Marrieds choosing not to have kids

[honugirl]

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Good thing we don't have an AC Moore either. I'm going to have to ask my Jersey friends if it's an East Coast thing or something.

I'm not a crafter so whew. One less place to worry about.

I just saw a commercial for Toys R Us and their "Big Book of Toys" is coming out on Sunday. Will that be toddler friendly? If I recall last year it had that weird jaggedy edge out here. It might cause a paper cut.

 

[maddhatir]

I'm not a crafter so whew. One less place to worry about.

Oh- I am NOT a crafter! (NOT THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH THAT ) Sometimes I will pick up different paper (better selection than Staples) I got cool pieces of material and use them as bandanas when I ride the bike. They have some cool little thingy there.

And they have a nice selection of holiday decorations.

I got this awesome arbor from Michaels for 25 bucks using a coupon!

 

[KirklandTutu]

I'm a younger thirtysomething, so there's a least a couple on here!

So, question, I'm wanting to do a pre-trip/post-trip report for our February trip. Would it be ok to put it on this forum instead of the trip report forum? I love writing them, but I'd prefer writing it for a specific audience.

 

[maddhatir]

I'm a younger thirtysomething, so there's a least a couple on here!

So, question, I'm wanting to do a pre-trip/post-trip report for our February trip. Would it be ok to put it on this forum instead of the trip report forum? I love writing them, but I'd prefer writing it for a specific audience.

I, for one, do not mind.

You know what you can do- you can post it here and put a link in your siggy in case anyone else wants to read it. I see some people doing that.

 

[ChisJo]

Btw, as to how I met my DH:
We actually met online. Not on any service, just through AOL. He IMed me about 6 and half years ago, cause he thought I had a cool profile. wanted to meet. I was dating someone and thought it wrong. Zoom forward almost a year and he IMed me again. I was single this time and thought what the heck. I'd meet up with him. we started dating right away and moved in together after a few months. We talked early on about kids and were both relieved to find out that neither of us liked kids at all and had no desire to have any..ever! So I was lucky!

Very similar story to how we met....I was dating someone, not really seriously as he worked out of town, so I had my profile on Plenty of Fish...My now BF emailed me and wanted to chat, but I wasn't interested b/c of my casual BF. But, I actually read his profile one day and was totally interested in meeting him. I sent him a message back, with more information than I usually put on those replies (I don't know why I did, I was just replying to his message...). 6 months later, we own a condo together, and 1 year later, we are still happy in love (I actually got the comment the other day that I'm glowing). We talked about kids on the second date, both stating that we don't want, I never have....he has a son from a previous marriage, and he doesn't want anymore...fine with me! Worked with me....his son (age 12) lives in a different province, so we don't see him very often, but he is a very good kid. Now, if he lived with us, that might be a different story!

 

[kennancat]

I was thinking about "the peaceful look" while driving home today. Why? Because I noticed there are two types of people that drive like maniacs on the highway - the young 20s males (not all of them of course, but there seem to be a good number) and the parents in their minivans or SUVs. Having seen my co-workers rush out the door to pick up their kids, I can understand - they've got to go get Johnny and Suzie from daycare before six, or they're going to get charged $10 a minute, then they've got to get the kids to soccer and ballet, then get them home, make some dinner, supervise the homework, and finally get the kids off to bed. I, on the other hand, am driving home with people zipping all around me (just for the record I'm already going 10 MPH over the limit) and thinking, "gosh people, slow down! What's your hurry?" I think not having kids makes me a safer driver

Totally off-topic from above - do any of you regularly have formal portraits done of yourself and spouse? I got one of those mailings for portraits (of course showing a smiling mom, dad, and kids) on the cover. I really like having the photos done, but I don't think DH and I have done it since our last cruise. I don't want to miss out on that just because we don't/may not ever have kids.

 

[TXTurtles]

Totally off-topic from above - do any of you regularly have formal portraits done of yourself and spouse? I got one of those mailings for portraits (of course showing a smiling mom, dad, and kids) on the cover. I really like having the photos done, but I don't think DH and I have done it since our last cruise. I don't want to miss out on that just because we don't/may not ever have kids.

First, I agree with you about drivers. It's not absolute (just like it's no absolute that women are worse drivers or teen boys are always reckless) but thinking about it ... most of the people on my list of Those I Will Never Ride With Again are moms. Hm.

And on photos - I'm not big into staged portraits no matter what the group, but I'd do one of those western portraits with my DH in a second. I think that one would be far more fun with just the two of us. Oh, or a pirates theme .. arg . Granted, I come from a family where group portraits only happen once a decade if you're lucky. DH is the same. My feel on the whole thing - if DH and I wanted a studio picture, we'd get one. It wouldn't cross our minds that it's a married-with-kids-only thing.

Of course, we also do character meals if we want, go to ren faires in garb, and have gone to a movie premier in costume so maybe we're not the best people to ask about what's "normal" or "proper." Life's so much better this way.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Re: portraits--DH and I had a portrait done early on (when we were both in our early 30s) but not since. We've decided instead to pick our favorite Photopass picture each year (preferably from the Food and Wine Fest, because we have such a heavenly time ) and consider that our yearly portrait!

 

[zima-cheryl]

Life's so much better this way.

AMEN To That!

 

[honugirl]

I second that Amen!

 

[TKDisneylover]

So, question, I'm wanting to do a pre-trip/post-trip report for our February trip. Would it be ok to put it on this forum instead of the trip report forum? I love writing them, but I'd prefer writing it for a specific audience.

I was actually thinking this same thing with our trip coming up. Then I would not feel like I need to keep our "party" time to a minimum in the report.

I was thinking about "the peaceful look" while driving home today. Why? Because I noticed there are two types of people that drive like maniacs on the highway - the young 20s males (not all of them of course, but there seem to be a good number) and the parents in their minivans or SUVs. Having seen my co-workers rush out the door to pick up their kids, I can understand - they've got to go get Johnny and Suzie from daycare before six, or they're going to get charged $10 a minute, then they've got to get the kids to soccer and ballet, then get them home, make some dinner, supervise the homework, and finally get the kids off to bed. I, on the other hand, am driving home with people zipping all around me (just for the record I'm already going 10 MPH over the limit) and thinking, "gosh people, slow down! What's your hurry?" I think not having kids makes me a safer driver

I have this situation all the time with the mini vans, in the morning!! "They" are late getting Johnny & Suzie to the babysitter/daycare and then to their jobs! I cannot tell you how many times they have been riding my a**, and I too go over the speed limit. Could you imagine if they had an accident, I'm sure it would not be their fault because they were driving too fast!!!

Have a magical day everyone!

 

[honugirl]

Personally, I'd really like to hear what another group of adults does for fun in the evenings and how they party. Please post here. Not everything has to be "sanitized."

I thought I was the only one that had that problem... wow! Sheesh. I hate when they ride my tail too because you know if I did that to them and there was an accident, it would be "how could you do that, you could kill my kids."

The other thing I hate is listening to them complain about having to take their kids places. If it's such a bother, why do you do it? We only did stuff on the weekends until I got older and got a horse, then I had to ride the horse every day. But then again, we knew how to play on our own outdoors with our imagination.

 

[Hixski]

I was talking with one of the security guards at my work. He is going to the Police Academy at our local college. He said the worst drivers in our area are not the teenagers (and he said they are pretty bad) but "soccer moms in their minivans". He said they are taught that this group is usually the most distracted. Talking on cells phones while rushing a group of 4-6 kids somewhere. They are usually running late hence the need to practically run people off the road.

 

[KirklandTutu]

Ok, I'll do the thread!

and, dude, totally there with you on the minivan derbys.

I have about an hour long commute, each way, but I find it relaxing. Time alone with NPR or music of my choice. I drive through a wooded valley instead of the interstate, it's nice. The only time my peaceful time is ruined is when those suv's and minivan's decide to ride my a** on a two lane windy road...I'm already going 10 over, stop blinking your lights at me!

 

[maddhatir]

Personally, I'd really like to hear what another group of adults does for fun in the evenings and how they party. Please post here. Not everything has to be "sanitized."

Do you mean partying in Disney?? Or real life

And I guess I am the lucky one- I work from home and I do not have to do the commute with the psychos!

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Do you mean partying in Disney?? Or real life

My question too!

At Disney, we are generally too exhausted to party at night. We ALWAYS say we'll finally go to the Adventurer's Club, but we've never been! By the time we exit Epcot, we're more than ready to head back to the resort, have something to eat, and go to bed.

In real life--DH and I love to see live music. We have friends who play roots music (bluegrass, folk, old-time, blues, etc.) at our local dive bar once a week, so we go there Tuesday evenings when I'm not working.

There's also a restaurant/bar nearby that has live music once a week on Sunday evenings (it's where we first heard Sister Hazel, back when they were just a local band!) and we go there when we're in the mood.

We also go out with friends for dinner, or eat dinner in with friends and have a bluegrass jam after dinner (actually it's usually the guys playing music and the girls chatting ).

Other than that, DH and I go away about one weekend a month, to Disney, St. Augustine, a music festival, or whatever. We do hit the restaurants and sometimes a bar or two when we go to the beach.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

And I guess I am the lucky one- I work from home and I do not have to do the commute with the psychos!

Oh, I am green, GREEN with envy! I am always trying to figure out a way I can make a living from home....but I can't come up with any ideas that would also include health insurance (DH is self-employed so I need to be the one to work corporate!).

I have a buddy at work who recently came to work at the hospital ONLY for the insurance. She was making much more $$$ doing childcare in her home, being a nanny, and doing some creative babysitting (putting up flyers for babysitting during football games--she made pretty great money for 4 hours of work!).

I have a good friend who does computer-related work for a bank from home. She works a regular 40-hour week but LOVES working from home.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

sounds like more CF-Bliss is going around. We just got back from an amazing weekend at F&W doing nothing but eating, imbibing. I saw the best thing ever for keeping kids with the parents. It was a leash for kids! The kids wore it like a harness and the mother yanked them back when they tried to do anything. Now that's an idea!

 

[zima-cheryl]

sounds like more CF-Bliss is going around. We just got back from an amazing weekend at F&W doing nothing but eating, imbibing. I saw the best thing ever for keeping kids with the parents. It was a leash for kids! The kids wore it like a harness and the mother yanked them back when they tried to do anything. Now that's an idea!

I can't wait to do W&F next year. We were supposed to go this October, but a new job for DH pushed it out.

I actually have to defend the leash for kids - in the right situation it is a good thing. My brother & sister-in-law have 6 kids (some biological & some adopted foster kids - but all ours!) and one of the wee-ones has some serious issues. Any time they go big places w/big crowds she is on her leash. She is never yanked, pulled, drug or mistreated in any way, but for her own safety (and the families sanity) it really is the best thing. I hate to imagine what could happen if she wandered off... esp. w/so many nut-jobs out there trolling for kids now days!!!

Of course the real issue is the birth parents that messed the kid up so bad in the first place! But we won't go there....

 

[PrincessKitty1]

sounds like more CF-Bliss is going around. We just got back from an amazing weekend at F&W doing nothing but eating, imbibing. I saw the best thing ever for keeping kids with the parents. It was a leash for kids! The kids wore it like a harness and the mother yanked them back when they tried to do anything. Now that's an idea!

I would really hate to see a parent "yanking" a child on a leash because that's abusive. Zima-Cheryl's point on leashes is well-taken (she mentioned having a niece who needs to be tethered when they go out in public places, or she would run away, due to serious issues of past abuse), but to Mrs. Reese, I must say, YANKING would be abusive.

Just because I choose not to have children does not mean I think parents need to abuse their children to make them behave (and I'm talking about the "yanking," not the leash).