How much does Children cost ???

This mail is taken from Rex Barkers jokeoftheday.com mailer

Rex Barker here with, "How Much Do Children Cost?" sent to us by Dads23...

With the holidays upon us, and lots of money being spent on children, we are tempted to ask the question how much do children cost?

The US government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle-income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year or * $741.38 a month
* $171.08 a week. Or * 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 you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

So What do You Get for Your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* A hand to hold which is usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to 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,

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

But most important, you gain immortality. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, 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 the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits; so one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren...

Quotes of the day - December 18, 2008

The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
-- Sam Ewing

If you go in for argument, take care of your temper. Your logic, if you have any, will take care of itself.
-- Joseph Farrell

Quote of the day - 14th December 2008

The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.
-- Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine

It's easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world.
-- Al Franken, 'Stuart Saves His Family'

The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy.
-- Florence Shinn

How can I make the Best of this?

Taken from Rex Barker - Joke of the day.com mailer

Most anything that happens can be useful to you, or it can set you back, depending primarily on what you make of it.

Get into the habit of asking yourself "How can I make the best of this?" For example, a few hours ago I jumped into my car to make a 10-minute run to the post office. Along the way, a large bolt became imbedded in my right front tire. Now I'm sitting in the waiting room of a tire dealer, getting the damage repaired.

I could have spent a few hours fretting about the loss of my time, and how unfair it was. And I must admit, I did spend a few minutes in that mode. But then I asked myself, "How can I make the best of this?" The answer -- get out a pen and paper and write this message.

The various circumstances in which you find yourself can serve as excuses, or they can be turned into opportunities. What's great about the time and place in which you find yourself? The answer is . . . whatever you make of it.

Its Worth it....

Horror gripped the heart of a World War-I soldier, as he saw his lifelong friend fall in battle. The soldier asked his Lieutenant if he could go out to bring his fallen comrade back.

"You can go," said the Lieutenant, "but don't think it will be worth it .Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away."

The Lieutenant's words didn't matter, and the soldier went anyway.
Miraculously, he managed to reach his friend, hoisted him onto his shoulder and brought him back to their company's trench.
The officer checked the wounded soldier, then looked kindly at his friend.
" I told you it wouldn't be worth it," he said. "Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded."
"It was worth it, Sir," said the soldier.
"What do you mean by worth it?" responded the Lieutenant. "Your friend is dead."
"Yes Sir," the soldier answered, "but it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I
had the satisfaction of hearing him say.......

" Man...I knew you would come ! "

Love @ First Sight...

Quote of the Day - 5th December 2008

One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, we build the trust of those who are present.
-- Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

That's the key to having it all: stop expecting it to look like what you thought it was going to look like.
-- Cindy Chupack, Sex and the City, Plus One Is The Loneliest Number, 2002