We’ve had the Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site book since May of this year. Since it entered our home via Amazon’s superfast shipping, Avery has latched onto it as one of her favorite books.
We’d read it for nap time, bed time, and several times during the day. It’s one of those books everyone knows by memory where Going Mom and I were reading it without really looking at the pages. Now Avery doesn’t even need us to read the book and she’s taken to doing it herself.
She’s been randomly picking up the book and reading, so I prepared myself with the video camera standing by. I happened to capture one of her reading sessions as a result and had to share.
Do you have friends at a construction site near you? I’ve been walking through the new phase, Phase Three, of our neighborhood almost daily with Daddy. Along the way, we have developed many friendships. They’re all great, but this yellow dump truck is my bestie.
Last week he surprised us by springing back to life after sitting dormant for weeks. I credit my healing hugs and duct tape bandaids. We’ve seen him busy hauling heavy loads of dirt and rock a few times, but he always goes back to the same spot in the back. Poor guy, he always looks so lonely. I make sure to give Dumper, that’s his name, a big hug everyday so he know’s we love him.
I love playing construction site at home with Mommy and Daddy and have almost all of the trucks we see working hard in Phase Three. My favorite is my little yellow dump truck, his name is LIttle Dumper. I don’t get it, but Daddy always laughs when we talk about Big and Little Dumper.
He tried to suggest we call him Chuck the Dump Truck like on The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, but Dumper is what I’m sticking with. Pshhhhh, Chuck’s not even as yellow as Dumper!
Most of my other construction site friends have names from The Adventures of Chuck and Friends and Bob the Builder though. Daddy and I just called them by what type of vehicle they were at first, but as our friendships grew, I sensed even these great big machines have a soft side.
Muck, our bulldozer buddy, explained how he and the other work trucks truly feel about not having real names.
He likened it to if people just walked around calling everyone human; it’s impersonal and greatly drains morale.
These trucks work so hard, taking constant abuse, usually for the benefit of humans, asking nothing in return. The least we could do is give them names and show a little appreciation. Maybe even play with them a little. Muck loves when I do scooper squats with him.
And climbing into his cabin simply to take a picture, not start him up to push more dirt around, puts a grin on his scooper.
The trucks even told me they tense up when someone climbs on them because that usually means more work and abuse. Even when they’re not feeling or looking (don’t tell Dumper I said that) their best, they love posing for pictures.
His poor seat guts need more duct tape bandaids than Daddy is willing to give. Unless I break out my sweet daddy’s girl look, then I can get enough of the cloth adhesive to dress a mummy.
Yes, more, a little more…..a little more….keep going
Now that I’ve gotten to know most of these guys, big and small, in the Phase Three construction site, I thought I’d introduce you to the kind hearted motored machines.
To start, I’ve been getting to know Spinny the portable cement mixer a lot lately.
Ahhh, that Spinny, he’s always on a roll! Daddy told me to say that, then laughed. I don’t get it.
I don’t know how he does it as he seems to get passed around house to house when it’s time to brick. To just sit in the heat in a constant twirly whirl makes me dizzy just watching. His line of work just seems to get harder and harder. Again, Daddy made me say it.
Another relatively small friend is Benny the mini excavator. Him and his brothers and sisters are all around Phase Three digging ditches or deep holes.
Because I know how much it means to them, I’ll climb into the cab of Benny or one of his siblings just to sit and smile for a while. Don’t tell Benny, but I like his Bobcat brother the most.
We see Grabber, the big excavator, every now and then, but not as often as Benny.
I have my own Grabber at home, however, he’s the biggest in our living room construction site.
Scratch is a Skid-Steer Loader and his kind make up the majority of work vehicles around the site. You’d think they might be competitive about who works the hardest, but they’re actually quite affectionate. I even see them giving butt hugs at the end of a long day.
Dizzy, the cement mixer, is another hard worker around here. He and his family are constantly helping to pour foundation for a new home or a sidewalk around the new neighborhood.
Even on the run, he’ll say hi with the honk of his horn when I pump my arm up and down. I don’t know why I do that, Daddy just tells me to and then Dizzy honks. Such a nice truck. Mommy and Daddy just got me a Dizzy of my own, but I had to be a good kid before I was allowed to have him.
His giant teammate, Cement Pump Truck is a super hard worker, and a super grump!
Might have something to do with not having a name yet. I’ll have to get on that and hopefully it’ll cheer him up.
Pumpy? Pumpsters?
Similar to Pump Truck’s giant boom arm, Lofty the crane truck makes an appearance to help unload heavy brick and sidewall for new homes.
I don’t talk much to Lofty because she always has heavy things swinging overhead, but she’s a gentle truck deep inside.
At the start of a new home, I see Ditch Digger (another with a TBD name) and the larger Horizontal Directional Drill. They both excite me, but like Lofty, I need to spend a little more time getting to know them before we get as close as the other construction site friends.
Yep, these are my big big friends at our Phase Three construction site. Some take longer than others to really show their true truck selves, but they all have a unique personality I enjoy watching unfold day by day.
They are always happy to see me come by and wave, and I’m happy to see them too. Next time you have the opportunity, be sure to stop and give Dumper, Scratch, Dizzy, Lofty, Spinny, and friends a hug or high-five, it just might make their day.
Hi-ya, Avery here! I’m just checking out the playground scene before heading over to my new friend, Yellow Dump Truck. I don’t know if goes by any other name, but he does have three big letters, GMC, on the front.
He’s been sitting in the same far corner of our neighborhood’s new development, we call it the Phase 3 Construction Site, where I explore all of the work trucks and workers building roads and homes. At first Daddy and I thought he was just resting, but after over a week of sitting around, it became obvious something was wrong.
After watching plenty of Bob the Builder and The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, I feel confident in the practice of dump truck healing. First things first, show plenty of love in the form of dump truck hugs.
Rounded areas work best to get wrap your arms around for maximum healing hugging power. I suggest the fenders to start, then move around to the bumper, front or back will do.
If you’re wondering if kissing helps the healing process, maybe, but I wouldn’t recommend it…….trust……me. Once you’ve used the power of love, it’s time for bandaids. Not just any bandaids, dump truck bandaids.
Those little flexi-strips we put on our fingers do nothing for massive dump trucks, they need heavy-duty bandages. Duct tape makes the perfect dump truck bandaid! Finding where your dump truck friend needs his or her bandage most can be difficult.
The best bet is to start where you see discoloration/missing pain as this typically indicates frequently used areas. Take, for instance, the step used for drivers to climb up and inside. Just look at all of the missing yellow paint. Even this big duct tape bandage pales in comparison to the size of his step boo-boo.
It’s not much, but it’s a start. There, all patched and ready to let the healing begin.
After the initial healing hugs and duct tape bandaids, it’s best to give it a day to see how your dump truck responds to the treatment. In the meantime, go for a walk, play on the playground, catch Pokemon, or swim, as I’m obviously ready to do.
The next day, return to the ailing dump truck to see if there are any signs of improvement. Right away, I could see Yellow Dump Truck was not feeling better. Just look at his hanging light!
I think you know what we need to do here….
…..more duct tape! Just reposition the light and apply the bandage.
Much better, I could sense a boost in the dump truck’s health after fixing his loose light.
Your dump truck is unique, so make sure to check him/her all over for specific spots that need duct tape bandaids. And, since you can never give too many hugs, finish off with another big dump truck hug.
Make sure to check back on your dump truck frequently to see if they are feeling better. Hopefully my Yellow Dump Truck will be back at it hauling dirt and rock soon. Until then, I’ll heed my own advice and check on him as we explore the Phase 3 Construction Site.
For the times you can’t make it out, I suggest making friends with other construction vehicles like cement mixers, skid-steers, and excavators. I’ve enlisted my mini-excavator friend to watch over Yellow Dump Truck while I’m away. They’ve become good friends, and I enjoy hanging with them both. That’s it for now, just healing hugs and duct tape along with the help of other work trucks should be all you need to heal an ailing work truck. I’m off to pretend drive this excavator, so goodbye for now!
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
