Estee Lauder in-training

I really doubt too many moms confess to being negligent. Being a work-from-home mom lets me earn a little extra income (at today’s prices—grocery and gas money), and there are times when I allow my four-year-old to entertain herself so I can meet a deadline. Usually I pay for it by having to untangle my dining room table and chairs from a web of yarn she’s woven or clean up puddles from the kitchen table she’s made with water colors. Sometimes, it's just the price of working from home with a toddler as my only assistant.

This wasn’t even one of those times. I submitted my last article for the day and promised my daughter and the dog that we’d take a walk before the threatening rain materialized. She followed me into the bathroom, and I shut the door to the toilet area for a rare moment of privacy. On the other side, I heard her ask if she could wear some makeup for our walk. Whatever, I thought. “Sure,” I said. “Really?” she asked, astonished since I never let her play in my cosmetic drawer unless I’m supervising a swish of blush across her cheeks.

I waited a minute before opening the door, relishing my last moment of peace for the rest of the day and then nearly fainted when she turned to look at me. “What in the world?” I asked when I saw what she'd done with some eyeshadow.

She giggled nervously. “Are you going to laugh?” I wasn’t sure what to do. “What look were you going for here?” I wanted to know. She said something about a clown and when I told her to sit tight while I grabbed the camera, I think she realized she was about to get off the hook. While I rubbed her face down with some baby wipes, I lectured her about making a mess with my stuff. “Sorry,” she said, lying through her baby teeth.

That’ll teach me for trying to be the “nice mom” and let her do something I know she shouldn’t do just to bide some extra “me time.” Lesson learned, at least for today. Who knows what might happen tomorrow…