Tag Archives: Olympics

While the combine runs…

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I apologize for not having harvest pictures ready for you – I have taken the photos, but haven’t moved them to my Macbook or edited them yet. SOON!

In the mean time, mostly we are crippled by the Olympics. I know I mentioned this when I first started blogging, but at that time my mom and sister where my audience. So I’m telling you again: I LOVE THE OLYMPICS. Yes, I’m yelling. My Farmer actually told me this week that he thinks it might be better for my mental health if I *didn’t* watch the Olympics.

He was joking, of course.

Or that’s what I’m going with, anyway.

Several of my children share my Olympic obsession. Little Cowgirl must be repeatedly told to get OFF the back of the couch, to stop cartwheeling during the competition (do that during the commercials, for heaven’s sake! I can’t see the TV!) and yes I will sign her up for gymnastics as soon as humanly possible. When Farmer Boy asked me why they were lighting the copper petals, I was ecstatic to explain the symbolism of the gift the olympics gives to each country represented there, and how they all come together in their passion and humanity to burn as a bright symbol of hope and togetherness. I had tears running down my face and Shooter was even choked up. I had to stop speaking to get ahold of myself.

Farmer Boy took the opportunity to interject, “So, in other words, it’s because the copper won’t melt.”

I manage to get everyone fed (because I get hungry as well), reasonably clean (because bad smells are distracting) and a portion of my jobs finished (the most noticeable ones, anyway) so that I can spend as much time as possible in front of the television yelling “GOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooOOOOOOOOO!” and doing the ugly cry every time someone wins/loses.

I have somehow also been able to continue the children’s most recent activity, horseback riding lessons. They are actually Farmer Boy’s lessons, but the teacher is allowing the other children to ‘sit in’ and also have some participation in the class.

This is not their usual horse. It's just so stinking cute that I had to take a picture.

It is, of course, all a part of his master plan to one day own a horse of his own. I told you about his request for money rather than birthday gifts toward this same scheme. I am shocked at the amount the boys have scraped together and they will be owning livestock whenever Dad and I go to the sale barn to procure some more calves to raise for our own meat.

But that is not going to be happening soon, of course, seeing as it’s corn harvest (oh yeah, and some of the milo is ready) and OF COURSE the Olympics are on. So we are busy.

I’m only posting today because I remembered to bring the computer along with me to Farmer Boy’s tutoring. In fact, I should probably be napping in preparation for women’s gymnastics tonight…

What is your favorite part of the summer Olympics?

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Little Cowgirl’s Project

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We have been reading about The Persian Wars.  We talked last week quite a bit about King Xerxes of Persia building a bridge on top of boats over the Hellespont (now Dardanelles) Strait to continue his army’s march around to the north side of Greece.  This made an impression on Cowgirl, who spent yesterday morning during school constructing this while I was reading out loud.  All I did was give her the box of crafty stuff…she is, apparently, a far more artistic person at four than her mother is at 32.

I would venture to guess she is in the minority as far as four-year-olds who can find Greece on a map, which is a surprise to me.  She is taking in a lot more by osmosis than I realized.  Another homeschooling perk I hadn’t thought of – she’s already ahead of me in geography and art.  Of course, I knew where Greece was…afterall, it’s the birthplace of the Olympics.

Oh, Canada!

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I sparkly giant heart the Olympics!

I start choking up when they play the “Go World” commercials months beforehand.

By the time they are awarding medals I am a blubbering basket case.  I love good competition, but there is something so special about the world coming together to learn about and understand each other, to share good will and good sportsmanship, that gets me right in the gut.

AND IT”S IN VANCOUVER!  I Shiny-sparkling-beating-glowing heart Vancouver.  My mother grew up on Grouse Mountain and most of her family still lives in the area, so it’s a familiar place to me.  If you’ve never been, you’ve got to go someday.  It’s incredible.  There is no shortage of fabulous things to do and see, terrific places to go and amazing historic and natural wonders.  Plus, the beach, the ocean, the forest…all together.

The opening ceremonies were terrific – full of symbolism that spoke so truthfully about Canadians and their open, accepting, inclusive culture.  The boy who did the “prairie” segment?  Can you say a star is born?  The 16-year-old jazz singer who gave a great rendition of the national anthem in her red dress?  Jaw dropping!  The virtual Orca Whales swimming across the imaginary ocean?  My kids almost came out of their seats!

My personal fave was the slam poet.  He rocked my phoenetic world, made me swell up with pride and recognition of my Canadian neighbors and kin.

K.D. Lang?  Singing that really sad song by the famous Canadian song writer?  I know….what the heck?!  That was the strangest experience…The song, though beautiful on it’s own and flawlessly performed, was completely incongruous with the feeling I was having before that point, and was expecting to feel afterwards.  I kept waiting for it to resolve – to somehow wrench its way into anything that I could connect in any way to the opening ceremony of the olympics, or competing in general even, or family, or coming together, or well, I was lost by then and just waiting for it to be over so we could get back to the reason I was watching  in the first place.

Oh yeah – THE OLYMPICS!

So school is completed at it’s usual time at our house and afternoon activities are suspended for the next two weeks.  Mommy will also be staying up late and reading only very short bedtime stories because I am not missing prime time!  So ask your  brother if you want something longer than “Dora says Goodnight!”