It Takes Two?

My kids love their science class. I can tell, because they are always debating (some would say arguing) about things they learned in class. Alex is getting to the age where they start learning about family life and anatomy.

Now, I know I shouldn’t, but I am avoiding the birds and the bees talk at all costs. I am sure this isn’t healthy and I am totally obsessed with 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, so you would think, I’d be all about this important conversation.

But I think I have been in denial about where babies come from my entire life. Being number 3 of 6 kids, I got to see my siblings join the pack (well, not literally see – they didn’t do things like that back then).

I actually remember a conversation I had with one of my mom’s friends when I learned my mom had my little brother in her belly. I was around 4 and my mom took me with her to her OBGYN. I remember explaining to her friend that when my mom went to the doctor she wasn’t pregnant and when we left she was.

Of course she asked me how I thought this happened. But I was quick on my feet even then. (Now you see where Anna gets it) It made perfect sense to me. There were 3 jars on the counter filled with pills, one had pills to make a boy, one to make a girl and one all mixed up if you didn’t want to know.

Then, when I was in the 6^th grade we learned the details, no sugar coating anything, the raw truth. I remember the look of shock and mortification on the faces of all the girls’ in my class. After school, I walked home with my childhood friend as we always did. We were still contemplating this disturbing information.

She said, “Just think, your mom and dad had sex – 6 – times.”

I thought my head was going to explode. But being the optimist that I am, I replied, “No, I think you just do it once and you keep getting pregnant off of it.”

To this day I am quite certain I was created through immaculate conception, as were my children, all of my siblings, my nieces and probably my parents too. It is a family phenomenon.