What o did over my summer vacation II-- bigger, badder and with more dog turds....

We left off with a new puppy-- who is still not potty trained, but that is another story.  

Since hyphen is  lazy about getting me gifts, I cajoled him into a family camping trip in lieu of a Mother's Day/ anniversary present.  Colorado.  Cool weather in August. Beauty.  Peace.  Tranquility.  

He agreed, partially because he wanted to buy a space trailer, because he can't travel in the van if it's messy(there is a phrase for this, I think it is known in the medical community as bat shit crazy).  So we had this new puppy who we couldn't board, two wild children,a bunch of camping gear, and a dream road trip, if you like road trips, which I do.

Drive to canyon tx, see the texas show in palo duro state park, leave the next day, drive to colorado. Arrive.  Enjoy the mesa verde national park ( where we were staying) on Monday, whitewater raft on Tuesday, train trip on Wednesday, head to another camp ground higher in the mountains for the rest of the week.  Come home on Saturday.  Done.  Perfect vacation.

Until the vacation gods decide to take a big, big crap on you.

We got to canyon.  We ate at a cafe.  We were going to get ice for our coolers, when the van crapped out on us.  The same van we had spent tons of money on earlier in the summer to get ready for all these road trips. 

Now Canyon is in west Texas.  And it is hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of Houston.  It is one of those places where nothing is open on Sunday. Or much past five on Saturday.  We managed to pull into an o' Riley auto parts right as they were closing.  Alternator.  Nearest place to fix it was in Amarillo, but the next day was Sunday and there was not a lot open.  The show at the state park was starting in 3 hours.  The girls were getting worried.  Numerous phone calls were made, including one to my dad, who went to college in canyon, and grew up not too far from there. 

Through the miracle of small towns, his sister has a friend in canyon.  A stranger gave us a ride to the hotel, and hyphen a ride to Amarillo see about a rental car and car repair shops.  I called my aunt's friend.  My conversation went like this " hi, my name is Stella stevens, I am e------ n------ niece."  His taciturn west Texas reposnse?  "I'm sorry."  Ok.  So this dude gave the girls and I a ride to the show.  He's totally getting a christmas card.

Long story short, we got the car fixed on Sunday.  Which was our anniversary.  I am leaving out the part about how the firestone in Amarillo was out of power for a few hours, but that doesn't matter.  It was fixed.  And at four o'clock, we were on our way.  We decided to stay at a Koa in Santa Fe.  On our way, I share with hyphen what I learned from my aunt's friend while he was taking us to the texas show--there was some kind of chemical spill in silverton, which was affecting the river downstream in Durango, and that white water rafting may not happen.  Just some toxic sludge.  Thanks EPA.  

We arrived at the Koa, in the dark of night.  Ever pitched a tent at night?  Don't.  Got up the next morning, packed up and enjoyed downtown Santa Fe, which is lovely, and I will move there some day.  We continued to Durango, all the while calling the whitewater rafting place, trying to figure out what was going on.  We decided whitewater rafting was probably not going to happen, so we tried to find a place that would take us horseback riding.  And when I say us, I mean Tallulah.  The minimum age for most outfitters was six.  I started  my conversations out like this "I've got a kid who is almost 5, we won't say she is 4, we will say she is almost 5..."

We arrive in Colorado on Monday afternoon, but notice that the car is still acting funny.  We make camp, and as we head for the showers, I notice I can barely turn the wheel of the van.  We decide that it is better to spend Tuesday trying to fix the car.  So we spend a fair amount of Tuesday at a Firestone station, then we decide to check out the train station, and I call the dog kennel to confirm our reservation for while we are on the train ride the next day.  Turns out that whoever took out reservation, despite the fact we discussed my puppy's age, did not have to authority to let us go there.  The puppy was too young.  So we scramble and beg and cajole before we find a private, in home, dog sitter who will take her.  They are my fb friends now.  We are also scrambling to find a horseback riding place, since the river is totally contaminated.  We find a place that doesn't care about 4 year old kids being safe, get on the horses, and then, it starts to thunder.  And thunder some more, but the horse people assure us, that the rain always goes around the mountains.  Twenty minutes later, I am soaked to the bone, and laughing, and my guide says "I guess you must like rainstorms."  Not particularly, but there was nothing else to do at this point.  

But may I now just say, that riding horses with my family in the San Juan mountains in Colorado, is my most favorite thing to do in the world.  

On Wednesday we drop the car off again to get some power steering thing fixed, while we have our train excursion.

I saw real waterfalls, falling off the sides of mountains.  Real waterfalls.  

By the end of the day, the car was fixed.  And we were exhausted.  We decided to stay in Mesa verde, we saw in the indian ruins on Thursday, and on Friday, we headed home, a day early, because I needed a break from my Mother's Day/ anniversary present.

But now, if I want to feel peace, I think of my horse ride.  My horse liked to be last, so I was separated from the girls and hyphen.  This made me nervous at first, but once I saw my tiny, but mighty, Tallulah guiding her horse, controlling her horse with her reins--like a natural horsewoman, I stopped worrying at all.  I just started enjoying.  And this scenery has replaced that one spot on frio river, the one with the blue clay bottom and the cliffs, as the place my brain likes to go to calm down.

Hyphen drove the whole way home, and as we drove home through New Mexico, we listened to that old Paul Simon song, hearts and bones, which although sad, somehow perfectly fit where we were.  Tell me why, why don't you love me for who I am where I am?  Becuase that's not the way the world is.  This is how I love you babe. This is how I love you babe. 

And now we are back on our busy street. School has begun, soccer games tomorrow morning, ballet, CCE, funrun stuff, get kids up, make breakfast, make lunches, laundry, clean the house, shuttle children, puppy crapping every where but the grass, PTA meetings, homework, friend with new baby, funrun kickoff--just the slings and arrows of raising kids in 2015.  And that is just my list.  I am not running several multi million dollar businesses.  That is someone else in my house.

So forgive me for looking back through the cracks in the door, for thinking about when we were free to wander wherever we chose.  And while I am not ready to laugh about the griswoldian vacation, I do notice that we never said one harsh word to each other during it.  

But annabelle, annabelle who reads joke books before bed, sees the humor.  Her back to school essay went something like this, " our car broke down.  The epa spilt chmcals.  It rained while we rode our horses.."  There is a picture of a black car, an orange river, and a horse who looks to be pooping....  I am filing that in my keep forever folder.  It's a real folder I have upstairs in the attic, not to be confused with the one I have in my heart.  

Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave

About a month before kinder started for Annabelle, we had a little get-to-know-you play date.  This was a key day for us, because we knew only 2 kids in the whole school.  As soon as we got there Annabelle told me, "I recognize that boy.  He was at s______'s party.  I remember him becuase he had on a weird shirt."  "What was weird about it?" I asked.  "It was glow in the dark"

I introduced myself to his mom and we chatted and talked. When we left, Annabelle told me that she hoped he was in her class.  He was, and then he was in her first grade class too. 

To say they are friends does not really do it justice. They are more like kindred spirits.  I don't like the word soul mates, because 1. I don't believe in soul mates and 2. It inherently implies something romantic and there is nothing romantic about the two.  

They are simply very content together. They play, they sit in silence, they eat their snack together, they discuss science and look for animal tracks.  He likes Tallulah.  They never fuss, and he has a box of rocks in his room too. They ate  lunch together every day last year, and they know when to give each other space.  "I let him play with the boys today, mama, it seemed like that is what he wanted to do." 

We asked for them to be in the same class again and our request was not honored.  So despite the fact that annabelle has the nicest teacher in the school, who is young and pretty and likes to teach with songs, and doesn't yell, all those awesome things, despite this-- she is unhappy.  She was in tears tonight.  She is not saying she misses him, but she is pointing out every negative thing about her day, which included a boy saying "La La" in her face as loud as he could.  I explained how boys do silly things, because they are incapable of saying, " hi, annabelle, I like your suspenders, you are pretty and nice, will you be my friend?"   And because they are such simple creatures they scream la la instead.  

Response: 

"H______never does that."  

I am trying to ignore this.  It is the second day of school, after a long, fun summer.  So we are going to plod on, but I can't help but feel sad, so sad, because the beginning of school last year and the year before were so joyous.  And second grade, out of all my grades, was the very best one-- which is perhaps sadder for me that I peaked so early. 

But I know if he was in her class, there would be a boat with billowed sails, and pirates lowering their flag.  

Trying to get my girl out of her cave.  

What I did over my summer vacation, part 1

I went to Florida.  With some very dear friends and my parents.  This was the first time that we have been on a vacation with my parents-- not a weekend get away, but a full week long vacation.  At the beach.  My dad is not really a beach person, and he is certainly not a sit around and relax person.  He is more of a project person-- as in, let me dig a trench and put in a pump that will allow me to water my yard with river water and the trench will be dug uphill, and there will be much sweat and a possible trip to the ER.  He's that kind of person.  

But I think he had fun.  You have never lived until you see a septuagenarian jump into the Gulf of Mexico to chase after a manatee.  When you see that, you have about one second to decide, "yeah, me too," and then you have got to jump in.  Because if your 72 year old dad is going to jump, in then, hell, you have to too.  

My mom and the girls had fun. They played lots of uno and there was lots of cheating. Like-- I-am-going-to-pee-but-I-am-taking-my-cards-with-me-because-I-trust-no-one kind of cheating.  

I also reaffirmed why I won't ever leave the kids with my mom for any length of time-- and that is because she has no filter and is completely inappropriate.  To wit: we were discussing, in front of my children, my friend's sister who is dating a guy who is very particular.  He is the type of person who gets mad at you for opening the chip bag wrong(it's chips how can it be wrong?  Open the bag,eat.) and since I am married to that guy, I can tell you that life is too short to give a shit about how you open the chip bag.  Don't get me wrong, we have two lovely children and love each other very much, but he annoys the hell out of me.  So I was advising for a breakup.  My mom agreed and added, in front of my innocent children, who she wants to be good Catholic girls, "well, all I can say is, the sex better be great."  

Sweet Jesus.  She is now the gym teacher sub at the catholic school in her town.  That's not a typo.  That said gym.  When this septuagenarian tells you to do jumping jacks, you have about one second to say yes, ma'am. Because if Toni stevens is your gym teacher, you better jump, and jump high.  

We also had surf camp, the 4th of July parade, swim team, days soaking up the last bit of fun we could with some very dear friends who moved to Kazakhstan-- which involved lots of water parks.  At one point, the girls were so tan that their surrogate grandmother, who we know from church, didn't recognize them.  

And then, just for kicks, we adopted a puppy.  At first hyphen was dead set against it.  Then I told Tallulah he said no.  You can see her reaction, which I sent him via text message.  A few days later, I had my dog.  I told my parents how cute she was, but that she had pooped in the kitchen shortly after we got her.  My dad: "the first of many." Yep, that's about right.  Many. 

Then we went to Colorado.....and that's when things got really interesting.  

I'd write more tonight, but I have to go.  The dog just crapped on the carpet.  Again...

Winning at being a mom...

I never watch the news, because it is too depressing. People are killed, society is down the toilet, congress is broken, politicians embarrass me, Twitter is newsworthy, isis exists, sex drugs and rock-n- roll are glorified-- all the basic stuff that makes me blue, so I ignore it completely.

I get my news from my parents, who find it just as depressing as I do, but watch it constantly.

But here is my news for today.

Today my daughter drew a picture of mermaids. Look at it closely.

Never, in my history of drawing pictures as a child, did I ever draw anyone's skin, with any other color than a peach crayon.

So I am here today to say-- fly your rainbow flag, fly your stars-bars-- whatever, man. I don't care. My kid sees the world in a different way, where mermaids are brown. I am winning at being a mom, my neighborhood, my school, my church, we are winning at what we are supposed to be doing.

We are winning the hearts and minds of the people that matter.

What we did today

Dive practice

Finding Froglets with Friends

Tennis anyone? 

Hello summer, nice to see you again. 

The watchers

I took this picture the other day.  Two kindred spirits hanging out in the garage, holding hands, drinking a cold one.  

Our children are watching us.  They watch what we do, what we say.  

I see this in their interaction with people.  With their patience and kindness, and sadly with their lack thereof.  

I see it in tallulah, tonight at a restaurant.  How she mirrored her dad as he scratched his neck look up at the ceiling and took a sip of his beer.  

They watch us and this is an awesome and mighty responsibility. 

I watch her.  As she sleeps.  I see the  perfect heart on her peaceful face.  A kiss of love from the One who knew and loved her before she was formed in my womb.  Who gave her the best qualities of both of us combined, who is an awesome and mighty God. 

And now, after four years of hearing to the contrary, we find out that this perfect heart can be erased.  The heart that in many ways has become her essence, the grace and love that is tallulah stamped upon her face can be changed and grafted.  She can be defaced. 

And now we are to decide if what we teach about beauty is true.  We make a decision for her that literally leave a mark for the rest of her life.  

And they watch us. 

Tallulah on the whole gay parenting thing

There is a kid in Annabelle's class with two mommies. And they are the nicest two mommies in the world. When I am around them, I wish I had another mommy to share my life with, rather than the paunchy man next to me, who is alternating between snoring, watching a show on navy seals, and having beer farts.

To wit: conversation in the parking lot after a workout at the gym--

Mommy 1: you know what, instead of driving, we should walk to ________(wherever they were headed)

Mommy 2: what a great idea!

Ummm. Yeah, that not how that would have gone down in my house.

Me: let's walk

H: you can. It's hot and there are Mosquitos. No one is stopping you. Go.

But I digress....

My kids don't know about gay, we haven't discussed it, much like until recently, they didn't really get "black" or "white". We shelter our kids from what we perceive to be adult issues. Because make no mistake, they are adult issues. Kids don't care. They just want to play.

Annabelle has never said anything about this child having two mommies, because for as smart as she is, she can be remarkably unobservant. Or perhaps she is just accepting, the way children are--she likes him and plays veterinarian with him at recess and that is fine with me.

But the kid has a little brother, who is Tallulah's age. And Tallulah, unlike her sister, has street smarts-- she notices things.

Tallulah: mommy, let me tell you something. Sometimes, people can have two moms. Like ______ and________. They have two mommies.

Me: yes, that is true.

That should have been it. But, curiosity got the better of me. I know my 4 year old child, my child who loves and adores me all the time, even when I don't deserve it, and I felt I knew what her answer would be, but I wanted to ask her anyway....

Me: so what do you think is better-- to have two mommies, or a mommy and a daddy.

Tallulah(in a tone that says duh): two mommies!

Duh.

A visit from a sweet little old lady

My mom is here for a brief visit. She has been here for about two hours. In the first five minutes she was here she said, in front of my 4 year old, "ay Chingao, I hit myself with this stupid door, I hate it." My kids think stupid and hate are bad words, so chingar, they don't know. Then she proceeded to tell Tallulah that the reason she tripped is because she was being bad and her angel made her fall down. She then explained to my toddler child that everyone has an angel and the reason you fall or trip is because they make you do it, especially when you are being bad.

In short, my mom has taught Tallulah fuck in Spanish, and made her scared of angels.

She is calling for toilet paper now. No one is bringing it to her. She is threatening to wipe herself with a towel. And she says she won't tell us which one.

They are headed to New Orleans so god only knows what she is going to come back teaching her....

In love

Have you even fallen in love?

Not fallen,

Struck.

Have you ever been struck by love?

San Antonio,

You have my heart.

Houston,

You have my loyalty.

Big Bend has my soul.

Daylight savings time

This is the time of year when all of us moms are grousing about daylight savings time and the hangover it gives our kids. Including me. Annabelle woke up at 4 in the morning, terrified because she hadn't finished her homework. Her homework was to draw a picture of a Texas day in the springtime. Her hand got tired so she hadn't finished coloring the tree on her picture of a picnic in the bluebonnets. So I let her sleep in until seven. Normally she needs to get up at 6:30 to get ready by seven, to have time to eat breakfast and then brush teeth, do hair, get jacket and backpack and head out the door by 7:40. Yes, it takes that long. Then, she is in school. There are lines and bells and classes, and nouns and verbs, and all that crap. Then she comes home. And depending on the day, she may have to do homework, eat dinner and go to some activity. Then, bath, brush teeth, spend some time with dad, read books, bed. Notice that play is not always part of her schedule. Her life is highly scripted and is almost completely dictated by school.

Tallulah's life in preschool is very different than her sister's. She is learning to be a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper. She sings songs almost all the time, songs that she learned at school. When she is at home, she plays or helps me. She is little chef, and I am big chef. Excpet she can't say chef, so she says "cheft." Little cheft can make chicken pot pie, chili, quiche and banana bread. She really shines at sautéing things. She likes me to read the same book over and over again. She plays by herself a fair amount. She is super awesome at folding clothes. She is a Ngyuen, so she has that weird way they fold shirts down. She was explaining it to me today. "you fold it in haf, den you fold de ahms, in den fold it again, and den it is a skuwayah mommy. Like dis." Ok. Whatever.

She helped me cook supper tonight, as a matter of fact. One of Annabelle's classmates came over for supper. His dad dropped him off and I told him annabelle was out back. She had just came home from ballet and changed clothes and headed straight for the back door. Tell A________ I'm outside mommy". I finished up the corn bread and kept an eye on them-- this boy seemed content to be bossed around by two girls, one whom was covered in mud. I am not really sure what they were doing, but Tallulah's guardian angel told me to check on her just as she was trying to use the toy wheel barrow as a step ladder, whereby saving me a trip to the er. Thanks, GMS.

I glanced up at the fridge and saw my favorite magnet, a picture of the girls, from the time summer when annabelle was three and Tallulah was 8 months, or so. It was when Annabelle was in her " I only wear my underwear and no other clothes" phase. She had a tan line to match. My pippi longstocking girl who liked to draw cat whiskers on her face, and cover her arms and legs in marker. The ultimate free spirit. I wish school would give her back

And now she was outside, and was going to need a bath before dinner, and in all likelihood so was her friend. No homework done and it was almost 630. But it felt early, because it was still light out. And for a second, I could feel the warmth and promise of summer, just around the corner.

The hazy, crazy, lazy days, as the song says. The promise that is worth the hangover.

It is my kind of town

We went to Chicago last weekend. We had a wonderful time, apart from a run in with a misanthropic Korean man who hates the sound of childhood joy. But that is another story. Tallulah we discovered, well , not really discovered as much an a reinforcement of her strangeness, has an optimal temperature. It's about 74. If she is any colder, she is miserable and if she is any hotter she is miserable. And so is everyone else around her. Coats make her hot. 20 degree temps make her cold. She was not a happy camper. Neither was her dad, who can't ride in taxis because they make him car sick. So we walked, she complained and tried to hail her own cab. She also almost touched the most famous painting in the art institute and fell into a statute of the bhudda. The docents suggested a stroller.... Hyphen said she had to stay home until she became a grown up.

But Annabelle and I had fun. Until the Korean guy at the restaurant got after her for whistling. The f bombs at the table next to us--those were ok.

We were joined by a favorite aunt, so that was an added bonus. And we saw a lovely city. And despite all the craziness I would go back. I would even take Tallulah.

Why sometimes annabelle takes a while to go to sleep

Last night we had a party, and we watched an outside movie. We chose E.T. The kids loved it, despite it being the scariest thing they have seen so far.

But the problem with watching movies, and is why we don't do it too often, is that they are very stimulating, especially before bedtime. Last night everyone left late, so it wasn't a problem. But it was tonight.

Tallulah was still exhausted from last night and she fell asleep in her father's arms at 5:45. Leaving us with some rare Annabelle alone time.

As we were taking a bath she started with the ET phone home stuff and how grandma said it was one of the most famous movie lines ever. I said some from Casablanca had to be up there. This caused me to explain the plot to her. Then after bath, we googled the AFI list of top 100 movie lines. Some have damn in them, the word she regretfully heard last fall on tv. Casablanca had 6 quotes. Titanic had one. Btw, you haven't lived until you've heard an almost 7 year old say, Mrs, Robinson, are you trying to se- se- se.... Then I scrolled down and hyphen said it was time for bed.

Then this occurred while I was lying with her:

How far in the song did Sam sing before Rick told him not to? (Not sure.)I am scared of ET, mamma, I can't stop thinking about it.( let's think about a non scary movie like lady and the tramp) you know that old lady was really smart, because she knew that dogs don't like cats, so she brought these cats to get the dog in trouble because she didn't like dogs either. When did they find the titanic, when you were in the third grade? (Not sure) when did it sink? Why did people die? Why didn't they have enough life boats? Why couldn't people just swim until the other ships got there?

The titanic discussion prompted her to really hold her teddy tight. Did I mention, I am an idiot sometimes?

But then, old faithful, math, saved us from staying up all night. "you know what numbers I really like to add? I like it when all the digits are the same, like 333. That's the most fun to add."

And then, 30 seconds later, she fell asleep. Clearly, she knows how to comfort herself.

Tomorrow she is 7. In the blink of an eye, seven years.

Things I am thinking about today

1. As part of my continual disrespect for authority, I really hate assigned lunch seating.
2. I love it that when at lunch, a kid yelled at annabelle in her face for saying she didn't believe he was in boys scouts, she stood her ground and said" I don't have to believe everything people say."
3. But, I wish she had been kinder to the kid
4. The kid doesn't have a mom, and when I see the him, he gives me a huge hug and doesn't let go and I love him a little bit, but he can't mess with my baby....
5. I had chips for breakfast today.
6. Tallulah says oneth instead of first.
7. It is lent, it is the lunar new year, it is my birthday, and it still feels like the regular new year.
8. These are times of reflection.
9. Tonight Tallulah said that she doesn't want to grow up, she wanted to be an angel. She has said this before. It FREAKS me out.
10. My uncle died on Valentine's Day.
11. I saw him 5 times my whole life
12. I wonder why I didn't see him more.
13. If you watch Tallulah skip you will crack up. She can't do it. She just does a scissor kick kind of move and it is hilarious.
14. Annabelle learned to whistle over Christmas and now she won't stop. She whistles all day long.
15. I think all party favors at kids birthdays should be banned.
16. My cousin had a baby the day after Christmas. If you hold him, you feel God's peace.
17. A few weeks ago, annabelle broke her arm, while attempting a cartwheel.
18. She had a cast for three weeks.
19. The final X-ray showed it was broken in two places.
20. She is healed, but hasn't done a cartwheel since.
21. She used to do about 30 cartwheels a day.
22. Hyphen got me a valentine card this year. He has never done this. I love him a little bit
23. He just told me that the house was dirty. I hate him a little bit.
24. For reasons that remain unknown, the girls are trying to teach the dog to go upstairs.
25. They are using a rope and a dog biscuit tied into the rope. It's like they are fishing for lab.
26. The damn dog is so stupid that it is working.
27. Annabelle is turning 7. I am not ok with this.
28. We are going to Chicago in a few days.
29. Tallulah was playing with a plastic bird today. I heard her say, " I told you not to poop in my pocket,birdie, now you have to clean it up."
30. It is the lunar new year today. The girls wore their vietnamese dresses and they were adorable. And looked very Asian.
31. I cannot spare another aunt or uncle. Please understand that, Lord.
32. The other day we were at my nieces' birthday party. There was a lady there I instantly didn't like. Why am I like that? All she did was complain.
33. When I told my mom, she said "I know. I hate her too. I wanted to tell her 'shut up, bitch, you don't know shit about public education.'"
34. Make me a channel of your peace.
35. When I told my sister to avoid that lady, she said " you mean the one that needs to get laid?"
36. Thank you for my people, dear Lord. They are my home.
37. Sometimes I want another baby.
38. I got really crazy one day and texted hyphen that we should have another one, and please do not respond " why are you bothering me with this shit?"
39. He had to erase his reply.
40. I feel very young most of the time
41. But I know that I am too old for that....

Butterfly chasing marbles

Yesterday, the kids came home and after admiring their clean room ( what I did while they were at school) they wanted to actually play in that clean space or in the alternative watch tv and those requests were both denied. So, Tallulah said " I know, let's play butterfly chasing marbles!" And Annabelle said "ok!" Tallulah said " I'll get the marbles and the butterfly!" And Annabelle said " I'll get the game board, meet you upstairs!" And away they went. I decided to play with them, since I felt bad about being all Hyphen-ish about their room. I went upstairs, and Tallulah was lining up four marbles on one side of the lid of a lego box (the game board). Annabelle was looking for her blue marbles. (on a side note, I love it that my girls call the big, shooter marble, the tiro. You can definitely tell who taught them how to play marbles). Then Tallulah said, "ok, now its's time!" And she wound up a wind-up butterfly, placed it in the middle of the of lid, and let it go. If it knocked a blue marble out of place, Annabelle got a point, and if it knocked a green one, Tallulah got a point.

I was amused by this game and I asked them when they made it up. "Now. Just now, we just did it."

Now I was marveling. Marveling at how two people can be so in sync with each other, how play comes to children so easily--no devices, nothing plugged in with shiny lights, just a toy that has amused kids for a hundred years.

Not marveling. I was marbling.