Well, this isn’t a parish thing, but a bunch in our homeschool group has been meeting at someone’s house once a month for a potluck dinner and to watch the series “Catholicism”. The couple that has been hosting has been providing babysitters to watch all the kids (and there are LOTS!) so it’s been nice to do that without the pressure of having to find a babysitter, etc. and it’s a little like a date night with my hubby.

I just joined a moms’ rosary group.  We meet every week after morning Mass for a quick rosary and chat, and the kids play.  Once a month the meeting is a book group, and they have a volunteer babysitter so moms can concentrate.  They also try to have a girls night out when they can, and sometimes a dinner at one of the member’s houses for the couples, without the kids.  ACM (below), I love what your group is doing, with a special night just for the men!  I feel like there are lots of these groups, both secular and Catholic, for moms, but barely anything for husbands and dads!

We have a very active MOTHERS group which is open to all mothers of all ages.  It is primarily a group of new mothers with preschooler/younger elementary aged children.  It offers book groups, play groups, recipe groups, prayer groups, family activities (pumpkin picking, Easter egg hunt), and volunteer activities (food, clothing drives, etc) and couple socializing events (progressive dinners, potlucks).  I was an active member for over 10 years and chaired a few committees.  Since my children are older and I am involved more in their schools, I have taken a step back from my involvement, but it was a lifesaver for me when I was new in town, with an infant and no friends!

Thanks for all the ideas -  I too like the idea of getting husbands involved! Our parish has That Man is You - but I think it is at a bad time for younger men and hard to get them involved.

It sounds like your body is trying to do something. Maybe gearing up to ovulate? Has the baby been sleeping more at night? That sometimes causes me to get a bit out of whack. When in doubt, I would abstain and if you have any questions, you can always ask one of the experts on the Marquette NFP forum (and they’re quick about responding. Usually within 24 hours).

Vicki,
We have 7 kids and one on the way, and I love my Whirlpool Cabrio washer.  It is huge capacity (the largest on the market at the time we bought it, a few years ago) and has no agitator in the center, so you can fit really large comforters, etc. in there.  It is a top-loader, so you don’t have any mold, stagnant water, or that sort of thing;  it is really superclean and cavernous.  It is also super-efficient on both energy and water.  Sensors detect the load size, so there is pretty much the minimum amount of water that is needed to wash the clothes.  However, it actually gets clothes cleaner than a regular washer!  The difference to me was very noticeable.  You do have to use he (high efficiency) detergent, but the money you save on energy and water more than makes up for it.  And the ease and efficiency woukd be worth it to me, anyway.

As hard as we are on our appliances, the most surprising thing might be its durability.  We have had no problems with it in the three or so years we’ve had it.  That is amazing for us, considering how poorly large appliances are made these days.

I am totally in love with the Cabrio and wholeheartedly recommend it to any large family, or anyone who wants a really awesome washer.  Good luck on your search!

I have the Maytag Bravos and love it for all the same reasons as the above post.

I will second the recommendation for the Whirlpool Cabrio washer.  We got ours about 6 months ago.  We have 4 kids, but still, tons of laundry and so I wanted large capacity.  We did shortly afterwards get the dryer, there is a little glitch with the cabrio dryer some wheel thingy spins off often and makes your dryer stop drying.  It’s been fixed easily at no charge twice, but that’s a pain in laundry piling up and just the fact of it being brand new and needing a repairman twice.  The second guy seems to have done something (he told me he did) better than the first, so we haven’t had problems since.  It’s a factory issue maybe they have fixed it since.

But, I just love the washer-top loader, glass top, no agitator in the middle.  Good price.  God bless! Josie

Thanks so much for your recommendations!  There are so many mixed reviews it’s hard to figure out which machine to buy.

I have a Fisher and Paykal washer.  I really, REALLY like it; I’ve had very few problems with it. We did have to replace a water solenoid for $400, but that was after 5 years of running.  I’m a chronic over-loader (8 kids + 2 grandkids) and have torn the heck out of most of the washers I’ve had.  This one seems to be lasting.  However, our technician said that he thinks that F & P may be going out of business.  Don’t know how accurate that information is, though.

Thanks for the ideas!

Praying for healing and peace (both physically and emotionally) for you and your husband.

Wow…the power of prayer. My husband just sent me a test saying how much he loves me <3 Thank you!

I mean a text…not a test

Wonderful!!!

I will definitely pray for you. I pray that the Good Lord sends you peace and that your glucose test turned out favorably. I can only imagine your stress right now. Please keep us updated! Just as a tip, I have a great faith in praying a Novena to Mother Teresa. Hugs!

Thank you!! Thanks, also, for the reminder about Mother Teresa’s novena! Between St. Gianna, St. Joseph, St. Anne, etc I forgot to include her!

I’m glad I could be of at least a little comfort! My sister had a very serious problem that was resolved after much intercession to Mother Teresa. Sometimes it is hard to deal with these hardships when you feel like you have been truly striving to be a person of faith. Again, prayers for you.

They actually briefly touched on Marian apparitions on ewtn open line yesterday. They recommended contacting the diocese/bishop where the apparitions are occurring. If the bishop doesn’t have anything negative to say, then visiting/reading about/etc is okay, but to keep in mind that it was private revelation, and “under investigation” until the church puts its official stamp on it.

Panicky - I had the same experience at about 12 weeks (I think). Multiple (and I mean lots!!) of pregnancy tests later, I finally believed the negative tests. I do think you need to wait until about 18 days after intercourse to be sure, though. Good luck!

I don’t think you are over-reacting.  In a healthy marriage, decisions about retirement (where, when, how, etc). are decisions that should be made together… have you ever asked him what his “dream” for retirement would be?  If he’s retiring in his 60s, what does he plan on doing with the 25+ years remaining to his life?  And what are your dreams for retirement?  I think the key is that you gently communicate to him that you want to dream with him *together* about your future *together,* just as you did when you were first getting married.  Encourage him to talk about his anxieties and fears about the future, as he seems to have some, and acknowledge them, but gently remind him that God has it all in his hand, and he will make sure the right house will come along at the right time.  It sounds like both of you are talking out of a place of fear, of “what if?”  and that’s the worst place from which to make any financial decision.  Prayers for peace…

Just as a practical matter, has he/both of you been approved for a loan?  It’s much harder than it used to be.  My husband and I recently bought a house (moved to another state), and it’s much different than it was even 5 years ago.  I think you may have posted before, and it seems to me the bottom line is he wants to move and you do not.  Does he have a long commute for his job now?  Marriage is give and take, and it’s very hard.  I was adamantly opposed to our move here, but in the end I felt I had to honor the vows I made.  I am NOT saying that you have to move to this house to honor your vows - I don’t know enough at all about your situation to have any idea of that.  But if he wants to move so strongly, I do think that you have to find some sort of compromise for the sake of your marriage.  I didn’t want to move and didn’t particate in looking.  My husband found a place that HE really likes, and I don’t (nor do our kids).  I regret not bowing to the inevitable and trying to find a place that both of us like.  I would recommend that you either hash this out to come to an agreement about moving/not moving and then start looking for a place that has some features that both you and he like.  I can assure you that this urge that they have to move doesn’t just disappear on its own.

He can’t sign for you unless you give him that authority with a power of attorney.  He may not need your signature at all if you do not work for pay or if his income is enough for the bank.  If your signature is required, then I do not think your marriage vows require you to sign for something that you do not agree with.  I very much agree that wives need to be submissive to their husbands, but if a husband is acting with no regard for the wife’s prudent objections then counseling, not submission, is a better route.  If your signature is not required, then you need to seek counseling or insist on some more serious heart to heart conversations about the why and the how of making this work.

Maggie,
Prayers for you! I’ve never been formally diagnosed with anxiety, but have had it off and on for years - for much less rational reasons than yours! Be not afraid.

I will pray for your anxiety. I have had anxiety problems for years and have been on medication for 7 years. I know that being anxious is an awful place to be. If you just started your medication, give it some time to start working (at least several weeks). I constantly tell myself “Jesus, I trust in You.” I also work very hard on trying to accomplish total surrender to the will of God—something I think we all find very difficult!

Maggie, have you thought about maybe talking to your healthcare provider about upping your dosage of anxiety medicine?  I have to do this from time to time because my medicine will “fizzle out” over time, and eventually I have to switch to another med.  While you may be hesitant to do so because you are pregnant, I can only reassure you that I have had no problems adjusting my dosages and even switching meds while expecting.  Hope this helps!

We have a junior.  I would never deny a man a junior if that is what he wants.  My husband and I actually wanted to give our junior a different middle name, but HIS father got upset because my husband is named after his grandfathers and his middle name is his dad’s dad’s name.  So to avoid hurt feelings, we made him a junior.  Having a junior has caused confusion in medical records so far.  My BIL is named after his father, and when he (many many years ago) was late in paying some bills, they tracked down my FIL, thinking HE was responsible (had the wrong one).  Regardless, if a man really wants his son to be named after him, and especially if it is traditional in the family, then I really think a wife should honor that.

I’m a big fan.  We have two Patricks in our house and our daughter is named after our mother-in-law.  I see it as a beautiful thing-honoring family members, although I also happen to like their names.  Maybe it would be different if I didn’t.  God bless!

Just one thing to consider. My brother (though not a Junior) has the same first name as my dad. He ended up marrying a woman with a name similar to my mom’s. His mail (sometimes important mail) still ends up at my parents’ house. My parents get calls from various offices and organizations thinking that the number belongs to my brother. And there have been some near catastrophic bank mess ups (they all have the same bank, different branches). I think it’s nice to name a son after his father, but be aware that special vigilance will be needed when the son is an adult with a separate address and finances.

I personally am not a fan of juniors, seconds, thirds, etc. or people in the same immediate family going by the same name—it gets confusing! But, I do think it’s nice to name your children after family members and there are ways to do it without having two “Joe Smith’s” in the same house

Dad and brother were Jims. Then my sister married one.  One day the phone rang, my dad answered and my BIL said “Hi Jim, it’s Jim, is Jim there?”
But the best story was when my youngest brother gave a friend his older brother’s fake ID when he went away to college.  The friend was so pleased with the ID that he wrote a thank you note to our house, addressed to Jim Jr, but Jim Sr mistakenly opened it…
We don’t have jrs in our house - it was way too confusing growing up, but it also accounted for many funny stories.

I’m not a huge fan of juniors.  My mom and I have the same first name but different middle names and she always went by a shortened form of the name.  Still it was confusing at times when I got older and mail would come addressed to the full name.  There were times we didn’t know who it was for.  The biggest problem came when my husband and I applied for our first mortgage.  Since we were going to closing a few days before our wedding, I had to use my maiden name in signing documents.  A few days before closing, my husband got a call saying there was a problem since I already had a mortgage.  It wasn’t until he pointed out that that mortgage was originated several years before my birth that they believed that it wasn’t my obligation.  (We had even warned them of this potential problem and they said there was no way this would come up because they were careful to check for Social Security numbers and birthdates.)  My brother had a similar problem since he had the same first and last names as my paternal grandfather even though at the time of the problem my grandfather had been dead for years.  My husband and I decided that we didn’t want to have a junior and for the most part, we have used family names as middle names.

I use real names and I talk about Savannah, GA a lot, which is the biggest town to where I live.  If somebody really wanted to track me down, they could.  But we move very frequently (every 2 years to a completely different place) so somebody would have to start all over again to find me.  If I could go back…I would probably do things a bit more securely.  It is much easier to disclose real names after some time than to go back and give everybody nicknames.  I suggest that you begin with nicknames for everybody - something clever that you won’t mind keeping for a long time (not just initials or something embarrassing…to call a 6 yo boy “Wild Thing” would be fine, but to call your 1 yo “Babycakes” won’t work when the next baby comes along).  I would not disclose your location - a state or a region like the Southeast is fine.  As for pictures, an image is an image, and they can be stolen and photoshopped in horrible ways.  If somebody wanted to do that, they could steal an image from FB or Flickr or anywhere else you have online photos stored.  I have heard that some personal data is attached to some images, particularly ones taken with cell phones, which someone could obtain.  But other than that risk (I don’t use cell phone images on my blog), if the names are unknown and the location is unknown, I don’t know what a bad person could do with just an image.
Also, I am fine with my own name being used.  I think the biggest problem with anonymity is that people would not believe you are a real person.  You are anonymous.

This website has been extremely helpful to me: http://www.housewifespice.com/

All four of my kids (ages 3-11) love Tomie dePaola’s books & the Berenstain Bears books. For that matter…so do I