The Free-Ride offspring spent Thanksgiving with the Grandparents Who Lurk But Seldom Comment, cutting into the opportunities for the Free-Ride parents to ask them about matters scientific. Nonetheless, the sprogs have been doing science-y things on their vacation from parents. Two highlights:
- A visit to the Griffith Observatory, where they not only took in a planetarium show, but also weighed themselves on Mercury. (Both elder offspring and younger offspring weighed in at zero -- clearly Mercury is the right planet to visit after a heavy Thanksgiving meal!)
- A visit to the California Science Center. The sprogs especially liked exhibits on animation (not only because there were lots of funny cartoon clips, but also because there were interesting how-tos) and on how airplanes fly (since, as elder offspring explains, "you can make anything fly if you know how to shape a wing"). They also took in an IMAX film, Deep Sea 3D, which featured fish, jellyfish, sharks, Humboldt squid, octopus -- lots of old favorites.
There was also some feeding of ducks, I'm told.
Meanwhile, the Free-Ride parents took a hike.
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Last week, I noted that the Free-Ride offspring are off kicking it with The Grandparents Who Lurk But Seldom Comment, and that, to ensure that you would not have to endure a Friday without a Sprog Blog, I gave each of the sprogs a book to read during their visit with their grandparents and asked…
At present, the Free-Ride offspring are enjoying the hospitality of the Grandparents Who Lurk But Seldom Comment, and the Free-Ride parental units are enjoying quieter mornings -- at least in theory.
This morning, some time before 7:00 ...
Casa Free-Ride telephone: RING! RING! RING! RING!
Dr.…
In case anyone remembers a post back in February which featured drawings by the elder Free-Ride offspring inspired by this kids' book about the elements ...
Dr. Free-Ride: Hey, you found that book! I've been looking for it.
Younger offspring: Yeah, I'm taking it with me to [the house of the…
No, it's not a cage-match between syngnathids and cephalopods. Rather, the Free-Ride offspring consider the relative merits of each. It's kind of like weighing whether you'd rather be able to fly or become invisible.
From Seahorses and Sea Dragons
* * * * *
Elder offspring: I like the sea…
Those two places were my favorite places to go to when I was growing up. I especially liked the Griffith Observatory because of the planetarium shows, Lazarium shows, the giant pendulum, the huge teslacoil (Is that still there?), the seismographs, and so on. Yes, my nerd flag flew high even then.
My first ever IMAX experience was the film, Chronos, by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson. It still remains my favorite IMAX film.
You chose terrific places to take the sprogs in L.A.