Round and round

This little train setup has been the object of my family's attention this week. Their interest in it borders on obsession. Every morning, I have to chase after them to brush their teeth before settling in to mess with its switches and wires and cars and props. Every evening, I've had to chase them away from it again to go to bed, reminding them that it'll be there the next day. They are building little additions to it and adding things and rigging things up differently every day.

I just don't get it. I mean, you flip a switch and the thing goes round and round. No biggie. Not even that exciting. I try to be respectful of their interest and listen to them as they blather on with excitement about different switches and track segments, but really, you flip a switch and it goes round and round. Being excited and obsessed about it is pointless and insane, I tell you.

Now, going round and round with colorful string and 2 pointy sticks, that is EXCITING! Going round and round with pointy sticks and string is a perfectly reasonable thing to obsess about. I mean, you can sometimes leave a little HOLE in your stringy thing! You can get DIFFERENT COLORS of string! You can use pointy sticks of wood OR metal!! Oh, the joy, the fascination!

And, since everybody needs a little spice in their life, every once in a while it is a good idea to take a break from the sticks and string (and that keyboard thingie that all too frequently gets in the way of some people's fun), and poke a bit of string through little bits of rock and glass and then do a happy Snoopy dance around the house for the amusement of your family, who may try to be respectful of your interests and listen as you blather on with excitement.