Sunday, October 11, 2009

Big Harry Spider

I received an email from Lukas' daycare on Friday. It indicated that the following week (starting Monday) was 'Spider Week.' Apparently, during Spider Week, all the toddlers are supposed to bring a spider from home. The toddlers will observe them throughout the week until Friday, when they have a release party.

When I stopped by to pick up Lukas Friday afternoon I asked his care provider about the project. With a big smile she picked up and showed me the 'habitat' where the 18 different spiders would spend the week.

It was just a big jar.

At that point the thought immediately occurred to me, and I suspect you may be thinking along the same lines, that we need to find Lukas a Big Ass spider because it is going to be something akin to Survivor: Spider Island in there.

I confirmed from the teacher that "Well, we did only actually release a couple last year by the time the end of the week came around." Ya think? Because unless they are making a side trip to Petco to pick up some Spider Chow, the littler ones are going to be looking mighty tasty by Wednesday or so.

So, during all the remodeling and yard work this weekend my goal was to find an appropriate arachnid candidate. I needed Lukas to have a ringer, lest he be watching as another kid's spider chomps off the head of his spider and does a happy cannibal dance around the jar. The horror!

What seemed the perfect candidate (out in our garage) nearly knocked me off a precariously stacked pile of our basement belongings. I was perched atop it looking for the right board for one of the ten thousand project we are working on when the ginormous sucker jumped right out at me, sending me back and off balance. I recovered nicely but he quickly hid away, apparently waiting for his next victim. I decided this particular spider was a bit too dangerous even for me.

Then, later as we were doing yard work, Mrs. LIAYF found our Goliath sitting right there on our yard waste container soaking up the sun. I ran inside, grabbed a jar, and poked holes in the lid so the big guy could breath and we had ourselves a survivor. At least we hope so, since I would feel kinda bad if he doesn't make it to the end of Spider Week.

All that was left was for Lukas to give his spider an appropriate moniker. I was hoping he would go for something befitting a warrior. Like Maximus, or Atilla, or something equally fear inducing. But in the end he opted for a name more befitting the spider of a two-year-old.

"Lukas what do you want to name your spider?"

"Harry, Daddy."

Sounds menacing. I'll let you know how it turns out.

17 comments:

Steve said...

Oh boy. That's kind of gruesome. And that's from a self-confessed arachnophobe.

Trish said...

Australian pre-schoolers are encouraged to stay well back from spiders, so we never got to do anything that cool when I was a kid. We do have some ferocious looking redbacks in our garage right now. They'd see to your Seattle Area Garden Variety Arachnid pretty smartly. And your kids.

Irrational Dad said...

ooooo... I hope it's a wolf spider that you caught. Those things are FIERCE! I fully plan on catching on next year so I can teach Tyler about nature and all that creepy stuff.

ericdbolton said...

This project just screams WebCam..

Mrs. M said...

They have SPIDER week at a preschool, wow! I hope it goes well and all spiders remain caged!

Being us... said...

Bug collecting is a daily occurrence in my house! If this guy lives you should post a picture!

Anonymous said...

That's cool, even though I prefer my spiders smashed. I would have tried to convince him to name the spider 'Boris', but that is just me.

Kori said...

I wouls totally have to pull my kid out of that daycare if I was required to bring in a spider. They jump; thay have furry legs. They have big snarling fangs and can run faster than I can. You are a much braver man than I. Even taking into account the fact that I am not a man, but you know what I mean.

Martin said...

A spider?

surely they could have come up with something worth catching and trapping.

Like a wolf, or small bear, or teenager.

SciFi Dad said...

are you sure he didn't mean "Hairy Daddy"?

Captain Dumbass said...

I had something, but SciFi Dad's was funnier.

Eric said...

Who is running this daycare? Bring Spider's to class?!

I'd be like.. I will send him with a Spider-man action figure! :)

Lady Mama said...

That's spider cruelty! And ugh, the thought of all those spiders in a jar... gawd I really hope I don't have to take part in these creep crawly things when Matthew starts school.

If I Could Escape . . . said...

Spiders? Ewwwww! We have nasty ones here in Florida so I kinda like to teach my boys to stay the heck away from them!

You never said, will you get Harry back?

Chris Mancini said...

Considering we have black widows out here in southern Cal, it would have been a very interesting jar.

Knatolee said...

Oh my God,the poor spiders. I think I'm going to have to fly out there and liberate them!!

Super Mega Dad said...

And no one thought for one minute at that daycare, "Hey, maybe this isn't such a good idea...what if the toddlers actually OPEN the jar and PLAY with the spiders and one gets bit and just HAPPENS to be alergic to the thing"? Sorry, old Boys and Girls Club employee coming out in me now.

That just screams "BAAAAD idea" to me. :)

I'm with Chris, we have nasty spiders down here in sunny SoCal. They'd beat up all of them Washington wimpy spiders. ;)