5 more good reasons to have kids

And now, to finish the list.

6. You'll have a chance to do it better. Look at parenting as a chance to change patterns or break cycles that have been passed down from generation to generation. My father was raised in Arkansas by Christian parents who were, quite frankly, bigots. He inherited some deep-seeded prejudices against people of color, but to his credit, he did not pass this on to his children. My grandmother passed her fear of water on to my mother, but Mom made sure each one of us took swimming lessons so we wouldn't be petrified at the pool. Although SO didn't grow up with an overly-affectionate father, he is a very loving dad, kissing and hugging the boys on a regular basis. I was raised to join the ranks of conservative Republicans -- but my kids are liberal Democrats-in-training. Much, much better.

7. Your kid might change the world. Over the course of their short lives, my boys have had a number of ideas as to what they will do when they grow up: cure cancer, invent a hybrid that runs on trash, fly (like Superman), start a colony on Mars, become a garbageman/ policeman, serve as a professional football (or futbal) player, retire and then become a referee, write a symphony, give all their money to the poor, move to Hollywood and be "discovered," start their own country. They're cute, they have charisma, and with the help of SGK, they really might do it.

8. There's something to be said for sacrifice. I used to love shoes. Adored them. I had almost as many shoes as Robin U., the girl we all borrowed clothes and accessories from in college. But along came the boys, and the number of items in my closet began to shrink. I'm not going to say I enjoyed the deprivation, but after awhile, it just didn't matter anymore.

9. Adoration is addictive. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. (You get the picture.) Add to that lots of hugs, kisses, and precious baby eyes, and you just want more and more and more.

10. They'll take care of you when you're old. Face it, they won't want to do it, but you'll have years of stories to guilt them with. I've made about 257 scrapbooks to use as ammunition, and when the moment is right, I'm going to pull out one of those carefully crafted suckers and spring it on 'em.

"You want to put me in a nursing home, eh? I don't think so. Take a look at this double-page spread. See that rapping spider costume? It took me 48 hours to make. Look at this birthday stage I spent the entire weekend cutting out of a dozen computer boxes. Leave me in that rat-infested old folks' home? It ain't happenin'. Now get in there and run me a bath ... and make me a grilled cheese sandwich!"