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Is your internal monologue a little too revealing when as you try to decide between using heavy cream or half ‘n half in a recipe your brain says, “Do the right thing,” and you choose the cream?

Maggie’s eczema is out of control again, except this time, rather than just a bunch of crusty red patches, it is crusty, red, scabby patches. And those? They’re so much grosser to look at.

So yesterday I bit the bullet and took her to the clinic to see what was up and we learned that her eczema is infected. I immediately blamed myself and asked the doctor what I had done wrong. She said that there was nothing I had done or could do. Little kids touch everything and then they scratch and pick and these things happen.

She sent us home with an antibacterial goop for her face with instructions cover her face with it and then to swab it up her nose with a Q-tip after she fell asleep. Excuse me?

Anyway, last night it was time to apply the ointment, a process that usually involves flailing and screaming and me being kicked in the chest until Chris comes and pins her down so I can smear the stuff over her contorted, tear streaked face. Remember, this is the kid who gave me a dose of baby meds in the eye. She’s dangerous. I was scared.

And then I was brilliant.

Maggie is obsessed with make up. She routinely gets into mine and just the other day spent a half an hour at the Disney Store sitting in front of this vanity applying fake lipstick and perfume with the seriousness and solemnity of a priest at mass. I’m telling you, she was applying make up with total reverence. This grown up woman stuff is taken very seriously by my two year old. After all, she’s going to need to know what to do about those long, blonde lashes someday.

Rather than telling her that it was time for the medicine, I said, “Maggie! It’s time to put your pretty make up on!” I got total compliance, people. She laid down on her bed and let me pretty her up. Then I ooohed and ahhed about how beautiful she was, just like a princess. Score one for the mama!

The beautiful thing is that her face already looks better today. And when I went to reapply her “makeup” this morning she was totally obliging. After five and half years of parenting, am I finally catching on?

Click here. Trust me.

Erica Asked:

What was something you wanted to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a writer, but intermingled with that was a paleontologist and a country singer. So, if I could be Erma Bombeck/Reba McEntire and go dig up dinosaurs, my childhood wishes would be fulfilled.

What are your favorite pair of socks?

Currently my favorite pair is a set Chris gave me that says #1 Lover. They crack me up.

One of my all time favs had huge angry eyed goldfish on the heels, and so when I wore clogs, if you saw the back of my foot there was this hostile fish glaring at you.

If you could live anywhere in the world..where would it be?

Right now? I would just go back to North Dakota. I miss my family and doing the stuff that we do on that side of the family. Honestly though, I enjoy moving and shaking things up. I do hope that when Chris’ enlistment is up we move to Fargo. I’m pushing for it hard.

What is your favorite smell from childhood and what does it remind you of?

I love the way Gramma’s house smells. I can’t even explain the smell, but every time I get a package from her in the mail I have to stick my head in the box and inhale. She has sent me quilts lately and I snuggle up with them all of the time until the Gramma-smell wears off.

Do you know how they get the caramel in the Caramilk bar?

Dude, I don’t even know what a Caramilk bar is.

Amie asked:

Why do you go by Lou?

This is my mom’s fault. She has called me Lou since I was a baby, and to this day calls me Lou nine out of ten times. When I was putting together this blog I thought that I would go with a little anonymity so I went with the nickname. I now get junk mail addressed to Lou and have gotten business calls using that name as well. Kind of fun, kind of weird.

Angie asked:

Have you ever written a book, or had any written material published. If not have you ever thought about it?

I had three poems that I wrote in college published in the yearly literary journal. I also was published bi monthly in my high school newspaper for various stories and my column. Aside from that, I have never gone any farther. I would someday really like to, but right now I feel like I’m in chicken with my head cut off mode right now though, so it remains a someday.

Lee asked:

hmmm- ever been to a concert? favorite gum? Best and worst road trips? Best friend? If you could go anywhere to live- where? vacation?

I have never been to a big concert. I have seen many smaller shows at quieter venues.

I hate gum. I think gum chewing is a nasty vile habit and it makes me gag a bit to see soemone chewing. I have to focus on not watching people chew. That being said, I do love the taste of Juicy fruit- so sometimes I will chew it for about 1 minute and then I spit it out or I start gagging.

Road Trips: Lee- I’ll do you a whole post on this one sometime. Remind me lol!

Best Friend: Position open.

Vacation: I’d love to see Norway.

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The great thing about this is that not only do you find people who are interested, but you get an entire list of their qualifications. With a membership you can find their references, background checks, and contact info. This saves you a lot of time in the interview process because you can weed people out so quickly!

Now, if you are interested in trying this out I have a few free memberships to give away. Just click here for a complimentary membership.

Remember, with any childcare provider search be safe, and trust your gut.

Part of this whole drive to keep a better perspective is that everywhere I look lately I feel as though I am being told from deep within that things need to change. I’m being told that my life is out of balance, that I am stretched far too thin.

I am trying to keep a positive perspective on this fact, rather than a perfectionistic, “why can’t I do it all” approach. I’m realizing that I need to say no. For my health, for my kids, for the sake of my spotty kitchen floor, I need to back off. I very rarely need to say no to outside forces (oh there are a few, and you will be hearing no, accept that please). I need to say no to myself. And I am the hardest person to negate. My Type A-ness is a tough nut to crack.

My trouble is that there are too many things I can’t say no to. I cannot say no to Jonas’ school trouble and let him get lost in the shuffle. I can’t say no to a day at the ER when Maggie gets hurt. I can’t say no to sleep, even though I try. I can’t say no to some aspects of work, because I need the paycheck. I can say no to things like making a good dinner, keeping a tidy house, reading my scriptures, and spending quality time with my kids, but then no one is very happy and I know that my priorities are completely out of wack.

I want to do better. I want to be able to set time for certain tasks and have that time respected, but the kids encroach on the work and the work encroaches on the husband and the extra time I need to find my own sanity because things are out of wack encroaches on what I really want to be doing. And I want to be content, happy and still feel a sense of accomplishment without keeping up at the pace I have been at.

In the past few months, my schedule has not been my own. I have been at the mercy of three or four doctor appointments a week. I have been jumping every time work or guilt about work told me to jump, and because of that I end up working many more hours than my salary is paying me, still feeling like I’m not doing well enough and then ultimately feeling taken advantage of, even though it is my own darn fault for not setting the limits that I should be setting in the first place. I am such a vicious cycle.

Imagine that you are me and you sit down and read something that tells you:

. . . wise mothers who know are selective about their own activities and involvement to conserve their limited strength in order to maximize their influence where it matters most. Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all.

And even though it makes an awful lot of sense, this stupid, stupid voice in the back of your head keeps saying, “But, but, but, but. . .” as though you should be able to do it all, choose it all and do it all well without anything being sacrificed. That is when you take a step back and ask yourself, “Seriously, how stupid are you?”

It is wise to be involved. It is good to have good pursuits and healthy things on your plate that give you satisfaction and help you provide for your family, whether that be monetarily or by just keeping mama happy. I firmly believe that we do need to be anxiously engaged in good causes. Idle hands never led to any good. ( I know, you’re trying to picture a mother with idle hands and you can’t do it, right?)

So balance. I can talk about it until the cows come home, but to really get to some semblance of it, wow, so much easier to talk the talk.