Universe Explanations

The following conversation was possibly sparked by a number of different prompts, namely, the film WALL-E, the globe I bought The Jelly Bean for his first birthday, numerous dinosaur books, digging in the sandpit, me being environmentally conscious and 4.3 year old logic.

Looking at the globe:

TB: Mama, what's this country?
Me: It's Antarctica.
TB: Can we go there?
Me: When you're bigger, it's very cold. But maybe when you're a teenager.
TB: Mama, what's under the ground?
Me: Rocks and sand and dirt. And if you go very far down, there's lava. You know like what comes out of volcanoes?
TB: No, there isn't any rocks and lava. It's earth under the ground.
Me: Yeah, it's called earth, but the whole thing is Earth. Rocks and sand and dirt and lava, it makes up earth.
TB: No, mama, under the ground?

(Like I misunderstood the question!)

Me: Yeah, I know what you mean. But under the ground, is made up of all that stuff. And bones from old, dead things, too.
TB: No, mama, under the ground is earth. Spaceships can't go through rocks.
Me: No, spaceships don't go under the ground. They go into space.
TB: No, the earth is like this (points to globe) and there is a big line around it.
Me: No, that's just where they stick the globe together. And those other lines are about time. The actual Earth doesn't have any of those lines on it. (I knew I was starting to lose it here)
TB: Yeah it does.

At this point we reached a stalemate, staring at each other with as much confusion about the other's point of view as how to explain our own.

I had no idea how to explain such big concepts and he had no idea why I was being so obtuse.



Things The Bean has said:

1. Running into the kitchen with his black dressing gown flying behind him.
TB: Look Mama, I'm Batman!

2. One Sunday, after I retrieved a helium balloon from the roof, which had lost it's string.

TB: Thanks, Mama.
Me: You're welcome.
TB: Mama, do you want anything?
Me: Pardon?
TB: Do you want anything from me?
Me: Oh, that's friendly. How about a cuddle?
TB: No, not today, there's no cuddles today. It's Friday.

3. Playing.

TB: Mama, I need a hand to open this. The bulldozer wants a ride in the spaceship.