One of the little known perks

of having a big family is watching them learn to take care of each other.  It's not just that kids from bigger families are more independent because they have to do more for themselves (although I think that's an element), they're also much more likely (based on my extensive experience of both growing up in and raising a family of many children) to take care of each other.  I'm listening to Sam chatter away to Julie about how she's a little kid and needs little bites, and he's a big kid who takes bigger bites.  He's correcting himself as he helps her eat her lunch - because my girl really only likes to eat when Marc is here, but is reluctantly agreeing to eat a little bit with her big brother.