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Leonie
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I recently re-read "Three Steps to a Strong Family" by Richard and Linda Eyre ( parents of nine). I came away refreshed - the Eyre's books do a lot of good in sharing the joys amidst the work of raising a large family today.They also offer practical helps.All this and joy, too! 
I also really like Linda Eyre's book "I Didn't Plan to be a Witch" - she really reminded me that the work we are doing is eternal. And it was funny! 
Does anyone have any other suggestions for books that share the partcular joys of raising larger than average families?
As my boys get older, I see that the joys are what have made the memories - we all laugh now at the day that Greg ( age 1 1/2) smashed eggs on the floor and then tried to blame his two month old brother!
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Leonie in Sydney
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Bridget
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Parenting With Prayer by Mary Ann Kuharski is one of my favorites. She has 13 children. Many were adopted. She teaches about the sacraments and the basic prayers like the rosary but with lots of family stories interwoven.
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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Mary G
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Leonie:
These were mentioned on the memoirs thread a while back, but the books by Shirley Jackson -- Life Among the Savages and the sequel Raising Demons are a hoot (and they're Catholic)! Sad note is that Shirley Jackson died in her sleep when she was 47 or something -- but her books are great!
Deborah Kerr's Please Don't Eat the Daisies is also great about life with 4 boys....the movie with Doris Day and David Niven is a classic.
Of course, Cheaper by the Dozen and the sequel Belles on their Toes are excellent reading also.
Happy reading 
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Bridget
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Here is our most recent funny 'large family story'.
Kevin was presenting at a school technology conference. He introduced himself and said that he works in one of the largest school districts in our state and they have (some large number) of computers. Someone there who knows him, spoke up and said, "Kevin you don't do anything small. Do you all know that he has 7 children?!" After that he had the hardest time getting it back on track. All these teachers wanted to talk about was our family. How do we keep up with laundry? (We don't.) What vehicle do we drive? (Big van, big gas costs) How many bathrooms do we have? (3, but there is till a line up sometimes) It went on and on. The consensus was that I must be a saint. (Yeah, right)
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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teachingmyown
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Thanks for this thread. I don't have any suggestions but am very eager for inspiring and helpful books that can help me make sense out of this life~
A good laugh would help too!
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Bridget
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Danielle Bean's book, 'MY CUP OF TEA' and her blog are fabulous reading for enjoying family life with many children. She manages to find beauty and humor in the crazy situations that come with a large family.
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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Leonie
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Bridget, I loved your funny story!
When Gregory ( second son) was four, he talked about our family hopefully having more children and then about the children growing up and having children. Then he said - "And we'll have Westenbergs everywhere. We'll rule the world!". ( His favourite cartoon at that time was He Man and The Masters of the Universe. lol!).
Mary, the kids and I love the movie Please Don't Eat the Daisies. Have you read "Who Gets the Drumstick?" - the movie Yours, Mine, Ours with Lucille Ball was based on the book. The book is funny and also a good look at managing the practical side of a large family ( I think they ended up with 22 children.).
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Leonie in Sydney
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Mary G
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Yours, Mine and OUrs is a great favorite around here -- maybe becuase we have a "blended marriage" -- but only a total of 8 (but I do have "grandchildren" that are older than my own.....
Someone is making a remake -- might be good, might be bad....
The book is MUCH better if you can find it. It really is a wonderful, marriage is great, kinda book....
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MaryG
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Leonie
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Yes - the book is excellent - makes you want to know what happened as the family grew up.
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Leonie in Sydney
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JennGM
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Raising Catholic Children by Mary Ann Kuharski is also good.
An an out-of-print book I love is called Room for One More. This family added foster children to their 3. It's great.
A book I haven't read in total, but it's on my list is Will Mrs. Major Go to Hell?, collected works of Aloise Buckley Heath, mother of William Buckley, Jr. She had 7 children.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Erin
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Helen Doss wrote a book called 'The family Nobody wanted'. I really enjoyed this. Written around the 2nd World War. Helen and her husband (he was a minister) weren't able to have children. They adopted all twelve of their children. An interacial family. At one stage she had six children under four. All children were under twelve years when they adopted their last.
Very hunourous.
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Erin
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Leonie
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Erin, love that book. I have read parts of it aloud to my children....
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Leonie in Sydney
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: The joys of a large family - books?
