Our philosophy on life is this: be happy, live simply, never say never cause ya never know. That being said, we’re on the same page about kids: they will be of the four-legged kind.

I often get a funny look when I tell people I don’t want children.

Motherhood never resonated with me and was never something I craved. My experience with them, despite what it may sound like, is extensive however, and I feel in some capacity, I have a knack for them.

When I was a girl, I babysat every summer. From watching a baby who barely made a peep, to wrangling 4 rambunctious boys under the age of 10, caring for children is not a foreign concept.  I’d say I was pretty good at it actually. We’d head down to the creek and hunt crawfish, create construction paper monsters, draw treasure maps to homemade scavenger hunts.  In this capacity, babysitting was my bag! A mix of strict and fun, I found I spoke their language and really enjoyed kids!

But, at the end of the day I was able to leave them with their parents and return to my life. And fill it with whatever I wanted.

Sounds selfish, but is it?

Being exposed to so much Child, I saw early on the work involved (along with the joy) of children; the worry, the exhaustion, the discipline, the crying and whining, the life-revolvement, always-present presence that is Kid. And it is forever.

I am in no way knocking those who choose this path or de-valuing it’s importance. Hell, I had an amazing childhood, given to me by a mother who wanted nothing else but to have children.  My deepest respects go out to those who choose to tackle the parenting gig. Those willing to sacrifice their peace and quiet, their sleep, their uninterrupted dinners, their paychecks for the joys of motherhood & fatherhood.

For us, there are other things than children.

Mike and I have discussed the topic and have come to the conclusion: the only pitter patter we want to hear will come from paws.  And although they don’t call us mom and dad, they are our kids in every other sense of the word.

So Cheers to all the parents out there… whether you have human kids or pups, make them part of your adventure! We sure couldn’t imagine our lives without them.