The Factory

The other day at my office, while using the toilet, Elliot asked me why there was a factory in his tummy. 

I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly, so I asked him to repeat the question.

"Why is there a factory in my tummy and in the toilet?"

I was a bit stumped and so I asked him what he was trying to ask.

"Like, like ... why ... when you eat something does it go into you and then come out as poo?"

"Oh, you mean why when we eat food does our body change it into waste and get rid of it?"

"Yes.  Like why does the factory make poo?"

"Why are you saying factory?  Where did you hear that?"

  
"What factory????"

"That's what I'm asking ... where did you hear it called a factory?"

  
"Nooooo.  Like, like, WHY is there poop that comes out when we have food why does it come like poo out again and into the toilet?"

"Yes, I get what you're saying ... and that's what you mean by `the factory'?"

(Blank stare)

"You're asking about the factory that makes poo inside our bodies?"

(Blank stare)

"I'm not getting any answers on where the factory came from, am I?"

  
(Blank stare)

"Well ... when we eat, our body only uses what it needs for energy and whatever it doesn't need is either stored or our body gets rid of it ... as poo or pee."

"What are you saying?"

"Well it's a little hard to explain honey ... it's all very scientific and I'm supposed to be working right now not watching you poo so can you please hurry up so Mommy can get back to her desk and do some work?"

  
"Nope.  I'm still pooping"

"Fantastic ... please hurry up."

  
"But, but, like, can you just tell me why does the factory ... how does the factory make the poop?"

"Really?  We're back on the factory again?  Well ... lets say you eat four carrots but your body only needs two carrots for energy, it will use the energy from two carrots and store the energy from the other two and when the energy from the stored carrots is used later in the day your body will get rid of all the stuff from the carrots that it didn't need and I guess that will come out as either poo or pee."

"Yes.  And so your BODY doesn't like to eat all the carrots so it just eats the two carrots and then my tummy crunches up the other two carrots that it doesn't want to eat and then it makes it into poo and I poop it out JUST LIKE I AM RIGHT NOW (he says grunting as he gives another big push and I'm praying he's wrapping things up)."

"Yup ... you got it.  Basically.  Like I said, it's all very scientific but you seem to have the basic gist of how this whole process works.  Now ... Mommy really REALLY has to get back to work.  Are you finished?"

"Yup ... alllllll done."
 
Elliot hops off the toilet and has a long look at his poo.
 
"Mommy?"
 
"Yes, Elliot?"
 
"What is my poo made of?"