Ahhh, the Innocence

Getting to spend so much time with my boys this summer has been a fantastic treat. Since the school year is hard and schedule driven, I love the lazy days of summer and how I get to reconnect, at an unscheduled pace.

I love listening to their backseat conversations while I drive. I get to hear what they are thinking and what they know and sometimes even get some tips about how to do things better. So yesterday, as I was driving, I got to eavesdrop on a little conversation the boys were having about babies.. It's one of their favorite topics... "babies are smelly", "Mom, can I have a little sister", "why can't babies talk?".. you know, things they think about.. Well yesterday, it was the the "where do babies come from?" answered by Ryan. He assured his little brother that babies come from being married. And Josh's follow up question was "So, if people don't get married, there wouldn't be babies?" and Ryan assured him that marriage was how babies came and yes, if you don't get married you can't have kids. And he was sure about that.

As I grinned, so happy that I wasn't having to answer those questions, I was happy to know that they are still so innocent. Yes, the sex talk will come soon with Ryan. It's just part of the age, and if you've been around 9 or 10 year old boys, they talk about what they think they know.. and there is always THAT kid who really does know. But that's for another day. Today I get to enjoy them as little boys without the responsibilities and concerns of teens. No matter how grown up they think they are, they are still my little guys.

Innocence is something that is so easily pushed aside in this day of enlightenment. As parents we are told that kids should be free to talk about sex and know the facts of life as soon as they know to ask. I agree that parents should be truthful. And I will faithfully do my part of sending them to Daddy when they need to have that talk. (M shudders at the foresight of the "You let him to THAT to you???" exclamation) But there is a sweetness and purity of heart before they have to think about such things and I am glad my guys have had that time. No rush into knowledge here. It'll come soon enough. And, being boys, they'll have plenty of time to ponder the facts of life later. When they are older.. like 25! :)