Ocean said:

why you laughing how else could we afford a week at the parasite resort?

ZombieKitten said:

What one did u catch

Ocean said:

I'm glad you asked!

http://www.tickalert.org....hoskin.jpg
this one

ZombieKitten said:

If thats what rice and the salvos allowed u to get ...then I'll pass

Ocean said:

no it's what we got from a holiday up YOUR way we don't have them here

ZombieKitten said:

Up my way certainly doesn't have them

Ocean said:

it's all that bush

ZombieKitten said:

Well then u KNOW its not up my way

Ocean said:

ZombieKitten said:

I will see your 2.5 year old ...and raise you a 15 year old female.

I don't think I have the strength to to the pros and cons thing.
I have 5 teenagers at home.

There are many blessings to having children, but I just am having difficulty thnking of one.

rnljs said:

is all I can say

ZombieKitten said:

I.need.medication.

rnljs said:

you probably need a holiday - what age range?

One "con" that I don't think was mentioned is the torture of seeing your children go through the "awkward" stage.

My oldest son is 10, and he is (unfortunately) just like me. Introverted, shy, intelligent and socially inept. He is having the HARDEST time adjusting to Middle School...so much so that his grades have dropped.

I see myself re-living my own awkward childhood, and it's killing me. I always thought that my own growing pains were attributed to my parents' lack of mainstream savy (they're both immigrants). SO I have given Jr. a taste of "normalcy" - Little League, playdates, Karate, etc. But he was born with my inate lack of athleticism, and doesn't make friends easily. Plus he is headstrong like my wife, so I can't "make" him do anything he doesn't want to (like baseball).

So there's little to do but watch him grow up and endure the same agnst & issues that I endured growing up. And that is nothing short of torture for me.

PurpleJedi said:

I am so glad my kids won't have to change schools 4 times before they turn 8 like I did, that really messed me up, especially my ability and willingness to make long-lasting friendships. My guys will spend their first 7 years in one school.

ZombieKitten said:

5 teenagers!
That´s a different game altogether, and 1 I would never opt for.

My mother "raised" 5 children, all with a 2 year gap between them.
She´s very self-sacrificing by nature. Father went the other way.
When the children left home mother remained quite an undeveloped individual.(Now she´s slowly turning to the bottle)

Really, I think anything more than 3 is way too much.
Hang on to yourself. is all I can say
[Edited 12/2/08 3:25am]

ZombieKitten said:

It seems like I always end up on the threads where I am talking about my kids. I think that is a sign that I need a good outlet for my frustrations. I always talk about how difficult these years are, and now I feel guilty for always sounding negative. I have wonderful children, but it isn't the same as when they were little. I remember a time when light up tennis shoes or rides on the penny horse at the grocery store made them over-joyed. They are very typical. Nothing seems to make them happy now. Everything revolves around them. They are over dramatic. They test their boundries daily. Normal teens. There are just so many of them. There are times it feels like they are trying to drive a wedge between myself and my husband. I love them dearly and we really do have a great family. I just feel like I am in emtional survival mode at all time. OK, enough venting.

There are 7 kids all together (Mine and his). 13-24 yrs old. The five at home are 13,14,16,17, an 17.

ZombieKitten said:

You know what? I changed schools 5 times between Pre-K and 4th grade. I always attributed THAT as one of the reasons why I could not "relate".
YET...Jr. has been with the SAME group of kids from 1st grade through 4th, and somehow has the same issues.

PROS: You've got inexpensive labor to handle odd-jobs around the house...

CONS: You can't bring them back to the hospital when you realize that you've given life to several anti-christs....

All cons.....

Kids are Great and anybody saying they aren't probably isn't a parent or is a Bad one at that! There isn't a GUN to a person's head saying HAVE MORE and MORE when YOU Can't Handle one.

MRGee said:

Any parent that is judgemental is either delusional or on medication,

rnljs said:

well said!!

rnljs said:

.. girlfriend.. here ya go.. you need heavy vacation

Flowers2 said:

Last weekend felt like a vacation because we only had two in the house.

PurpleJedi said:

aaaah very interesting
my kid Wally will be interesting, he goes against the grain and is really stubborn, but not sensitive. His big brother is super-sensitive and obsessed with fairness, and he is probably the one I'm more worried about - that yearning to feel accepted. Kids

rnljs said:

I watched that movie Yours Mine & Ours is that what it's like at your house?
(obviously before they all banded together to make it a hollywood happy ending)

ZombieKitten said:

I know the movie but haven't seen it. There's a happy ending? Good to know!

rnljs said: