I'm in the area as well, but I have a baby and a 4yo, so I don't really get to involve myself with the club much. Actually it's not just the kids, it's also that I have a 6000 di pro blue box and haven't figured out all of the ins & outs of it yet. I got a hip-mount kit for it, but I am still learning the machine from scratch - it being my first, and no instructions to go off of (white's hasn't found an english-language copy of the manual yet, only a spanish one, but they're working on it). I am getting my 4yo one of those elenco "toy metal detectors" since they seem to do fairly well for surface up to 2" (after a rain). I figure I can salt a small area to keep her busy & just be careful of when/where/how I detect, and wear the baby on my back (10 yrs in army, I can carry some weight on my back & function like nothing's there). since my machine is mono sound, I can get away with only covering one ear anyway :P
all that said, I am looking for another female hunting partner, and if you have kids, I"m ok with yours if you're ok with mine. I'm not trying to hijack the thread; since nobody here really said much about themselves, I'm considering the possibility that I am answering the thread ...