JCK's daughter had a play date the other day with her friend who is a boy. A young lad with impossibly wild curls, a playful smile, and who hangs on her daughter's every word. Which is admirable as JCK's daughter abounds with words. While they were creating an obstacle course in the back yard, JCK was puttering around the house with one eye trained to the rear.
Suddenly, The Young Lad burst into the house yelling...
The Lad: We've found two butterflies mating! We've found two butterflies mating! Come outside and see two butterflies MATING! We want to show YOU.
JCK: You've found what?
The Lad: Two butterflies MATING! GIRL is with them outside so that they won't fly away.
And, so it was... that JCK found herself following a 6 year old boy outside who apparently knows about mating.
JCK and the lad arrived at the mating site. GIRL was squatting down quietly in the grass, keeping quite still, fascinated with the two busy insects.
GIRL: Look, Mommy, it's two butterflies MATING. The Lad nodded earnestly, squatting to join GIRL.
JCK: Wow, they're beautiful! How did you find them?
GIRL: The Lad did!
The Lad: I found them when I was setting up the obstacle course, and saw that they were mating.
JCK: Do you think you could both stay very still and watch them, so I can go get my camera?
Yes!
JCK ran into the house as if her pants were on fire. She needed the freedom of the house to guffaw. Then she was back with her camera, snapping a few close-ups of the still busy, apparently record breaking, mating butterflies.
JCK: You seem to know a lot about nature.
The Lad: Oh, yes, I'm an expert.
After taking a few shots of the MATING butterflies, JCK rose to her feet, leaving GIRL and The Lad to continue their perusal. This was the first time that the word MATING had entered the Motherscribe compound, and JCK wasn't sure that she was comfortable with her daughter throwing the word around with an expert. Yet, JCK was touched by their mix of solemnity and curiosity.
JCK: Well, I'm going back inside now. Make sure you give the butterflies some space.
We will!
It was at this point that JCK realized how grateful she is not to be a butterfly, that she can do her mating under the cover of darkness, in a bed, not observed by small biologists...
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Adorable!
ReplyDelete(Get ready to have "the talk!")
That boy obviously has sensible parents--a great quality to have in your kid's friends!
ReplyDeleteLove this story. At least he called it "mating" and not S-E-X! That would have been even harder to accept!
ReplyDeleteBeing observed by experts? Like any of us need that degree of performance anxiety!
ReplyDeleteLol kids say the funniest things!
ReplyDeleteWe just talked about mating in a round about way at our house, too! But my kids still don't know about, you know, the thing that made them. AHEM. I owe you an email. Glad the boy is better.
ReplyDelete