[Brian Kopp DPM]

pro-life, pro-family, Humanae Vitae ping

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

We have met a wonderful family in our neighborhood - they have 6 children plus a mother in law living in their home..... I wonder every day how they manage to do it, but they are one of the nicest families I have ever met....

[Fred Mertz]

A friend of mine has eleven. When he worked for me a few years ago his handle was "kids9@____.com" I don't think he changed it.

[Sabertooth]

Nice

[Alabama_Wild_Man]

If every 'family' waited 'til they could "Afford" a child.......this old world would be a barren planet, in no time.

...which is just what all the 'watermelons' really want -Because they are Commie Red on the inside and Enviro-Green on the outside...)

[Terriergal]

I admire people who can handle having more than a few kids. I'm all for it, as long as they are doing it like this lady- some people *do* just not think about it - have crappy marriages and just keep adding kids because they don't know what else to do.

Anyway, I have three and that's enough for me. I want to do one on one stuff with them, it's already very challenging to find the time. I'm happy with three, and so is my achin' back, to hear that we won't be having any more. Sometimes I feel that longing, but it goes away quickly. :-)

[William Terrell]

I can see how, once you get to three, the temptation to go on to four is intense. With three the geometry of equitable shares is too complicated.

Like the carpender said to me, "You want it a third of an inch? Awright, show me a third of an inch on this here rule."

[spanky_mcfarland]

They're called condoms...look into them! Is there no humor on this thread? Any Irish twins (sibs born 10 months apart) posting here?

[Free Vulcan]

"Hey, man, I get my marching orders from Rome."

I'm not even Catholic and that's a cool line. The writer points out the most glaring liberal hypocrisy of all: abortion is a private choice over what a woman 'does with her own body,' but it is perfectly acceptable to criticize someone for choosing to have that child and a few more besides, bringing in the govt if necessary. So much for staying out of someone else's bedroom.

[Atticus]

Last year, I clicked on a financial advice column on the MSN Web site just for fun. It featured an article on the biggest financial mistakes people make. I could not resist taking a peek, since I am always on the lookout for ways to save money. The venomous words "having too many children" jumped off the screen at me. The article said that one or two children were bad enough; that children are extremely expensive and time-consuming; that the problem with having a third child is that the parents often want to have a fourth; and that four children are just too many. Children, one of the greatest joys of married life, the symbol of love between a husband and wife, were summarily dumped into the bin of financial mistakes.

I see dirt poor families getting by with three or four children while couples with six-figure salaries are tying their tubes because they "can't afford" a second or third child. We've got three and would like to have at least one more. My kids are priceless--worth more than all of the luxury cars, six and one-half bathroom houses and high-priced vacations in the world.

[spanky_mcfarland]

Every Sperm Is Sacred From the film "Monty Python's Meaning of Life" Words by Michael Palin and Terry Jones. Music by D. Howman & A. Jacquemin --------------------------------------------------- There are Jews in the world, There are Buddists, There are Hindus and Mormons and then, There are those that follow Mohammad, But I've never been one of them... I'm a Roman Catholic, And have been since before I was born, And the one thing they say about Catholics, Is they'll take you as soon as you're warm... You don't have to be a six-footer, You don't have to have a great brain, You don't have to have any clothes on You're a Catholic the moment Dad came... Because... Every sperm is sacred, Every sperm is great, If a sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate. Let the heathen spill theirs, On the dusty ground, God shall make them pay for Each sperm that can't be found. Every sperm is wanted, Every sperm is good, Every sperm is needed In your neighbourhood. Hindu, Taoist, Morman, Spill theirs just anywhere, But God loves those who treat their Semen with more care. Every sperm is sacred, Every sperm is great, If a sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate. Every sperm is sacred, Every sperm is good, Every sperm is needed In your neighbourhood. Every sperm is useful, Every sperm is fine, God needs everybody's, Mine! And mine! And mine! Let the pagan spill theirs, O'er mountain, hill and plain, God shall strike them down for Each sperm that's spilt in vain. Every sperm is sacred, Every sperm is good, Every sperm is needed In your neighborhood. Every sperm is sacred, Every sperm is great, If a sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate. ---------- Nicked from "The Fairly Incomplete And Rather Badly Illustrated Monty Python Song Book" and transcribed by John G. Wright

[dpwiener]

It featured an article on the biggest financial mistakes people make. I could not resist taking a peek, since I am always on the lookout for ways to save money. The venomous words "having too many children" jumped off the screen at me.

I think Mrs. Walsh is being more than a tad defensive about the size of her family. What's "venomous" about an article stating the facts of reality? More children do cost more money, and if you want to save money one good way is simply to have fewer children. If you don't like that advice, don't take it. Find other ways of saving money (or earning more).

As someone who has only one child (but four siblings), I have no problem with those who prefer large families, as long as they pay for all those children themselves. Don't go on welfare, and don't make me or other taxpayers shoulder the cost of your decision. That way we can all be free to make our own life choices without imposing those choices on our neighbors.

[Outrance]

My wife and I have always had the philosophy that we can never let them out number us. :)

[Outrance]

My wife came from a 7 child household. She felt lost in the group and wishes she had the close relationship with each parent like I had with my parents. Gifts were always the same for all but different colors. There was never any privacy to discuss matters of concern with her parents. She was in the middle of the "pack" and the parents never were sure it she should be treated like the "little ones" or the have to be responsible like the "older ones". She was never treated like an individual and always had to conform to trail blazed by older children. Parents couldn't participate in each kids activities and financial limits prevented them in joining many events anyway. When they could join a activity it had to be something either a older sibling had started in first or something everyone could do. You played softball because your sisters played softball even though you would rather play field hockey.

Today its much happier. With all those kids grown up and with children of their own, my kids have lots of cousins and our frequent family get togethers are lots of fun. Sadly, when her mother fondly reminices about the kids growing up, the kids usually bring her back to earth.

We have a boy and a girl. Last spring my wife arranged a trip for my daughter and I to visit the San Diego Zoo, Animal Park and Sea World on the opposite coast. It was the best trip of my life. My daughter and I grew even closer than we had ever been. She knows she alone is my "princess" and is as devoted to me as I am to her. Next year in addition to our family vacation my son and I are going camping in the Grand Canyon. Saturday mornings I take my son to hockey practice she takes my daughter her horse riding lessons or vice versa.

We have tried to expose our 2 kids to as many activities as possible to allow them to find if they have a passion or talent for something. My wife and I have had many activities one on one with each of our two children that would have been less possible with a large family.

This is just my experience and not to be construed as negative to all large families of which my knowledge is very limited.

[VeritatisSplendor]

Thank God there are still families like this. It took me too long to shrug off the eco-guilt about over-population and now I realize that that isn't the problem at all. Half of my female family members don't have children, and all are over 30, some over 40. Too late. Many of the girls I grew up with don't have children, we're pushing 40. Just about no one has more than two. I'm 6 months pregnant with my fourth living child, we lost two to miscarriage.

"Cathlolic" countries like Spain and Italy are having 1.5, 1.2 children per woman. Same with Japan. Half the women in this country between 15 and 44 haven't had children, are they all waiting for their 30s? It's harder then. If we don't love your family and our nation enough to make a future generation for it we are doomed. And I fear that the response to the terrorist war is not going to be, have babies, but this is no world to bring babies into. I feel that myself, and I only thank God that He sent this child before this happened.

Mrs VS

[SuziQ]

Surprisingly enough, parents with more children tend to be more organized. Families with eight always get to Mass before us, and we arrive before those with three

Well that's one thing I CANNOT say about our family with four kids. We just can never seem to get to Mass on time, except when I'm serving (Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist) and I absolutely HAVE to be there a few minutes early. Even with the two older ones off to college, we still seem to get delayed for one reason or another.

All of our closest friends seem to have at least four and some have six children, and they DO look upon children as a wonderful blessing.

A good comeback for those of us with more than the 'allowed' two or three kids when we are confronted by the 'fertility police' would be "They are my "old age insurance". They'll be paying MY Social Security and yours too"!

[Silly]

I am the youngest of seven kids, 9.5 years apart, and am glad I grew up in a big family. The middle child, my sister Gloria, died at age 16 of cancer. 30 years later, we still miss her and talk about her all the time.

We never had much money growing up, but we didn't really notice, because our parents took good care of us. We relied on each other to help us grow up.

Big families are a big blessing.

[mafree]

Nice article- bump from one of four, wish it had been more.

[goodform]

Father of 4 and open to more ping!! :-)

[mamaduck]

bump for insane, children-loving families