in thinking that because of a tenuous link (children) i will create lifelong friends in an instant ?

[yaddayah]

Am I ?
Am I ?
No really am I ?

You might

Dont you find that the people you like instantly are the same ones who start to grate upon prolonged exposure...by the same token sometimes you are not sure about someone and you eventually become friends. I really like people who have a dry/sick sense of humour and this isnt really something you share with someone the first time you meet them!

I found when friends moved onto the "family" stage and I hadnt they turned into some kind of alien beings who TALKED about how many times their babies pooed rather than how many Gin & Tonics you could drink before you lost consciousness!

It does seem to mean you dont have the same amount of time to spend on friendships..although you still need them just as much (if not more)

I seem to spend a lot of time with people (at after school clubs etc) who maybe arent the kind of people I would have mixed with pre-children.

i seem to attract very strange people. little bo sheep i concur with your OP

tHANKING YOU