My horoscope told me to communicate my intention of holding my private time sacred.

I thought, "I have private time?"

I can't relate to my single friends who complain about having too much alone time. I'm a working mom. I can't remember the last time I was home alone when I wasn't working. If I want private time, I have to sacrifice sleep.

There's a delicate balance there. I find serenity in late-night solitude, but the edginess creeps back in when I'm sleep-deprived during the day. Granted, my grumpiness can buy me some bonus alone time, but I suspect I'm being ostracized, rather than simply being left alone.

I think my kids worry about what I do when I'm left to my own devices. If I'm not in sight, my daughter wanders pitifully from room to room bleating, "Mommy? Mommy? Where are you?" If my son happens to notice that I'm not at home, he calls me on my cell demanding to know where I am.

I love the close bond that I have with my children, but it would be nice if they understood the need for boundaries. For instance, if I close a door, it's not an invitation to burst into the room to announce some nonemergency.

Don't think that my kids are attached to my hip, though. They tell me to leave them alone all the time. They'll even hunt me down to make sure I heard them.

For months, I haven't been able to relax enough to curl up with a book.

It generally takes at least two hours to watch a one-hour television show, even when I skip commercials. I think my kids get a kick out of waiting for me to sit down before they ask me for something.

Heaven help me if I try to lie down.

It's not all the kids' fault, though. It's been so long since I've deliberately carved out a chunk of private time that I don't know how to enjoy it anymore.

My "me time" is meant for having fun with the kids or hanging out with friends.

Case in point: My daughter fell asleep earlier than expected one night, and rather than revel in the silence, I jumped in the car and met a fellow adult at a restaurant where we hung out into the wee hours.

What else was I going to do? Read a book? Watch a TV show uninterrupted?

As I said, I can't relate to my friends who find themselves with too much time to themselves, but I guess I can see why it's an issue.

I take my snatches of solitude when I can find them, but if I'm going to declare my intention to do anything, it's probably going to require some company.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read her daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.