Big families make me smile.

I have dreams of an enormous family - 6 kids minimum. Gosh, the whole idea just makes me feel warm and fuzzy. But then I consider my kids. How difficult they are at times. And then I affix myself as the mother of said large family. And it just doesn't work. Having said that, by today's standards, I haven't been slacking off in the child-bearing department and, as a mother of four young children, I have noticed a few advantages to having a larger-than-average family.

They are:

1. Parents, by necessity, teach their children to be indpendent and self-sufficient. Ah, I remember the days of buckling three car seats a billion times per day. Now there's only one. That's right, one. I just decided one day that one was all I could handle. And the kids followed suit. (Sure, I had to fight Lily tooth and nail, but it was worth every power struggle, I tell you).

2. The sense of entitlement that is so prevalent in today's society is largely subdued. No man is an island - a much easier principle to learn when you're not the only person in the universe. Or in the family, as the case may be.

3. Built-in friendships. I was talking to Rachel yesterday about who her friends are. I listed a few kids she has spent time with and asked her with which one she would like to schedule a playdate. She responded in the affirmative to not a single one. To which I inquired, "Well, who are your friends?" She responded, "Lily and Anna (her sisters)." Adorable.

There's more. So much more. Like the fact that our house is never empty and quiet(or clean, for that matter, but that's beside the point). It's full, so full of laughter (and tears), playing (and fighting), music (and screaming). I don't have to wonder whether or not all the hard work will pay off when the kids are grown and a good night's sleep is no longer a luxury. It's paying off right here, right now. I love my big (and yet, little) family.