The Cost of Raising Kids

My friend has this posted on her blog and I loved it so much I had to post it here too. I loved it!! hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about priceshock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down.
It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if youwant to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigeratormagnets and collect! spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand printsset in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You getto be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball teamthat never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, andif you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren andgreat grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminaljustice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all thepower to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a brokenheart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them withoutlimits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That isquite a deal for the price!!!!!!! Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!!
It's the best investment you'll make!

Trying to keep up!!

I might be crazy trying to update my blog. I thought I would get it done over Christmas break (yeah right). So, school has begun again and we are all so excited. (again, yeah right) I will be so glad when it is all over I know by then I will think it is worth it. No, I am so excited to be in school and learning. I get to apply to my program next month so that is exciting!! I feel fortunate to have such a supportive family and especially a supportive husband. He is playing Mr. Mom more this semester than he probably likes but he is such a trooper. I kinda love him he is amazing!!
Our children are still growing like weeds and amazing us everyday. It is crazy how fast the time flys and how quickly our children grow. Drake just started basketball this month and loves it. Brendan should be able to play as well we will see what happens. Logan is in preschool and loves it. He has made new friends and feels like part of the Big Boys now! We just took him in for a hearing screening because we were concerned he wasn't hearing well. It turns out he is hearing at about a whisper. Poor kid, I feel bad now because there have been so many times I have gotten frustrated with him thinking he just wasn't listening. Now I know there really is a problem I feel like a jerk. He will be going to the ENT to get tubes in a couple of weeks. Hopefully things will be better for him after that. Paige is just growing right along with the rest of them. She just recently got her ears pierced. She is infatuated with earrings and is so excited to have some of her own now. She is having a difficult time waiting to change them so, we have told her when Aunt Melody has her baby she can change her earrings. So, now she keeps saying I can change my earrings when baby Emma comes?? She is so much fun!! Derek is now working the night shift and taking one online class while he waits to apply to his program and I am in school most days all morning. The schedule kinda stinks but it works. one of these days I will have more time to keep this updated but, until then I will have to try and do the best I can. We love you all and miss you.