Futureman Turns Five

Dateline: 17 April 2017

Futureman Meets The Chickenhead

Futureman, our one and only grandchild, has been visiting us for a few days. It was five months ago that he was last here. There is no telling when we'll see him again, so we make the most of it. He turned five this month and we are more cognizant than ever of the "memory machine" that is at work in his mind.

One of the things he wanted to do while here, that he remembers from before, is make carrot juice. So we made carrot juice...

Beyond that, he wanted to ride in my tractor. We did that too. But, better yet, I let him actually drive the tractor in our field, at a low speed, sitting on my lap. He did a surprisingly good job of steering...

In addition to doing familiar things, I decided it was time to start teaching him how to use some tools. A $20 cordless screwdriver from Lowes proved to be a worthwhile birthday gift.

I showed Futureman how to use the screwdriver, along with clamps and a coping saw. Making something at this age is not important. Just having a workbench, some wood scraps, and some basic tools is sufficient. I showed him how the tools work and let him occupy himself with them while I worked nearby. I could see a progression of proficiency as he busied himself.

When my boys were little, they occupied themselves at length with the same tools (less the battery-operated screwdriver) and used a LOT of masking tape to assemble wood scraps into various things (mostly guns). I gave Futureman a roll of masking tape, but it didn't entertain him as much as I thought it would.

I also showed my grandson how to use a bench vise. I helped him clamp lengths of fallen tree branches from the woods, and he then cut them short with the coping saw. Then we used them in the woodstove. 

Making simple little memories, and learning simple skills will, I do believe, bear fruit in years to come. That is our hope.

Oh, Futureman and I also counted out some Chicken Plucker Fingers, just like old times...