tzimisce
iPF Noob
A lot of my friends with kids say to my wife and I, "Man... you guys do so much cool stuff... you travel, you go to movies, you go out to eat, you [insert things parents with small children find difficult to do]. I wish we could do that."
It depends on how one chooses to enjoy one's lifestyle. I have two small children - but we still travel and go on holidays several times each year (with or without the kids), we still go to the theatre and cinema (with or without kids, depending on the film), we go to nice places to eat, etc. (Grandparents and sleepovers are great when you want some couple time.)
In short, a lot of the things we did in couplehood we are still doing as a family, except with the added pleasure of having the kids around. It really is what you choose to make of it. But I will add - having the additional earning ability that comes from seniority/experience does make things go much easier.