The Anatomy Lesson

I don't know why my boy surprises me, but he does it all of the time.

After a busy day at the beach with family and cousins, my sister and I piled the sandy kiddies into the tub to hose them down.  E, El and cousin Luke squealed as the water poured into the tub and created  a cascade of bubbles to frolic in.  

Just about that time, Luke "noticed" that El was missing something.  

"Mom?" he questioned my sister.  "Where's Ellerie's pee-pee?"

My sister, Jaime, and I giggled at his three year old's perception of  a girl's anatomy, and then Jaime patiently explained how boy's pee-pee's are on the outside and girl's pee-pee's are on the inside.  Both boys considered this new fact for a few moments as they glanced at themselves and then over at an oblivious Ellerie.

Then, Ethan said it.

"Mom, Luke's pee-pee is waaaay smaller than mine."

After another round of chuckling, I patiently explained that Luke was younger and so he was smaller . . . everywhere.  Both boys nodded and accepted the short explanation, and  I breathed a little sigh of relief that the anatomy lesson seemed to be over.

Later though, I realized that at least now I have an answer to a question I had posed to myself many times.

Boys  do start comparing their parts shortly after birth.

It must be hard wired.