Backhoe

Another nighttime conversation with Ethan, as I am putting him to bed:

Ethan: Mom. There is mud all around the basement - right?

Me: Uhmmmm....

Ethan: So the basement is in the mud?

Me: Oh! Yes. The basement is under the ground - in the mud.

Ethan: How did it get there? Who made it?

Me: Well... when the house was built they dug a big hole and made a basement.

Ethan: Who dug the hole?

Me: The construction company.

Ethan: How many people dug the hole?

Me: Hummm... maybe four or five people?

pause

Ethan: How do they dug a hole?

Me: They use a backhoe.

Ethan: What's a backhoe?

Me: It's a big shovel that sorta looks like this and digs like this. (I try to show him how a backhoe works using my hand as a big scoop - apparently it worked - he got it).

Ethan: Ooooooohhhh! I knowed what a backhoe is!

Me: Yeah! Great - this is how a backhoe digs up lots of mud and then it puts it in a dump truck.

Ethan: So isn't a backhoe yellow?

Me: Right. A backhoe is yellow.

Ethan: And it has some black on it?

Me: Yes.

Ethan: It has black letters on the side.

Me: Okay.

Ethan: Well... actually... the letters are yellow and there is black around the yellow letters.

(While he is explaining all this - he is using lots of hand movements - this helps a lot when discussing backhoes)

Me: Oh. Right.

Ethan: Right?

Me: Sure.

Ethan: And there is sometimes a black oval next to it? On the side of the backhoe next to the letters?

Me: Uhm.... I don't know....

Ethan: Yes. There is.

Me: Okayyyy.

pause

Ethan: And the shovely part has those little things sticking out of it? Like little spikey thingys?

Me: Right! Exactly!

pause

Ethan: What else can you tell me about the backhoe?

Me: Gosh - I think you've covered it.

Ethan: No. No. Remember? There is those handles that move like this where the person makes the backhoe shovel the mud. (he mimics controlling a backhoe)

Me: Oh right! You remember a lot of stuff about backhoes.

Ethan: Yes. Yes I do.


pause

Ethan: We had a backhoe in our backyard once. Remember?

I am now shocked. That was three years ago when we added on to the house. 

Me: Yes! How did you remember.

Ethan: 'Cause I knowed a lot about backhoes.