conversation with a 3 year old

a friend of mine is pregnant. i offered to share some of my maternity clothes with her. i packed them up in a rubbermaid container to drop off after i picked up the little dude from school on friday. on our way there we discussed what was in the rubbermaid and why i was letting her borrow my clothes. here's a short excerpt of the conversation.

trying to explain gender and babies with a 3 year old

little dude: what's in the box?

mommy: clothes

ld: why?

m: because becky needs more clothes and mommy's going to share some of hers. is that ok?

ld: uh huh. why becky need clothes?

m: well, because she's going to have a baby and she has a big tummy so her clothes don't fit anymore. remember when mommy had a big belly and then we went to the hospital and they got your baby brother out for us?

ld: uh huh. (looking down at his tummy) i don't have a big belly.

m: no, honey, you don't.

ld: maybe i can have a big belly and a baby.

m: well, only mommy's can have big bellies with babies in them. maybe when you get older, you can get married like mommy and daddy and then your wife can get a big belly and have a baby! it will still be your baby too, but you won't have a big belly. does that sound good?

ld: but i want a big belly.

(this went round and round and round, so i'll spare you a few rounds and head to the end of the conversation)

m: honey that's just not the way it works. only girls can be mommies. your a boy, so you can be a daddy. just like i'm a girl and i'm your mommy and daddy's a boy and he's a daddy. ok?

ld: ok. (long pause) maybe i'll have a big belly tomorrow.

m: ok honey, maybe tomorrow.