'Oh dear god, all the crying!' Makes me laugh, just thinking about it. :)
But it was true! I still tear up a bit if I watch when I'm in the right mood.

Also the Doctor is just way too paternal.
Yup. Also, I love Amy/Rory to pieces, and can't see them involving other people in their relationship. Maybe a one-off, but nothing else.

But adults tend to say that they like things to be dark and gritty etc.
Don't disagree at all! I like things dark myself. But there also needs to be light, because there's a large part of me that think there's too much of a focus on "dark and gritty" these days. (On a personal note, S4 [minus the ending of JE] and S5 are quite literally anti-depressants for me. There was something in those seasons I needed. Dark and light comingled, maybe.)

They also love Amy because she behaves a lot like them... ;)
Aww! It's a large part of why I like Amy, too. She reacts to things like I do. (Also: trust issues, I have them.) Out of all the companions, she's the one I'm most like. Dunno what that says about me-- that I never grew up? :P