He's a survivor

Spence just got a couple DVDs of "Survivorman" and all the kids love it. Especially our little man, Grant. He has been running around the house, scavenging odds and ends to add to his nest/camp. Let's back up to the beginning. (a very good place to start)

First thing: The DVDs arrive. We watch the first 2 episodes in one night. The next day, Grant has hijacked every couch throw pillow and piled them all together. Laid out in a ring, are the long, fat pillows from the pillow pit. Then stacked like masonry, the small square couch pillows are evenly distributed around the long pillows. Then, the huge king size snuggly blanket is thrown over it all and carefully smoothed out and tucked in. Then Grant crouches in the middle of it and the whole thing weirdly resembles Big Bird's nest.

Objects he has scavenged: two wood skewers from my kitchen cupboards, a broken stick (don't ask me where he found that), some strips of fabric from my scrap pile, and other things I don't know if I recognize. When I asked him what the sticks and fabric were for, he said (with a "well, duh" look on his face) "To start a fire!" Oo-kay. It does make sense; Les Stroud started a matchless fire the other night with just a string and a stick.

It's really seeping into his imagination, though. He looks at everything now through survivor mentality glasses. "Hmmm, those palm fronds would make a good roof for a shelter!" I think this kid is definitely ready for scouts. Last thing, I was fixing dinner and Grant wanders in, looking for a snack. (of course.) He hops up on the counter (it's allowed here, the cabinets are even high for me) finds a packet of crackers to eat and all the while, muttering under his breath, "One man ... alone ... no food ... no water ... no help for seven days" At least he'll be prepared if the unthinkable should happen?