Aubrey, I was appalled that someone within the clergy would use the word probably knowing it was a slur. I didn't read why it was a slur either, but it was enough for me to know that is why it is used, as an insult. About ROTFL, you are right. I was laughing at myself for trying to be helpful and then passing along an offensive article. And that it was kinda embarrassing and helped me with humility today.

Yeah, after you said that it was offensive, I googled it. I was appalled. Well, there is nothing like making an idiot of yourself to help you along in learning/obtaining humility! ROTFL!!

Okay, this will tell you how naive I am. I had no idea that the word papist was insulting!! LOL I thought, yeah, that makes sense. Pope - papist. ROTFL!! Oh boy, I have a long way to go. Oh and what part of the article was not accurate? (The one on RC and OC) Did it err on the RC side or OC side?

Aubrey - I forgot to mention that if you are more comfortable with a Western Rite service (this would be more like an Anglican/Episcopal or Roman Catholic Service), the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has Western Rite services at about 20 different locations. Maybe one will be near you. Here is a link for it. http://www.antiochian.org/western-rite Here is a blurb from the website about it. The Western Rite is a ministry of the Antiochian Christian Archdiocese of North America, and in full canonical communion and unity of purpose with the several Orthodox jurisdictions of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA). There are about twenty Western Rite congregations around the country who worship God in the forms which speak to their hearts, rejoicing to be part of the Universal Church. I am learning just like many of you, and I could be wrong but I think the websites I am giving are (for lack of a better term) mainstream Orthodox. If anyone knows differently, do please tell me which ones are not orthodox Orthodox (ha, not that was funny). Anyways, you know what I am mean. My situation prevents me from going to the OC. At this point, all I can do is research on the net, talk via internet, and read books.

I can't believe this. I have been looking into the OC for several months now. I am so excited to see that other people are doing the same and there is another thread where others are talking about this? Is that right? Or another forum? If you get this in time, I found this article from an OC church to be very helpful on what to do or not do at the service. Most particularly, it was interesting to see the request that women not wear lipstick. When you read the article you will see why and it makes total sense. I must say, one time, I went to receive the Eucharist at an Anglican church, I had to close my eyes and focus on Christ when the cup approached me with big fat red lipstick all over the spot where I was about to drink from. So gross! Anyways, here's the etiquette article: http://www.steliasofatlanta.org/images/stories/ChurchEtiquetteBooklet.pdf Also, here are some links of websites that I have found to be extremely helpful as far as investigating the OC. "Partial Resolution of Protestant Difficulties with Orthodox Theology" http://www.orthodox.net/faq/protobje.htm?airmail Differences between RC and OC http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/ortho_cath.html Online Orthodox Catechisms http://aggreen.net/catechism/catechism.html Orthodox Christian Information Center http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/ HTH, Oh and someone please tell me everything you know about the OC!! LOL

I remember so well having those same feelings of fear and shock, and even disappointment. I am glad you are feeling better and that dh is excited. If you dont mind, I am going to take this opportunity to get a little philosophical. (that is the que for anyone to bail out if they dont like this kind of stuff). Funny how timing and attitude makes such a difference in one's perception and outlook. I had a tubal ligation after my 4th child was born in 2001. She was the 4th in 5 years, and I was overwhelmed. Talk about hard stressful times. Fast forward to 2006, I realized that I was having physical problems from the ligation (after much research on the net) and in addition found myself wanting to have another child. By 2007, I had a reversal. I thought everything was going to go back to the way it was prior to the tubal ligation. After all, I had read so many success stories of other reversals. It is now 2011 and I have had 1 child carry to full term, but I have lost 7 others. Yes, 7, and what I wouldn't give to have all of them right here with me, overwhelmed or not. What strikes me as so poignant is that the children were coming and that didnt change; just my ability to carry them full term changed. That one factor changed my whole outlook and perception toward having more children. You said it best. Children really are a blessing. It's our attitudes about them that are unreliable and subjective. I say all of this to encourage you to continue to look past your current feelings and set your eyes on the prize. You can do what is being required of you!! :cheers2:

Today, I tried the "dime cups" idea. The woman who came up with this gem needs to receive "mother of the year" award!! It worked like a charm! I never saw my kids clean up so fast, nor have I seen my whole down stairs this organized in a long, long time. Believe it or not, one of my ds was even lifting up the couch cushions to see what items he could find to get a dime from someone's cup. Can you believe that? I made one slight adjustment to the original idea. In addition to everyone having a personal cup with 20 dimes in it. There is also a community cup. That is for items left out that everyone uses (ie ketchup, dvds), and for the baby's items. If someone does the community a favor first by putting those items up, they get a nickel from that cup. There are 40 nickels in that cup. I am hoping that this system continues to work for the long haul and isn't just working now because it is new. Anyone else try it yet?

I am not nearly as organized as some of the ladies here, nor as much as I would like to be. I have 5 dc that all go in different directions and are faster than the speed of light. Oh, and a pack rat dh. Here are a few tips that have helped me. * Laundry - Reduce by reuse. We wear clothes like my grandparents used to do. If they smell alright and dont have stains we wear them again. * Laundry - We use our towels for a week. Each person has their own color so I can tell whose damp one is left on the floor. When it is time to wash them, I do it that day and hang them right back up. No folding or storing. I do this with sheets also. Saves me time from not having to fold and store and clutter from not having all those extra sheets and towels. * Clutter - We have one clutter free room, not a house or even a floor, just one room. Does it always stay clutter free? No, but it is an obtainable daily goal. The rest of the house gets a lick and a promise as I go about my day. (A little bit here and there and a promise to do better next time). The only time the whole house is de-cluttered and "spic and span" is when guests are coming. Then everyone pitches in and does their "zones" or assigned areas. * Toys - They all go into plastic boxes. Ideally, only one comes off the shelf at a time and when they are done playing with them, they put them back up. This doesnt always happen, but having the boxes makes it easier to just scoop and dump into them. * VITAMINS - This doesnt seem like a tip, but it is the most important one for me. If you are like me and have a hard time keeping up with the demands of the day or have seasonal depression (ie. no sun light makes mama sad.) These are essential to keeping your household running. The best combination I have found is: Viactiv Multivitamin, Viactiv Calcium, Super B complex, Chewable Vit. C, and Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3-6-9). If I dont take all of these, my mood, energy level, disposition, mental clarity, ambitions, everything is affected. These in turn help me tackle homeschooling and the house. * Cooking - http://www.monthlymealplanner.com/index.php This website takes the guess work out of what's for dinner. It also gives me the grocery list. The time that I save from walking around wondering what I am going to fix and the time at the store help me to concentrate on wiping the counters and loading the dishwasher, etc. * Sanity - This is sorta a help. If you are an organized, neat freak by nature living in the conditions I described earlier, than having your own space can be vital. I have a small guest bathroom that is all mine. No one goes in there unless by invitation. If I put something in its place I know it is going to be there when I get back. I keep it clean and organized. This is a place I go when I need quiet, privacy, thinking time, to regroup, etc. You could use a closet, or any space as long as it was just yours. None of these suggestions are ideal, but they are a compromise to something that is doable for me. I would love to have children running around like worker bees cleaning up without having to be prodded, a tidy organized house, everything having a place and everything in it's place, something akin to "Pottery Barn", but the reality is different. If I tried to do that, I would end up burned out and the kids would be on a therapist's couch 15 years from now! LOL I saw two great suggestions earlier. One was about the dimes. I am going to try to implement that this week!! The other was about doing a load of laundry with just one person's clothes. No sorting, no folding, no matching socks, no trying to figure out whose jeans I am holding, the benefits seems endless. I can't wait to try that one!!