Anatomy 101

Well, the time has come.  I have been dreading this for years, but in no way did I expect it to come this quickly and without warning… 

Last week while Chase and I were in the bathtub, Chased asked where my “pee-pee” was.  (I was simply blind-sided. I always knew the conversation would come up eventually but I thought I would at least have had 2 more years to prepare my speech or find an appropriate YouTube video to have him watch that would alleviate any responsibility that I have regarding this topic.) In a panicked state I blurted out the first thing that came to mind (which actually was correct), “Mommy doesn’t have a penis like you.”  And of course Chase had another question, “Then what do you have?”  So, I told him the anatomically correct parts that allow society (and medical experts) to decipher between a male and female.  (I have never been one to hide things from my child and I am very honest with him, but I do have to say, I cringed after saying, “Vagina” out loud to my three year old child.  Although it wasn’t intended to sound dirty, it did send a chill down my spine.)

A few seconds after Chase and I finished our conversation (right when I was patting myself on the back for thinking quickly on my feet), I heard Cory pipe in from outside the bathroom door (apparently he was listening to the entire anatomy lesson), “I'm glad I wasn't part of that conversation.” 

So, Chase let this conversation settle in his brain for a few days.  Until...

Last Friday, my Mom was over and her and Chase were having an afternoon snack at the table.  Chase looked at her and said, “Boys have a penis and girls have a gina.”  My mom, a little taken back by the blunt statement said, “You are right.”  My mom looked at me with big eyes, hoping I would interject into the conversation, but I did what any parent would do; I shrugged my shoulders to indicate she was on her own.  After all, I was on my own with round one of our conversation. 

But of course my chatty Chasey couldn’t just leave the conversation at that (like me, he always has follow-up questions- I must have passed down my journalistic gene).  He looked, ever so somberly at his Grandmother and asked, “Can you take off your clothes so I can see your gina?”  This is when I exited the room so I could laugh out loud.

Chase totally had a legitimate question but he shouldn’t get into the habit of asking others to see their “private areas.”

(Side note: My mother didn’t agree to Chase's request.)  J