Luckily I had my camera in my purse and quickly yanked it out and started snapping pictures. It was hard to get a good shot considering I was on a live construction site and all. Those construction workers looked at me like I was a little strange, prancing through the mud and dirt with my camera out, lugging a shopping bag and purse while trying to stay out of the tractor's way. :-)
They let Elias drive the tractor and "trencher" the whole length of the backyard, digging deep holes in the soil to lay the pipes. Elias' face was awesome to watch. He was either very serious, concentrating on keeping that steering wheel straight and acting as if this was standard, daily business, or smiling hugely, or trying hard to suppress a grin. I also noticed that he was chatting it up the whole way with the tractor driver who was doing his best to understand him and nodding a lot, but I'm sure he didn't catch a single word from that 3 year-old voice over a loud piece of machinery. When Elias got off the tractor I told him he ran right over a snake and killed it. He thought that was the coolest part of all!
When we were walking back home, he was quiet for a while, then said, "Mom, I REALLY love bugs and tractors."
P.S. I should mention that this little adventure was after we went to a sporting goods store and Elias shot a rifle (on a laser shooting range), stood next to a stuffed bear, elephant, zebra, lion and buffalo, stared at a "talking" deer for 10 minutes, and drooled over all the spiderman fishing poles. Oh yes, a good boy day indeed. I wonder what the world holds for us after nap time is over? A bug hunt outside perhaps and flips on the trampoline?