A Proper Apology

After watching John Kerry flounder around all week pretending to apologize, I thought he and others could use a short course in apologizing. First, do not: blame others for being offended, pretend you didn't really do it, say it's not all that important, say you were misunderstood, or any other weaselly attempt to sing and dance your way out of trouble.

You see, a real apology is a wonderful thing. It is an almost foolproof way to restore a broken relationship and that is an incredibly valuable thing. A proper apology begins with the hardest thing of all: acceptance of responsibility and guilt, "I was wrong to do _____." It continues by communicating repentance. Now, repentance is not merely being sorry, but being sorry enough to change your course of action, "I should have done _____ and I will do that in the future." Finally, it ends only one proper way, a request not for understanding or for forbearance, but "Will you forgive me?"

These three simple steps are very seldom completed and it's a shame. I've found that being quick to forgive and even quicker to ask forgiveness will keep you at peace with most men. Give it a try.

Nailed!

We woke this morning to find a wonderful bit of vandalism to our front door. In the night, some wag posted the Ninety-Five Theses to our door -- with a note saying, "You've been nailed! Happy Reformation Day!" and some treats. Thankfully, they used tape not nails, but what a delightful reminder that we are not alone, that others are remembering the great debate and rediscovery of the gospel, too. Thanks, friend!

Reformation Day

I find it hard to understand that there are Christians who celebrate Halloween - a celebration (or propitiation, depending on your beliefs) of evil and death, yet I used to do it myself. Why did I? I was living an unexamined life. Once I began to examine everything by the light of the Word of God, it became impossible for me to continue a practice that did not bring glory to our Lord and Father but rather glorified evil spirits, death, and evil -- even in jest.

I was not much happier with the harvest festivals held by so many churches. They seemed to be just a G-rated version of the world's festival: Halloween-lite. Can the church do nothing better than imitate the world?

Yes, it can! And it has! For nearly 500 years, faithful protestants have remembered a real encounter with the forces of darkness: in 1517, on October 31st, a monk named Martin Luther nailed an academic call to debate on the doors of Wittenberg Cathedral. That debate shook the world and rang out from the halls of academe to the plowboys in the fields. As a result, the gospel was rediscovered and the Word of God was translated into the languages of people's hearts, their native tongues. For centuries, the church celebrated Reformation Day in gratefulness for God's hand in the life of Luther and his contemporaries and the glorious results it has had not only in the church, but in the history of the world (I'll deal with that at a later date - I'm looking forward to it.)

Our family has celebrated Reformation Day for many years. We nearly always watch the terrific old black and white movie, Martin Luther, unmatched in stirring historical accuracy by the flashier modern versions. We always eat foods of the countries of the Reformation: cheese fondue from Switzerland, bratwurst, sauerkraut and hot German potato salad from Germany or some other Germanic delight. We play Reformation games like "95 Theses" in which blindfolded folks stick their post-it-note theses to a big paper cathedral door with candy rewards listed in each panel. We joyfully tell the stories to our children of those who stood for right and scripture before us, hoping that one day, they too will be able to stand. It's a day our children eagerly look forward to -- whether we celebrate with dozens of friends or just our family. In fact, they can't figure out why a Christian would do anything else. And neither can I.

Amazing Lack of Perspective

This past week, a number of North Carolina homeschoolers received a letter (once on the page, hit refresh to view) from the state oversight agency requesting them to bring their children and records to the local police station for inspection. There's only one little problem: the statute authorizes no such thing.

For one year after the testing, all records shall be made available,
subject to the provision of G.S. 115C-196, at the principal office of such
school, at all reasonable times, for annual inspection by a duly authorized
representative of the State of North Carolina. (1979, c. 505; 1981, c. 423, s.
1.)

NCHE, our state homeschool organization, issued an alert encouraging non-participation with this extra-legal request. There are several amazing things here:

1. How in the world could anyone who has ever studied history or even current events think that the police station is an appropriate venue to ask people to come to for these record reviews? How could they think you would choose to bring your children into this situation? This appears to be an innocent mistake, yet I am totally flummoxed that anyone could be clueless enough not to realize this would be seen as pure and simple intimidation.

2. Homeschoolers are such nice folks that they really, really want to comply with the law such that some folks don't seem to care that this is way beyond the law and are thinking of participating. Beats me.

3. Some of the veteran homeschoolers among us don't seem to understand what is the big deal. Dear husband says it's the methadone effect[1]: the situation was so awful when they started homeschooling, that anything less than that seems just fine. However, this is a step towards less freedom, not more.

Here's the big deal: When we willing and voluntarily submit ourselves to government requirements beyond the law, we place ourselves in the position of providing an excuse for more regulation ("We're already doing it anyway. What's the big deal?") Loss of freedom is always a big deal and freedom relinquished is seldom regained. That's why the fight to regain freedom to direct your child's education was and is such a battle.

Samuel Adams said it well. Freedom costs, chains are free. Which do you want?

[1] methadone effect - Our family's term for something that is a step in the right direction for some, but the wrong for others. Methadone is a step in the right direction for heroin addicts, but for non-addicts, it would be a step toward addiction. Always move in the right direction.

The Marriage Vow

In an age when the divorce rate among Christians differs in no respect from that of unbelievers, to the shame of the church, we seem to have forgotten what a vow is. This weekend I had the privelege of seeing what it means to an older generation to promise "For better or for worse."

The story of the marriage of my grandparents is not a happily-ever-after one. My grandfather was an extremely difficult man to live with in his youth - a wild and angry man. Then after he repented and settled down, my grandmother suffered repeated cancers and back surgeries. They did not abandon each other through these challenges, though. They did their duty. Paid their vows - for themselves, for the Lord, and for us. They have lost almost all of their many siblings to death, helped a daughter through becoming a young widow, and loved and shepherded us all through heartbreaks, health breakdowns and job losses. Now in their eighties, Papa Ray has Alzheimers' and his health has declined to the point that he needs constant help.

Nana kept him at home as long as she could, but she was unable to pick him up when he kept falling down. Now he's at a nursing home going through rehab. And yet the wife of his youth has not abandoned him in his old age. She is there every day - to feed him, to take him to the bathroom so he doesn't need to lose his dignity, to bring him treats and happiness. What a lovely sight, to see her tender devotion to a man who no one would have once faulted her for running from. To see his once strong arms reach in trust and need to his wife, "Are you coming back soon?" To see her save him a piece of cake, "I'll take this to Ray later. He always loved red velvet cake." To see him cared for and clean and well-fed when so many were so lonely.

When I told Nana what a blessing this was for me, she told me how he had taken her from doctor to doctor and hospital to hospital when she had cancer, how he'd cared for her when she couldn't. I thought of Ecclesiastes:

Two are better than one,

Because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

For he has no one to help him up.

Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;

But how can one be warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I commend to you Christian marriage. We are called to be a living picture of the eternal love between Christ and the church. Does it seem impossible to you? How can you love and sacrifice through all the hurt and hard times of this fallen world? I would recommend you see that your marriage is one of three strands: the two of you and He is who is able to make us able to keep our vows.

Intolerant Tolerance

I am shocked to read that Great Britain literally has tolerance police. I've said for many years, that when we start on the slippery slope of limiting free speech in order to be "tolerant", we will fall headlong into tyranny. Speaking of a Christian arrested for handing out leaflets at a public park:

A spokesman for the police said the campaigner had not behaved in a violent
or aggressive manner, but that officers arrested him because 'the leaflet
contained Biblical quotes about homosexuality'.

Well, that's certainly provocative - and dangerous - someone quoting Holy Scripture! Handing out quotes from the Bible can now subject you to arrest in that so-called free nation. How much longer will we Christians be able to speak out about any sin, about salvation in Jesus Christ alone? The freedom to even quote the Word of God on the issues of the day is evidently gone in the U.K. How much longer will we have it? Up camels, mamahadeen, and speak up before you can't speak out at all.

Just in case you think this is spin-doctored, read the whole thing.

H/T WorldNetDaily

Why Mamahadeen?

I thought the name Mamahadeen was pretty witty when I first registered it, but unfortunately, only one single person outside our family has gotten the joke (at least, has confessed to getting the joke.) This week another friend asked "What's that?" So, here goes:

Well, it's kind of complicated. The Islamic jihadists call themselves Mujahadeen -- holy warriors in Arabic. When folks started blogging, the mainstream media got bent out of shape and basically said "Are you gonna believe a bunch of crazy conservatives, typing in their pajamas or are you gonna believe us -- apostles of truth like Dan Rather?" Then some wiseacre called the bloggers "pajamahadeen" because they caused such a ruckus in the mainstream media. I took off on that and called myself Mamahadeen -- the mama in pajamas causing a ruckus for a holy reason -- got it?

On Cooking and Costs

I've noticed sadly that many of the young mothers I talk to have even less idea how to run a household than I do. Now, that's pathetic, because I grew up in a family business. Literally. We came home from school to the store and stayed there til it closed. I felt like I had to learn how to be a housewife "on the job" but with no training. I'm still not terribly good at it. Compared to the generation of mothers just starting out, though, I'm a wiz. Many of them had working mothers and all of them were fed frozen dinners and McDonald's predominantly. I was told by one friend, "I only make one meal from scratch -- Hamburger Helper." Seriously.

The really sad thing is that their lack of training makes it so much harder for them to make it financially on one income so that they can stay home with their little ones or homeschool. For example, when they want a pie, they buy a frozen one ($3-5) and put whipped topping on top ($1-2). It's so easy to make a pie if you've been taught -- and inexpensive. Even if you buy the crust ($1) and use Jello pudding and pie filling ($0.80), but then make meringue ($0.20).

Dorothy Sayers in Murder Must Advertise once said that we pay extra to have our food prepared and stripped of all natural fiber and vitamins and then buy the fiber and vitamins on the side, keeping the wheels of commerce constantly turning. Well, folks, don't let those wheels run you down: Get a good cookbook like The Joy of Cooking [Nota Bene: Buy only this edition (1975) or an older one - The All New... has removed all that made The Joy of Cooking the one cookbook Julia Child would have on her shelf if she could only have one] or Mennonite Country-Style Recipes and teach yourself to really cook. Or better yet, make friends with an older woman who loves to cook and ask her if you can "come help" and she'll help you!

Remarkable Providences

The incredible thing about the Christian life is that trials are often great blessings. Four and a half years ago, after the 9/11 business bust, dear husband was out of work for some time. When we told the children that Daddy no longer had his corporate job and it would be a long, precarious time until the business began to pay, the older children began to encourage the younger children to trust God by telling them many stories of God's providential provision for us four years ago. What a blessing!

Our dear Lord has already begun to show his love and provision for us:

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. I John 3:14

Immediately after reading the prayer request we sent out on our local homeschool loop, a dear sister emailed, saying that she and her husband were grateful for the service and encouragement we had given as homeschool leaders and they committed to bringing us a bag of grocery essentials every Friday for nine months! Can you believe that? What sacrificial love! What commitment! I pray that we will not need this provision, but to know that they are there is an incredible comfort. May the Lord bless them a hundredfold.

For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8

Last week I received a very hurtful letter from an old friend and in the same mail a great encouragement: A letter from friends saying that they were grateful for our ministry to homeschoolers and wanted to encourage us in a tangible way. It was a very tangible way, a $500 check! We rejoiced at the provision and at the kind way they had helped us without referencing our need, even making it sound like it was something we deserved -- which we do not, we deserve hell, but have been given all this (and heaven, too, said the wise man). Last night we wrote them a thank you note and this morning they told us they had only found out last night about our need -- nearly a week after the check had been sent. They had been thinking of doing this for weeks. Our dear, precious Lord, knowing the coming need had prepared their hearts and provided an answer before we even asked. Blessed be His name! May these saints be blessed beyond measure!

How could we fail to trust Him? How could we doubt when we see such remarkable providences?

OUR World Turned Upside Down... Or Right Side Up

News Flash: Escape from Cubicle Nation!

An acquaintance of mine uses a great tagline for her email account: "Whenever I sit down and relax in a comfortable chair, a bar falls across my lap and I hear a voice saying, "Keep your hands and feet in the car at all times. Enjoy your ride!" This is our life!

Many of you know that dear husband was involuntarily transferred from a field engineering position to Cubicle Nation nearly two years ago, and the long hours, long commute, and isolation -- people emailed from cubicle to cubicle (really!) -- did not make for a happy assignment. Well, dear husband has had an unexpected opportunity to escape from Cubicle Nation!

We have been talking for a year about the possibility of going into business with my brother and mother to provide a stateside sales office for the Chinese manufacturing concern run by my sister-in-law and brother. We worked on a business plan last month and were getting pretty excited about the possibilities, but knowing that it would take nine months to see any money, it just seemed like a pretty big cliff to jump off of.

Well, here we go: The rollercoaster has reached the top of the hill and Whoosh! we're headed down the drop off. I can't wait to see what the Lord does next!

The World Turned Upside Down

For many years, I've enjoyed reading the wedding announcements in the newspaper. An incurable romantic, I enjoy reading all the details! In recent times, I have noticed a worrisome trend and I invite you to test it out yourself. In nearly all new marriages in the paper, the wife is substantially better educated than the husband. Now, please understand, I do believe that women should be well-educated, particularly if they desire to be true helpmeets to their husbands and teachers of their children. However, I think that, generally, people should marry those of like religion, values, and education. I worry about those marriages in which the wife is so much better educated than the husband. How will he have the courage to lead his family if he questions his ability to interact with his wife intellectually? Will they both face pressure for the wife to continue working even after the children are born if she is earning a great deal more than he is? It happens. I saw a friend in Wal-Mart the other day who is expecting her second. She badly wants to come home and raise her children, but she's a nurse and she makes so much more money than her husband that they can't imagine making it on his salary.

The New York Times confirms that it's not just my imagination in a very disturbing article about not only the predominance of women on college campuses, but the failure of the men who do make it to college to compete in any real way with the women. How can this be for the "favored male" we've heard so much about? Well, how can it not be, with the constant stream of "Taking Our Daughters to Work Days", the constant encouragement of girls to be ambitious and "do something with their lives", with the death of boy-friendliness in the culture and in the schools? When boys who are perfectly normal are drugged into passivity for being too active, when a boy dares not defend the weak with his fists, when his only heroes are sports stars and gansta rappers? When military heroes are portrayed as evil oppressors, not the geniuses they once were?

Manhood is in trouble in our culture. It's been going on a long time and the alarm has been thoroughly sounded before. Now we are going to see the consequences: God's design for families turned upside down. The really sad thing about it is that no one is happy with the results. Men desire to lead, women desire to nurture, all are told that their natural God-given desires are unworthy of them. How incredibly pathetic.

Do you believe that those who have been fighting and fighting to remedy "discrimination" against women will be concerned about men's under representation in higher education? I don't. If they decide to pretend concern for other reasons, I predict that their solution is to make the men more like the women, just like feminism's solution was to defeminize women. The enemy always, always tries to destroy what God has wrought. Oh, that at least the church would value manhood and womanhood as God has designed it!

H/T The Drudge Report and The New York Times

A Real Life Mamahadeen

When I was growing up, I was asked again and again what I wanted to be when I grow up. I quickly learned that "a mommy" was not an acceptable answer, but saying something like "an astronaut" or "a veterinarian" brought admiration. Now that I've grown up to be a mommy and wouldn't change a thing, I look around and realize that many of my friends went through great struggles to decide to devote themselves to their families. For me, it was not as big an issue. My mother stayed home with us and gave us a delightful, secure childhood and I always wanted to be a homemaker mother like her! When she and Dad started a business and she began working, Ed and I went to work with our parents, so Mom continued focusing her Passions on her family. I grew up with a high value of womanhood and recognizing that a woman could use her talents to the fullest in the home and in the family business.

Our society doesn't value those things in women, though. Thanks to feminism, women are only respected when they act like men. It's not necessary for women to act like men to impact the world! Proverbs 31 describes a virtuous woman whose children rise up and call her blessed. She is busy in the management of her home, the discipleship of her children and her interaction with the world -- get to know her here.

Today I read the story of a lady who is a fierce warrior in the fight against terrorism -- from her home! May the Lord give her victory in battle - a true mamahadeen!

H/T WorldNetDaily and The Daily Telegraph

The Death of the Episcopal Church

How do you write a requiem for a church - a whole denomination? I am heartbroken to find out that the Episcopal Church has openly denied Christ. Yesterday they voted 645-242 against even considering the following resolution:

Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church declares its unchanging commitment to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the only name by which any person may be saved (Article XVIII); and be it further Resolved, That we acknowledge the solemn responsibility placed upon us to share Christ with all persons when we hear His words, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6); and be it further Resolved, That we affirm that in Christ there is both the substitutionary essence of the Cross and the manifestation of God's unlimited and unending love for all persons; and be it further Resolved, That we renew our dedication to be faithful witnesses to all persons of the saving love of God perfectly and uniquely revealed in Jesus and upheld by the full testimony of Holy Scripture.

A Christian church who can not affirm that salvation is through Christ is no church at all. In case you were wondering if there was something procedural that kept them from considering this, VirtueOnline reports the position of those opposed to the resolution: "McDowell explained that how one lives his life is the more important issue than whether one affirms Jesus as Lord. " making it clear he has no understanding of:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

McDowell, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of North Carolina, further embarrasses himself and his church by comparing the proposal to the Nazi doctrines that lead to the Holocaust, according to VirtueOnline.

Is this a church anymore? Not a Christian one, anyway. May God protect and provide for the brothers who sought to have their denomination bow to Him to whom everyone will one day bow. May He give them wisdom as they lead their churches -- hopefully out of this false communion.

H/T WorldNetDaily and VirtueOnline

A Proper Education

Today at lunch, I could not restrain an exclamation of disgust as I read the news. Matt Henry asked what I had read and I told him that the U.N. was holding talks calling for global gun control. Matthew responded, "But, mom, how will they overthrow tyrants?" Ah... the glories of a proper education.
H/T Lucianne and CNS News

Differentiation

I have been noticing an increasing misapplication of Scripture that leads to serious consequences. Have you heard those who oppose war arguing that Jesus said to "turn the other cheek," or to "be at peace with all men," therefore our government has no right to pursue war? They have misunderstood Scripture. These commands are to us individually, in our own relations with other men. The responsibility of those in authority is different. The government is to "bear the sword" for the punishment of evildoers, not to turn the other cheek.

The obligation is if you are offended personally, then you should respond to the clear command of scripture and forgive those who have sinned against you, as often as necessary. However, if you are in authority over those in sin, you have a different obligation. You have an obligation to confront sin, restrain those you have authority over from sin, punish sin as you are able, and to lead those who follow you to righteousness. As you have power, you also have the obligation to protect the weak who are being attacked, even those weak not under your direct authority. The Bible gives responsibility with authority. To use the authority and reject the responsibility causes us to partake of the sin of those under us, whether our children, employees, congregation or citizens.

Let's be careful to use Scripture in a way that is warranted by the text.

A Sad Truth

This weekend I had an altercation with a brother in the Lord. What amazed me is that he would neither apologize nor accept my apology. I don't understand this at all. How can we reconcile with others if we refuse to apologize and ignore the apologies of others? I can only hope that it is because he has never been taught Biblical reconciliation.

I fear, though, that we are going to see more and more Christians without even the basic tools of living the Christian life. I hear about churches that are limiting their sermons and avoiding the music of the church in order to be seeker-friendly. Folks, if a sinner is comfortable in the church, the church is not preaching the Word of God. Romans 9:23 says, “ Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Have you ever heard of anyone who says they were saved because they felt so comfortable? When the Lord saved me, I was miserable over my sin!

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." I Corinthians 1:18 If we try to avoid that teaching which the lost will not understand or be offended by, we will also avoid the power of God. The really sad thing is that not only will we see little true fruit of this kind of preaching (That is, many may join such a church, but how many are joined to Christ?); but we will also fail to disciple those who do know Christ in the church. "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." Hebrews 5:13

And so, it's a sad truth that there are an increasing number of Christians who may not even know "And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." Luke 11:4 and therefore not realize that forgiveness is not an option, but an obligation for the Christian.

The best way we can be seeker-friendly is to point them toward what they are seeking:

"For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:13-14

Early Homeschoolers

May 26, 2006
Last night during the keynote at the NCHE conference, I was grumpily chasing our toddler. Grumpily because I really wanted to hear the keynote session, but she was coming unglued. It was one of those divine appointments times, though. I met a wonderful young mother who was at the conference with her eldest and only child - who was three! I told her coming to conference would help her make the decision. She said, " Oh no! We've made the decision. We're going to homeschool." What a blessing to meet families that are so committed to discipling and teaching their children at home that they've come to spend a whole weekend at this conference! May the Lord raise up a whole generation like that.

BTW, I could kick myself for walking out without my camera phone last night. I first saw this mother and daughter when I saw them skipping together in a dark hallway. She said her daughter had just that moment learned to skip. What a sweet picture. Too bad you can't see it :-)

The FDA frustrates me to death

The FDA frustrates me to death. I am a board-certified lactation consultant and I counsel with many women who need a galactogogue - a medication to increase their milk supply. The most effective drug with the fewest side effects is also the cheapest: domperidone. Unfortunately, since it is a cheap drug, the manufacturers have chosen not to spend the fortune required to seek FDA approval and the drug can only be gotten from a very few compounding pharmacies in the U.S. or ordered from overseas, which is supposed to be illegal. The FDA also issued a warning about the use of domperidone based on reactions in a few people taking it intravenously and ignoring the real experts on its use in breastfeeding mothers. And so, most of the mothers I know in need of this medication take metoclopramide instead, even though metoclopramide crosses the blood/brain barrier and causes many side effects including depression.

Today I read a Lockerroom post by my friend Nancy Winter that suggested we didn't need the FDA. As frustrated as I am with them, I remember all too well what happened before the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. The Elixir Sulphanilimide tragedy taught us that the individual does not have the means to assure that the medication is taking himself, or worse yet, giving his children, is not diluted with a fatal poison. Europe learned this lesson with the birth of over 10,000 thalidomide babies in the late 50's. I want my medications tested on animals, and in people, before I use it.

So, what's a free-marketeer to do? Perhaps an Underwriter's Laboratory for drugs? An FDA that tests, labels for safety (like the use in pregnancy classifications already given), and then stands back? I'm not sure, but I suppose the FDA doesn't really frustrate me to death, that's what happened before the regulations.

Dearth and Ruin

The Bible says in the dearth of people is a prince's ruin. For as long as I can remember, though, the culture has been screaming that overpopulation is a problem, that people are like parasites on the earth, that it is irresponsible to bear more than two children. Who's right?

Europe is finding that God is right. No European country has even a replacement birthrate. The graying of Europe is likely to have dire economic consequences. Even Catholic Italy can't seem to convince people to have enough children to keep the country going. Russia now aborts more babies than are born there and will probably have too few workers to sustain their economy by 2020.

Tonight I read an article in Foreign Affairs in which the author was disturbed that the only people having babies were those that believed in God. Although he offers quite a few ideas to encourage seculars to reproduce, he misses the most critical thing: those who are selfish will do what is selfish; those who live by principle, will live out their principles.

We have seven children. We live by principle. We believe in God. Funny thing is, we seem a lot happier than those who only seek their own pleasure. Seems God had something to say about that, too.

China with Children

First, nearly everyone we talked to thought we were nuts for taking our children to China. Even the guidebooks have stern warnings that it just isn't a good idea. After travelling for a few weeks in China with our children, I just can't figure out where they are coming from. We and our children had a great time! Perhaps it is because we have so many children, but we found folks went out of their way to be kind and helpful to us. As Peter told us would happen, the waiters/waitresses in the restaurants gathered around our table and waited on no one else until we left. I'm sure the other diners were not as appreciative as we were. :-)

The Chinese we encountered seem absolutely delighted with our family. Whenever we stopped walking, people of all ages would gather around and ask about the children. They would say, "Are you all one family?" I'd crank out my paltry Mandarin and tell them "Yes, we have six sons and one daughter." (Anticipating the next question...) They would invariably say things like, "Lucky family!" "Happy family!" "Hero mother!" "Fortunate family" and "Hero father!" Then they each wanted an individual picture of us. This got a little old... my brother called my five year old "Hollywood", since everyone wanted a picture of his blue eyes and tow head. Poor Seth would be dozing in the stroller, we'd rouse him and say, "Seth, somebody else wants your picture." He'd sit up, smile sweetly, then go right back to sleep!

In high traffic tourist spots, we had to keep moving, or we were mobbed by the curious, but very sweet and friendly people. One guide said, "Who are you? I didn't know I was guide for movie stars!" It was interesting that when the crowd thinned out, someone would nearly always ask, "Your country lets you have seven children?" and be very thoughtful when we
explained how things are in America.

We discovered a few things about travelling with children in China: Carseats and seat belts are non-existent. High chairs are universal, but they usually look like a small regular chair on tall legs and are often called "baby chairs". If they don't have a high chair, they will go to great lengths to make a child comfortable in a big chair with extra pads and things to sit on. Child discounts go by height and the heights are absurdly short for westerners. My 8 year old was way over the height!