Sometimes, I Just Want 12 MInutes

Wouldn't 12 minutes alone be, dare I say, heavenly? I mean, a person can only listen to so much screaming, wipe so many butts, mend so many broken hearts, and cook so many batches of macaroni and cheese before she NEEDS really ought to take something crazy like a whole dozen minutes to herself.

Then you know what happens? After I tell my kids that Mommy has to go potty and then lock myself in the bathroom for the aforementioned 12 minutes, I start to feel guilty. Shouldn't I be out there relishing every single moment with them? Somewhere in my brain I say YES! I completely should be. There will be a point in time when they won't want to look at my face, let alone have me read a book to them or snuggle on my lap.

And I DO want to do all those things. But sometimes, somewhere in the back of my head, I just want to be alone for a few minutes. With silence.