Explanation Necessary.

I've said this before...when you give birth, they need to give you a manual that tells you what to say when the questions you aren't ready to answer arise. We had a moment with Riley not too long ago and it went something like this...

Riley: Momma, what's 'gay' mean?

Me: (slightly shocked) Uhhh, happy?

Riley: (pondering how she was going to use this in a sentence...)

Me: (silence and what felt like hours had gone by, but was only seconds)

Riley: I'm going to tell all my friends that I'm gay!

Me: (even more shocked, but smiling) You probably aren't going to want to say that...I'll let daddy tell you why.

[Okay, so at this point, there is no beating around the bush. We have friends that are gay, so it wasn't us not wanting to explain...I guess it was the more sexual part I was hoping to not get into.]

So Ryan enters.

Me: Daddy, why don't you tell Riley what gay means! She wants to tell all of her friends at school that she is gay.

Ryan: Well, you know how you have a mommy and a daddy? Some people have two mommies and two daddies.

Riley: (look of utter confusion and steam exiting both ears)

Me: (able to see the look and realizing she might be confusing it with step-parents/divorcees)

Ryan: (silence, but pride that he could add to conversation)

Riley: Uhhh, I don't get it.

Me: You know Ellen? From the Ellen Show?

Riley: Yeah?

Me: Well, Ellen is married to a woman. She loves a woman.

Riley: Ohhhhhh, I get it. Hey, can I have an ice cream? Vanilla okay?

OMG. Really? That's all she wanted was a freakin' ice cream? Goes to show that if you can be honest with your kid...even if it's not the best explanation...they are totally satisfied by it.