Science at SMLI: Robotics

While the parents enjoyed a peaceful fall day, the kids made robots last week at SMLI. You know my little geeky boy loved that! He calls his bot Project Lunar Scorpio.





But maybe even more than robots, he loved acquiring two new lizards, given to him by a homeschooled friend.

Meet Galileo and Leonardo:

Galileo dropped her tail, but she has the more confident temperment. She is curious and extremely active.



Leonardo has an intact tail, but is shy and unsure. She hides the moment she sees us coming. She likes to burrow under the driftwood in her enclosure. When she doesn't know we are there, she is very active, too.



Both are doing well in their new home, and enjoying the steady supply of pin crickets. I think they may also be nibbling at the blackberries I gave them....

BLAZE! (aka The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze), Part 2

Still with us? There are dinosaurs here!



And a field of celtic knotwork pumpkins.









Spooky eyes and cats..





And a huge pumpkin cauldron tended by three witches...



It wouldn't be 2012 without a Doomsday Clock...







And there is an aquarium full of fish, both Hudson River natives and more exotic fare..





Good old movie monsters make an appearance:







And yes, there is more still to come...

BLAZE! (aka The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze), Part 1

Join us for a walk through Van Cortlandt Manor's annual Halloween spectacular: The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. Lots to see!

Enter under the pumpkin archway:



Enjoy the festively lit manor house, featuring pumpkin portraits of the Van Cortlandts.







To get there, you have to stroll past the graveyard, with skeletons and zombies rising from the grave...



And there is a spooky bonfire with ghostly celebrants...























Mikro would tell you these skelly spiders are a little problematic, since they only have 6 legs... But they were cool and creepy.

Fire Fair

Our village's fire department hosts an annual Fire Fair every year during National Fire Prevention Week. The kids run through various stations to earn a ride on a fire truck. They have to role play a 911 call, climb through a window, go down a fire ladder, stop drop & roll, and prepare a family escape plan. We go every year to keep fire safety fresh in Mikro's memory.

October Field Trips With Friends

First: Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie Hall. So inspiring! Over 130 people from our homeschool group were lucky enough to be there.



Second: Sacagawea at Urban Stages. A terrific one woman show!