I find this assertion pretty condescending, and I'd encourage you to rethink it. There are age-old traditions that teach that masturbation is problematic because it leads to selfishness in the marital union, which ought to be an act of self-giving. Now, you may not agree with this tradition, but rudely dismissing it is akin to someone rudely dismissing a halacha because it doesn't fit with their modern understanding.

I'm new here but not new to forums, and I have always been told that one should not resurrect ancient threads. But personally, I don't mind it.

There is also a forum called gentlechristianmothers where you can get info. on the Ezzos. Good luck. Have you heard of Danny Silk? His program is called "Loving Your Kids On Purpose" and I'm getting a lot out of it.

Same here. And I agree- go after the wedding. It was moving. There is a convent of Carmelite nuns there who pray night and day for everyone who was murdered. And the museum was well done and informative. Have a safe trip.

Oh, and in case it wasn't mentioned: C-section birth can interfere with the establishment of breastfeeding. See my references above for more info. Also keep in mind that interventions done in the hospital can turn an otherwise normal birth into a medical emergency. "The Business of being Born" contains a great explanation of how this works.

I have heard good things about the Bob strollers. I have a Phil&Ted sport that we got on ebay for $385. It was like-new. We looked for a while to find it, but I think it's worth it to have high quality, especially in a double stroller. Good luck!

I am new, but I think Smithie has a point. Do you feel OK with unilateral decisions by your DH, and do you feel OK with those decisions being made in front of the children? I ask this as someone whose husband is spiritual and temporal head of the household. We discuss big stuff in private and then implement together, but I'd feel sad and dismissed if he proclaimed something in front of DS. I might have misread your OP, so set me straight if need be. And I'm glad there's a place for the unorthodox home schooler here:001_smile:.

I'm going to offer some links that will lead you to evidence-based, peer reviewed information, because the plural of anecdote is not data;). http://ican-online.org/ http://www.motherfriendly.org/ But here's my anecdote, because they sure are fun. I have had three babies at home. It hurt and then it was over and everyone was happy and whole. There was a lot in between that I can't articulate very well. Birth occurs in a context, and it's the context that matters as much as the actual moment when baby is no longer inside mama. I bristle at the statement, "All that matters is a healthy mom and baby." Psychological health is part of overall health, and we ought to let a woman grieve over her birth experience if that's what she seems to need. Also, why not have both? Why not have safe birth and peaceful birth? An emergency surgical delivery can still respect the family, but too often we hear stories where families feel disrespected. To say that we can have safe or empowering is to let the system off the hook for not being what it should.

OMGosh, are we talking about blue cheese on lettuce now? Because if we are, I am sooo in. I never got iceburg lettuce as a child, and now I can't get enough. It's like cardboard infused with fresh, cool water;)

We have the attitude of eternalknot, but we are American through and through, so we struggle to implement it, if that makes sense. We sold our one car, bought a Dutch cargo bike, and deliberately do not drive. We own a small bicycle business and I don't know how it will grow as the babies (age 3 and age 9 months) get older. I'd like to help them as much as we can, but we also do not place as much emphasis on everyone going to college as most of our peers do. DH and I both have fancy undergrad degrees, and we both do meaningful work that we could do without having those degrees. On the other hand, we got great liberal educations and I loved my college experience. I came to this board because we are trying to do a Great Books program at home; why wait until college? My niece is 19 and has zero direction, God love her. We invited her to live with us, and she knows I will always feed her. But she won't live here b/c she wants to party until all hours, which we won't allow. Sigh. ETA: Houses- parents help with a down payment in every generation of our family anyone can remember. We will, too, if we can.

My user name is the name of the youngest Ent in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because I'm a what? Nerd.

I feel this way, too, and I wish I'd stuck to communicating that instead of getting defensive. Confession is so very positive and vital for me and for many others, and at the end of the day I just want for others the same freedom and joy that I receive when I meet Christ in the confessional. If I offended you, Stephanie, I apologize. And to the OP, I'm sure you will be in all our prayers as you continue on your faith journey.

Now that you mention it, I wish there were goat milk formulas available. I, too, have known people who couldn't handle cow's milk but do well with goat's milk.

Thank you, Crimson Wife. The link I provided offers a similar explanation. I stand by my assertion. It's a false dichotomy to say that religion is antithetical to true Christianity. Christ came not to abolish the law but rather to fulfill it. There are reams of theological discourse on this topic, both in the orthodox tradition and in Protestant Bible concordances/companions. The way in which all this relates to the OP's concern is this: For 1500 years- from Christ's death and resurrection until Luther- the vast majority of Christians accepted the authority of the Pope of Rome and those bishops in communion with him. Isn't it worth all of our time to read history and try to understand why? The OP seems to be longing to reconnect with that tradition; who are we to tell her she won't grow closer to Jesus in so doing? I would feel arrogant indeed if I dismissed all Protestant ministers and faithful a priori.

To the OP and to Stephanie: this is a false dichotomy. Christ was concerned with religion and tradition (too many Scripture references to list; I trust you can find them). He also, as you say, did not want us to get hung up. But clearly there is a balance to be struck. I, too, will bow out and pray that the OP finds the balance she needs.

Hello Lucy in AUS; I'm Lucy in NC;) I love Nourishing Traditions and I love raw milk. We enjoy the recipes for lacto-fermented veggies. But their recommendations for infants are not supported by current data. In other words, the AAP and the WHO say that human milk or formula needs to be the primary source of nutrition for children until they are 12 months. Please consider that diluting her formula with raw milk is replacing food she needs with food she can have as a supplement. At 9 months she can have yogurt and cheese made from raw milk; why not wait until then? Cow's milk, though it contains wonderful live compounds, also contains proteins that are huge and hard for little ones to digest. So in other words, you can mix probiotics into your baby's mashed banana instead of giving cow's milk, and she will benefit. HTH

I know I'm new and that this is OT....but this is my new favorite "cuss" phrase.:laugh:

Since this is a sensitive topic, let me start by greeting you warmly as a sister in Christ. He's the most important part of this, and He's what we have in common:). The Church has never taught that a priest's prayer is heard more easily than a lay person's prayer. We all share in the priesthood of Christ by virtue of our baptism: "The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or "seal" by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions." (Catechism of the Catholic Church) Matthew 16:19 and John 20:23 refer to the Apostles being given authority to absolve sin in the name of God. The Church is not arrogant in claiming the authority to absolve, just like Christ was not arrogant when He- fully God and fully man- proclaimed it. I think the point to remember is that the forgiveness happens in Christ. We aren't claiming divinity for the priest; we are claiming authority. HTH There's more here for interested parties: http://www.cfpeople.org/SeminarianWritings/Sem033.html p.s. I loved your reference to there being no condemnation in Christ. Makes me think of 1 John 3:19-20 (NAB)

It may be common (I have felt this way). Still, holding onto anxiety after asking for and receiving forgiveness is a lack of faith on our part. It's hard to believe that God forgives us, as we can do terrible things. But that's what Jesus came to teach us, yes? Holding onto guilt is prideful. Without revealing too much personal info., I'll say that I go through this very thing even though I am catholic (Byzantine rite). Once we have confessed, God forgets and we are made new in Him. Try to concentrate on the freedom and the joy; when the guilt comes, say a little prayer and let go of it.

:grouphug: If you want to go, please go. The previous posters have offered solid catechesis to you, but here's something no one mentioned that might help you: Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again."50 1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.51 In other words, though absolution from a priest is available only to those in communion with the Church, you can pray for the grace of perfect contrition.

OP, your siggie does indeed function as it should. :grouphug:

blah diggity blah...does my siggie work...blah

To the OP, :grouphug:. Do what you need to do, mama. You've had the courage to take responsibility for your children's education and to live out of step with most of society by welcoming children as gifts from God. You can muster the courage to figure out the money situation. As for practical solutions, can you look into putting in a small garden this year? It's hard work but totally doable with LOs. It's even easier if you (and an older child) wear your toddlers (maybe you already know how; if not, check here). You can start with tomatoes and herbs. Both are relatively easy, and toms are expensive at the grocery, so you'd save $$ there. Just a thought. This made me chuckle. I love to sew and to knit, but I have a really tough time doing either when tiny humans are roaming about.

Oh mama, that's rough. I can hardly imagine. You were already in it up to your ears and then it got worse. Sounds like you handled yoursel well under the circumstances. Be well:grouphug:.

Well, I like the Proactiv system. It's just three steps (cleanser, toner, and zit cream as necessary). And it works very well. I'm picky about what I put on my face, too. I took Acutane as a young adult, and it had major side effects and thus led me to question medications more closely. Proactiv seems to have the best effectiveness-to-irritation ratio. HTH And by the way, I think it's nice that you take an interest in his skin. Some parents blow it off as normal and don't problem solve with the child. Acne is a big deal to some children, even if they don't talk about it.