Parent Of The Year, Part 3

A couple of years ago, my two youngest asked, "Where did we come from?" Responsible father that I am, I sat them down for the Talk.

"Sometimes, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much, they decide to have a baby," I said, looking at my middle child. "That's how you were born. Your mother got pregnant and deposited an egg sac, like we read about in "Charlotte's Web." When the eggs hatched, you crawled out and came to live with us."

"I did not. I was born in a hospital. Mom said."

"Of course you were. Nowadays, mothers always lay their egg sacs in a hospital. It's much more sanitary than a barn."

"How about me?" asked the youngest. "Did I come from an egg sac too?"

"No, sweetheart. We found you and your friend on the front step. When we drew straws, your friend's parents won and they picked him. We're still looking for your real parents, though, and they'll love you very much, just like we do."

There's nothing that compares with the wonder in a child's eyes.