The facts of life have started evolving in our home. And growing up with only girls, I have found myself at a loss for words on more than one occasion. I try. I try to not act surprised, angry, or fall out in fits of laughter. I try to be the mom all the experts say to be. Answer questions honestly and with just the right amount of information. But how exactly do you decide what is "enough" information? I suppose sometimes the kids just lead you right to the answer.
Braxton is friends with a girl in his Kindergarten class. Friends. Don't mistakenly refer to her even as a girl friend. Or even a friend who is a girl. To Braxton, she is simply Ella. Ella is a fantastic little girl. She is fearless and adventurous. Ella also has an older brother. One day Braxton pops out in conversation
"Mom (matter-of-factly and demanding my attention), Ella says that girls don't have nuts"
As I choke down my internal fit of laughter I calmly answer him with "No. Ella is right. Girls don't have nuts." This is of course followed by the conversation with the usual... "Why Not?"...."Well, those are part of what makes you a boy. If Ella had the same parts you do, then she wouldn't be a girl."
I thought our conversation had met the qualifications for providing enough information. Until the next morning when I learned that his mind was still churning. Not sure how I came to that conclusion, because we all know that Braxton's mind is continuously spinning its wheels. You might not recognize it outwardly, but eventually you will get the next bit of information from him that reminds you.
So the next morning we go through the usual routine. I wake Adelyn and Dad gets the boys to come downstairs. Braxton generally heads straight for our room to try to sneak a few minutes snuggled up in our bed. That particular night his sister had made her away across the hall and climbed in bed with us. So I change her there, while she is still mostly groggy and asleep. As soon as I get her pajama bottoms off she does the usual little baby/toddler move and rolls over on her belly. Booty up.
I then, as if he has never noticed her tail end in the past two and half years, hear "OOOOOH. Now I get it. Girls just have a slit." *Braxton makes a top to bottom slicing motion in the air with his finger*
Again I make my best attempt not to laugh, but can't hold back my smile. And then I give my best just enough information answer.
"Yes. Yes they do son."
"I sure am glad I am a boy then Mom"
And there you have it. In his little mind, nuts are better than slits. Hopefully this educational moment did not become some of the information that he proudly chooses to share at school.
