You won’t notice my absence, I haven’t been here long. I’ve so enjoyed coming to this site and feel that there is a wealth of support and information here at MTs.  I have come to greatly appreciate the forthrightness and insight into motherhood and the usually respectful tone used when expressing opposing opinions.

It has been a difficult road to arrive at a place in my life where I feel certain that I want to have children. I am stunned that this desire has taken such a strong hold on me in the last 2 years. Of course, desire for something does not necessarily translate into a dream realized.

A friend encouraged me to check out Free Rice and I had to pass it on to you. It's an internet vocabulary-building game. Apparently, a father (and computer programmer) in PA was trying to help his son with vocabulary before taking the SATs. He developed this program but now it has come to serve 2 worthwhile purposes.

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.

2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

Advertisers on the site will donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program for every correct answer. I am not a gamer but this is addictive, educational and socially-conscious.

178,464,760 grains of rice donated yesterday.
Over 26 billion grains donated to date

Wow!!
I haven't found a down side and have already learned some new words.

I hope you enjoy!

My anxiety and reluctance to post this has been overruled by a sense of obligation to be part of a conversation that I think many of us fear.  I recently read Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book, Infidel, which I highly recommend. Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia to a Muslim family that went on to live in Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya. She later escaped and became a member of the Dutch Parliment. Infidel is about her personal struggle with many of the teachings of Islam as well as her now very public stand against the religion she was born into and suffered (greatly) because of. Hirsi Ali's life is now in grave danger as she is seen by many Muslims as a major threat.

I think it is important, if not imperative, to have a discussion about the limits of religious tolerance, particularly where children and women are at risk of suffering abuse and subordination...

I’m not a mother...yet. This is the first month that we’ve been ready and able to really get down. So, of course, more and more questions spring to mind.

I am very curious to hear your opinions about the possible impact that the method of birth has on mother/infant bonding.

A few days ago, I watched The Business of Being Born which is a documentary on midwifery. Don’t worry; I saw that it was the topic of a thread here in May of last year. It is not my intention to rehash the safety and feminist issues previously raised but to focus on the issue of bonding with regard to different birth methods.

Hi. I have been lurking here at MTs for a few weeks with caution much the same as I have been cautious in my decision to become a mother. I have enjoyed the many insights into motherhood offered here on a wide variety of subjects and have been moved to both laughter and sadness by your stories.

I am currently living in a very conservative area where my ideals and values are often frowned upon. My impression is that this site offers an open-minded sounding board for contentious mothers.

My relationship with my mother has been a deterrent in my enthusiasm to become a mother myself. However, I have dramatically altered my opinion of myself in the past 2 years. Much to my surprise (and my husband’s elation); I have become excited and confident that I would love to become a mother and that I will not make the same fundamental mistakes that my mother made (I was a great burden and inconvenience to her, to put it mildly). That said I know I will make plenty of my own mistakes and for that reason I hope that this can be an invaluable resource for me to ask for the wisdom of others who have endured similar challenges. I look forward to learning much more!