Birds and Bees

These two boys got "the talk" a couple nights ago.

BTW, I think this is the Dad's job as well, if only to thankfully recuse myself from it. You know, like killing spiders, moving furniture, and changing the filter on the car. But, alas, it's me. The eventual fate of the Army Wife. (And I'm having to catch more mice as well, if you're wondering.)

But, anyway, it was time. Our neighbor is pregnant with her 3rd and the boys had increasingly curious notions about the baby-growing-in-the-belly-thing.

"But how does the baby get in the mommy's belly?"

"Yea, how does it get there to start with?"

Oh, boy. I took this as my cue. Ethan is almost 8, Alex 6. They are young, too young some would say. But I don't want them learning this lesson on the playground, which is inevitable. And later, I want them to think that it's really just fine to bring up their questions about girls and sex. These questions that they have now, really, are so easily answered. There are facts, there is a process, there is no grey area, it is what it is.

On the verge of pre-pubescence, Ethan's and Alex's questions will later be a lot more complicated, frought with emotion, feelings, yearnings and pinings that will have to be navigated. In all, I'm starting to think that this is the easy part. And I'm afraid that by the time they start noticing the fairer sex, they won't want to talk about it anymore. Too creepy, especially with Mom.

Anyway, after the crazy build-up I had knowing this was coming, it actually was not so bad. And afterward, Ethan said,

"I'm bored with this, can we read the dinosaur book now?"

Whew! Absolutely. Moving right along.