The Facts of Life...

...and I'm not talking about the TV show. For those of you who have no idea what TV show that is..never mind. Just read on. For the guys who read this blog who get squeamish at the thought of feminine issues, just go to ESPN or something for now.

MacKenzie got to see "the movie" at school on Friday. You know, the movie about puberty, her period, etc etc. She came home with samples of feminine products, a guide for her and one for me (not sure what THAT is all about! I would think I know all about this stuff after having 2 kids, but oh well, I'll take a look.) and all kinds of questions (wait a minute, didn't they answer those questions after the movie?). She was a little nervous, a little giggly, and somewhat embarrassed. That surprised me because she has seen this film before. Well, when I reminded her of this, she said, "No Mom, this was a different one. This time we learned about BOYS!!" When I asked her what she learned, she told me (I am not going into the details here) and I was a little surprised that they went into that much detail in 5th grade. When she asked why they needed to tell her that I explained that in the event she finds herself in a situation with a boy that she is concerned about, she will understand what is going on and be able to get out of it.

Since Mac was a baby, I have always said that when it came time to answer the tough questions about sex, I would be straight with her. I never expected those questions to come so soon! I figured she would be about 25 before she would come to me with this, not 11! Even after the movie and the class discussion, she had questions. She wanted to know why women have to have their period anyway. Now, I figured they would have at least told her what it was for, not just that she is going to get it. Maybe they did, she claims that there was no explanation other than that it was part of puberty. OH PLEASE! You know, I have no problem discussing sex with my daughter, but when the school sends home a permission slip for me to sign, stating that they are going to be having a "frank discussion" about reproduction with my child, that is what I expect them to do! Oh well it is MY job to do this after all, right?

So, I explained the function of the uterine lining to my little girl, and I explained that I no longer get my period because of a hysterectomy I had 6 years ago (THANK THE LORD!!) She looked at me, tilted her head to one side, and said, "Cool. Can I go practice the piano now?" That was that. She was simply looking for a straight answer. I gave her one, and there was nothing more to it.

Yeah, MacKenzie -- "Cool."