kate Gosselin on an airplane, get out of the way, 'cause she probably needs to rehearse her tango in the aisle.

At least, this is what we're envisioning after we met up with the jet-setting mother of eight yesterday, as she stopped by an NYC studio for six hours of rehearsal on her way back from L.A. to her home in Pennsylvania.

For the record, Kate seemed straight-up exhausted (and a mother of eight knows a thing or two about lack of sleep!), and here's what she told us exclusively about how she's handling DWTS, the kids and the current custody battle with Jon Gosselin…

"It's very difficult," Kate said. "I can't put my life aside and dance for six hours a day. It's not my lack of ability, but lack of presence. I struggle with this every day. But I have determination." The she added, "I will not quit! It's tough, but I am not a quitter."

That determination comes in handy when the DWTS judges aren't so kind. "I take the constructive criticism only. I have to feel good about the dance and feel good about myself."

Kate also just landed a new show and series of specials on TLC, so she may be getting even busier.

As for her paparazzi dance this week (which she told us was "very clever"), Kate said her kids didn't really get it. "They didn't understand the storyline, but they understand who the paparazzi are. The worry about what I look like. They say Tony looks good. They say I look beautiful. The kids fall asleep before I get to dance. One child asked me, 'Can you please dance earlier?' "

Kate's partner, Tony Dovolani, told us he is figuring out how to work with Kate and keep her calm, "I try everything in my arsenal. A dance teacher needs to understand the psyche and bring out the best in the student. I strongly believe in her. The very first words she said on our show was, 'I want to win.' I told her today that I still see the possibility of her winning."

Hmmm…winning? Do you agree that there's a chance Kate could steamroll front-runners like Evan and Nicole and take home the mirror ball trophy?