fertilization

Yesterday as Natalie and I were baking in the kitchen she was about to crack an egg, but gave it a little hug first and whispered, "I'm so sorry, baby chick!" (I'm going to guess that I don't need to add how freaking adorable that is...)

I told her that she didn't need to feel bad because that egg wasn't ever meant to be a baby chick.

She looked a little puzzled and asked why some eggs were meant to be baby chicks and some weren't - and how anyone knew the difference.

So, I (being the mature and all-prepared adult that I am so not!) decided that this might be a good time to start the conversation.

You know the one I'm talking about.

I explained that chickens (hens) need roosters in order to fertilize their eggs to make babies and if there is no rooster then the egg doesn't get fertilized and it's the kind of egg that we eat.

I went on to explain that all girls (animals and people) are born with eggs in their tummies. Then I continued on to explain (in super simple terms) about girls getting their monthly cycles and how it's just like the chickens getting rid of the eggs that aren't ready to be babies (because they aren't married yet, obviously) and that the eggs won't be a baby until there is a husband to fertilize it.

After asking a few questions she seemed pretty content with the conversation and we just went on baking and soon we were discussing things like volleyball, why you can see dust in the air when the sun is shining in the room, and how she taught Carter how to do multiplication.

The day went on and I had pretty much forgotten that we even had that conversation. Until...

Jeff came home from work and Natalie plopped down on his lap in front of the fireplace. He was teasing her and she was giggling when all of a sudden out of nowhere she says, "I know a secret, Daddy."

He says, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You fertilized Mommy's egg and that's why there's a baby in her tummy now."

I sooooooooo wish I would have had a hidden camera to document the look on his face!

PRICELESS.