Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Just when I thought it was safe to be a parent.... Now this was a surprise. Last night, bathtime. H had taken over--he's been working a lot lately, and missing Dido as a result. They don't get a lot of quality time, so H had suggested that we (the bambino and I) meet him at his office and then go out together for a family dinner. It was pleasant, if subdued--he's tired and overworked, I'm pissed off all the time, so it doesn't make for great dinner conversation. But it was nice enough. When we got home, he marched the boy into the upstairs bathroom where he always takes his tub. He closed the door as he always does to keep the room warmer, and I sat down next door, in the office/guest room to check email and wipe off my mental slate. A bathtime summons isn't unusual. I had one ear tuned to their sounds--the usual battle "No wash hair tonight!" followed by whiny cries, then, shortly thereafter, happy splashes...But then the summons came. "Are you up here?" The door swung open and I (I admit it, a little annoyed to be interrupted after three minutes to myself) went in. H looked a little pale. "We were talking about babies, and he asked me if I'd ever had a baby, an I explained that no, only mommies could have babies, but daddies help make them...He asked me how." Ok, this was a small shock. More of a shock when Dido chimed in: "How you make a baby, Mama?". He's two. Almost three, but whatever. Too f-ing young for this, no?? Deep breath. "Well, a baby starts as two parts, one from a mommy, and one from a daddy, and you put them together inside the mommy and they grow into a baby." "How it get there, Mommy?" Another panicked exchange of looks. H, God bless 'im, launched into the "Well, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much..." Dido interrupted: "They get married?". H: "Well, yes, and then they make a baby." Absolute silence in the bathroom. Wide eyes on Dido, all our eyes on Dido. Time stopped as he contemplated all of this, and then started singing a song about "Diver Guy." Phew. 10:34:51 PM     comment []