Whatcha' Doin', Mom?

Never ask a 7-year-old a question if you're not ready for an honest answer.
Today I asked my caboose kiddo if she knew what I did for work.
"You sit at your computer a lot," she replied.
"But what do I do?"
"Uuuummmm, you sit at your computer a lot." She stressed the last two words, as if that made what I did more important.
"Christa, you know what I do," I said, holding up a copy of Baby Changes Everything, the book that has a photo of me and her on the back.
"Oh, yeah. You write books--and you ..."
"Edit ..." I helped out.
"You edit a magazine. Can I go watch TV now?"
In my first go-round as a mom, I wasn't a working mom. I stayed home and tried to get the whole mothering thing down. I aimed for perfection--and quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. So I tried to love my kiddos the best I could, even though I was a less than perfect mom. My mantra was: MOTHERHOOD: Perfection not required.
After late-in-life motherhood turned my life goals inside out and upside down, I decided to pursue writing again. I figured if I waited until Christa grew up, my writing dream would never happen.
I wonder sometimes if my being a working mom--albeit a part-time, work mostly from home mom, affects Christa much. Apparently not. She just thinks I sit in front of my computer. A lot.
There are times when dinner goes uncooked as I aim for a deadline. Times when I shut my office door and no one--no one is to open the door until I come out. There are times I stay up too late finishing a project or editing someone else's article.
But I guess I'm managing well enough.
I'm glad I had this little chat with my daughter.
Now excuse me while I go slip a copy of my book on her bookshelf.