You call this a happy family? Why do we have to have all these kids? — It’s A Wonderful Life

I’ve lived without my children, and it sucked. Heck, I’ve lived without both Irish Woman and the childen, and it sucked. I grouse about the carefree life I’d have if I were single or if Irish Woman and I could be empty nesters, but it’s all smoke. The ability to get up in the middle of the night and make sure that Boo is safely asleep in his bed, or that Moonshine is standing guard at the foot of Girlie Bear’s bed, is so comforting that I can’t describe it. We almost lost all contact with Little Bear for a couple of years after Girlie Bear came to live with us, and those were some of the toughest times in my life. Yeah, I’m a bear with a sore head with the family sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything, because they are the source of my happiness.