[speaker001:] How many children do you have now?
[speaker002:] Well I have five.
[speaker001:] You have five?
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] Well you do have a hard time finding time then don't you?
[speaker002:] Well, five are, I mean four of them are grown, they're in college or just out of college so I really have just a thirteen year old at home.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. You sound so young.
[speaker002:] Well, I work at it [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] All right [very faint]. To have them, uh,
[speaker002:] I try to fool everybody [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] I think you're doing a good job.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] I just have one child.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And, uh, I don't think, uh, well there's not much I can do about it. My, my wife and I are, u-, in our forties, you know, so, uh
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] but it's hard to raise one child without them thinking they're the, they're the pivot point of the universe.
[speaker002:] I think you are right because I was an only child too. And that's one reason I have so many [LAUGHTER] because I really, I enjoy the big family.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And my thirteen year old is pretty separate from her brother and sisters and so she is sort of like an only child and it's the same type of thing, uh,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. I have a younger brother like that. I'm in my forties, like I say and I have a brother in his twenties.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And I was, I was the youngest.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] So I understand how that worked. And he was treated like he had five fathers or something.
[speaker002:] Right. That's exactly how it is, you know. She's got all these sisters and her brother to take care of her. When things don't go right, [LAUGHTER] she just calls one of them, you know.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] But, uh, yeah, it, it's a little bit difficult, though. I think it was easier when they all had each other and could entertain each other and I was home more. And,
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing] Did you all do a lot of organized things like, uh, Little League, uh, soccer?
[speaker002:] We, we really did not. My next oldest daughter that's in college in California is a world twirling champion. She twirls a baton and we did a lot of things together.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] She and I did a lot of things together and flew, we have flown all over the world for her to compete and to perform.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And that was a lot of fun. But that, that, I guess you could consider that organized. I mean, there is a competition all the time.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] We were very heavy into that. Other than that, they were pretty much, and maybe dancing school for a while or mainly school sports and things like that.
[speaker001:] You know, I think that's probably true. The, if you have one child or fewer, you get involved in organized events or
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] activities and if you have a large number of children or, then you don't.
[speaker002:] Well, you can't afford to.
[speaker001:] No, you ca-, and there's not enough time, uh
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] like my son is in, uh, Little League this year. He's ten. And they practice three times a week and they have a game and it's just, uh, if there were more than one child, I don't know, the-, there would be no way to do it.
[speaker002:] Right. That's right.
[speaker001:] You know, one parent go one direction and I'd have to go in the other and
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] we could only cover two at that.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Well I know I spent hours in the gym every day with my daughter and my little one also competed because really she had no choice. She had to go with me.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] So the three of us just spent a lot of time traveling and, and competing and, of course, the competing itself, really didn't matter what it was, it was making the friends and going all the places and it was a really neat experience, but it took our total time. I did not work, uh, when I did this. Now I do work full-time.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And it's just,
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing].
[speaker002:] my thirteen year old and myself and so we really have to keep it together to get just her activities in and still have time to spend with each other. So,
[speaker001:] I don't think, although i-, i-, I think a, a, more than one child, probably three children is probably the ideal to me but I'm not sure I could afford three. I most certainly couldn't educate three.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] I don't know how my, my parents did it.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] I mean, there were five of us and I don't recall, you know, wanting anything in particular. Uh, but I don't know how my father did it. He worked at a truck line and he just didn't make that kind of money with five children. But we did okay. We had a house and a home and, but now, my wife and I both work and we don't, I don't believe we have as much as my parents did and we only have one child.
[speaker002:] Really?
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Well, things cost a lot more. I don't know how it is in Georgia
[speaker001:] Huh.
[speaker002:] and I don't think our part of the country is particularly bad compared to some.
[speaker001:] Atlanta is horrible.
[speaker002:] Is it?
[speaker001:] Yes. Ha-, we have a lot of people moving here from Boston and, and different areas and from talking to them, they're shocked.
[speaker002:] Really?
[speaker001:] Wha-, and they, you know, the housing is so cheap
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] in comparison to Boston
[speaker002:] That's what I've heard.
[speaker001:] that they jump on it. They sell their house, they stash away a good bit of money and come down here and I work with a lot of them, they, they think they, they have really done something. Then when they get down here, they realize the cost of living is outrageous
[speaker002:] Huh.
[speaker001:] compared to, to where they came from.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] The housing is cheaper, but that's about it.
[speaker002:] I'm surprised to hear that. I've heard very positive things about Atlanta,