My diatribe on the philosophy of procreation.

Grandma Judy, Aunty Becky and Cousin Lily came to visit today. So we just had to take the opportunity to get some cutesy pics and video didn't we? So without further ado, here they are:

Simultaneous booby action!

Sharing a blanket.

In our Shawls that Grandma made us

Stop here, unless you want to hear me rant. Continue at your own risk.

We had an incident the other night, quite off topic but it really got me thinking. I seem to do a lot of that lately. Deb was staying at home and she had been getting up every three hours, as is her custom these days, it was 1:30am and half way in between two of her night time sojourns and we hear this flip flap patter patter thump on the bedroom floor. Our initial reaction was, 'oh, Gizmo has come to bed' but soon realised that there was more too it than that and so, very reluctantly I got up to investigate. To my horror I found our usually perfectly mild mannered and kind natured cat playing with an only half dead and remarkably beautiful Tui. She did it with the same casual playfulness and semi interest that she might with any cat toy we might buy her, indifferent to the suffering she was causing the beautiful bird. The real tragedy of it being that she was never going to eat it, just caught it and tortured it to death because she could, and because it is in her nature to do so.

It was this life and death drama being played out on our bedroom floor that got me started, contemplating the incredible beauty and cruelty of life. That we can, with relatively little active input create another Human being, and not just any Human being but one that is a fusion of Deb and Me, half me and half her and alive, kicking and as individual as all other people is so gobsmackingly incredible as to be almost too much to contemplate.

Now I have a very good understanding of the biology that makes this all possible, probably better than most. From the anatomy and physiology of humans, right down to the cellular, genetic and molecular level. I can put all this knowledge together in my head and know that it is possible and how. All this said, the science can't explain the perfection in beauty that is created at the end of it. The whole is truly more than the sum of it parts, even though the sum of the parts would in and of itself be extraordinary beyond words. How could anyone think that there is anything more worthwhile to do with ones life than to create these wonderful little miracles? It is the ultimate culmination of all our efforts in our short time here.

The scientist in me is now telling me that all this is nothing more than my biological drive to further the species and pass on my genes talking. If that is the case then so be it, bit it doesn't change anything I said.

I guess my point here is that having children certainly changes our outlook on life.

Sorry to bore you all, if you bothered to read it that is. I will try to stay more on topic from now on.