At any rate, a couple of days later we were inside the house when we spotted a mantis outside, climbing up one edge of the outside board. You can imagine the excitement as a 6-year old and 3-year old get to examine a mantis up-close and personal, with the glass safely between them. Even my teen oohed and ahhed a bit. The things look absolutely bizarre at that range - though I'm pretty sure that had it the power to think, the mantis would have found the humongous soft marshmallow-like giants who were gawking at it from the other side of the window equally bizarre.

We all live in a Jello submarine,