Dinner at Red Lobster

We all went to dinner at Red Lobster for my husband's birthday. It was really good, but also quite expensive. First of all, my teenagers now eat adult meals--no more cheap kids meals for us. Plus, I think prices must keep going up due to the economy, gas prices, etc. Times like this make me glad that we have a small family--I cannot imagine how expensive it must be to feed larger families--especially when eating out! Our grocery bills are going up, going out to eat costs more, and buying even the bare necessities is an expensive endeavor these days. It is tough! I used to think I wanted a large family--ala Brady Bunch, The Waltons, and Eight is Enough. I had major complications with my two pregnancies and was told that it would get worse with each one--my doctors recommended NOT having any more--it was a tough decision at a fairly young age (my late 20s)--but my dreams of a large family ended when our second child was born and we decided to stop there. It was a tough decision then, but now I am glad it worked out that way. Two kids are plenty for me! I love my two--it has been wonderful!--but two is enough. And I am glad that I had them close together--21 months apart--so it was ALMOST like raising twins--not quite, but almost. And I also am glad to have a boy and a girl--I thought I wanted at least two of each so everyone had both a brother AND sister--but now, I am perfectly happy with the way things are. Anyway--I think about these things when we go out--I see larger families and I think about what it would have been like--I used to feel a bit sad that it didn't work out that way--now I am very glad at how everything turned out. Plus, now I have plans for a different kind of life after my two are grown--that is harder to do if you have to spend a lot more timing raising several children. I know several families with two teens PLUS a small child--they put in about 20 years with the first two and will add about 20 more with the last one--fine for them, but I find myself feeling very glad to NOT be in their shoes! Funny how a dinner at Red Lobster led to all of this thinking--eating out with my family is enjoyable and I often have the opportunity to see other families and their different dynamics--I usually end up feeling very happy with my family dynamics and wouldn't change it for the world! :)