It’s not selfish. It’s necessary.

Today I had an unexpected treat.

Normally on a Tuesday, Number 6 and 7 are home all day with me.

But due to a schedule change, my dad drove up to the house, picked the two of them up, and brought them back to his house.

For the entire day. Nap time and everything.

And so, from 9 a.m. until 3:30 today, I was home alone.

Alone.

It was awesome.

I made good use of my time, and then at noon I took a break and went to yoga.

When I got home I was a sweaty mess. I was about to go directly upstairs to my office to get as much done as I could before Number 5’s bus came.

But I didn’t.

Instead I thought, I’m going to take a shower.

Without anyone pointing at my pubes.

After my shower I thought, I’ll just throw pajamas on and hurry upstairs.

But I didn’t.

I moisturized.

I put on actual clothes.

And even a bra.

Then I said to myself, I’ll just let my hair dry while I get some work done.

But I didn’t.

I got the hair dryer out and actually dried my hair.

And then, because I could, I put mascara on.

And concealer.

And blush.

And then, feeling clean, and refreshed, and even, well, attractive,

I went back up to the office to get some more work done.

At 3:40 Number 5’s bus pulled up to the driveway.

I was waiting at the front door.

Number 5 walked up the walkway, took one look at me and said, “Are you going on the Dr. Oz show today?”

I was on the Dr. Oz show three times in the fall.

Apparently those were the only three days in the fall that I also took a shower, dried my hair, and put on makeup.

“No, ” I told Number 5.

“Then why does your hair look so pretty?” she asked me.

Hmmm. Why did my hair look so pretty?

I could have said because no one hid my brush or trashed the kitchen or clogged up a toilet or hit someone or fell down the stairs or took someone’s toy or lost their homework or needed the password for the iPad or kept barging in on me while I was getting dressed.

But instead, I just told her, “Because today, instead of taking care of everyone else, I decided to take care of myself.”

And I think it’s time for me to start doing that much more often.

Because it’s probably going to be a while before I’m on the Dr. Oz show again.