There's a bit of research about how in some families taxes keep the lesser-earning spouse from working. The husband can easily bump them up into a 40% tax bracket, at which point having the wife take a $20,000 job and pay for child care just isn't worth it.

Man, the childcare costs are freaking me out. We've been (finally) talking about the subject, but I dunno if I can handle it in general, least of all the finances.

Yeah, but y'all aren't in a situation where you've got two people who will be working 9-5 40 hr/week jobs with commuting and whatnot. Also you're not in the Bay Area. I'm sure your childcare expenses will be much cheaper.

the second spouse's job actually cost the family money, when everything was taken into consideration (higher tax bracket, take out food, dry cleaning, commuting costs, baby sitting costs, workplace gifts and parties, lunches out)

People who do that math always forget to take into effect retirement for the second spouse, in particular your salary basis for Social Security and your 401(K). Not to mention forgetting to take into effect that salaries normally compound, getting a little higher each year, so losing (for example) 5 years of salary raises can make a significant dent in your lifetime income.

Ooh! I read that book!

And in other news, I was supposed to start volunteering at NC Legal Aid next Monday working with immigration stuff. My contact is now going to a funeral which means I won't start for maybe 2 more weeks. I'm sort of happy to have the time to myself, but how I am going to get a job (see previous list of debts) if I don't start networking before I have this baby.

No, which is why I don't want to live anywhere with FROST, thankyewverymuch.

Oh yeah, the frost. But that was a dry cold.

I am entirely too attached to my neighborhood. I can't imagine ever living elsewhere.

YOU CANT AVOID THE GIRLSCOUT COOKIE MAFIA!

Unless, apparently, you're me. The last time I saw someone selling girl scout cookies was when I went to Seattle. Two years ago.

but y'all aren't in a situation where you've got two people who will be working 9-5 40 hr/week jobs

Well, true, but we have trouble enough taking care of the dog while we're traveling and such. I think we'd have to be headed well back toward 9-5's to be able to handle kids. At least I think we'd need to come in off the road. We could maybe do admin stuff of what we do, or recording, or the art center. But I can't see being on the road constantly with an infant, or a toddler. Or a teenager!

I think all the Girl Scouts in the Bay Area have been sold into prostitution.

Our daycare plan is to get an au pair, assuming I find a job next fall/winter. They are slightly more expensive than regular daycare, but they are around at all hours and would solve some of the problems caused for us by DH's crazy work hours.