Other than being a bit at why this ancient post was revived this morning, I'll respond anyway.

You are "disappointed and disturbed"? Why? Because most people--including parents of young children like myself-- don't approve of lap children? That's our prerogative.

Other people budgets aren't my concern, nor are family visits. Most of our family is in Israel, too, as a matter of fact, and none of them except my H's parents have met our daughter at all and they've only met our son once because between life expenses and everything else, it hasn't been in the budget to go visit as a family, and it's not in their budget to come to us, either. That's life! Not fun, but it is what it is.

We're hoping to go in the winter, which isn't the season we would LIKE to go, but we'll go then because the prices are lower and it makes it more realistic for us. You should do the same if you can't afford tickets for your kids. The attitude of "hey, my kid is probably going to disturb others, but oh well because I don't have $1600" is exactly why so many people are against lap children. No one here needs to "think twice." People who take huge toddler as lap "babies" are the ones who need to re-evaluate.