Saturday, August 9, 2008
Opening Ceremonies Party
We had a great time last night at our Opening Ceremonies Party! About 40 folks gathered at our house. It was a beautiful evening - fortunately not too hot. We ate international dishes, played games and watched the opening ceremonies in awe.
It was hard to believe that we will be there in person in shortly over a week. I hope the Chinese held something back for the closing ceremony! They really know how to put on a show.
I'm writing this post from a hotel in Chattanooga. We have travelled here so that Rebecca and I can compete in a sprint triathlon tomorrow along with our good friend Laura O'Bryan. In contrast to the Olympic athletes, we've only been in training for nine weeks! Our families are here to cheer us on and take pictures so we can prove we really did this.
Friday, August 8, 2008
It's Mii!
I told you in my last entry that our kids were given the opportunity to earn a Wii Olympics game by completing a memorization challenge and doing some oral presentations for the family.
Well, they finished everything and got the game yesterday. We decided to make the game a bit more educational by insisting that they only play with "Olympic Miis." So far we have Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Wilma Rudolph, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Mary Lou Retton, but they have plans to create many more!
Here's a video of the challenges. One reason I'm glad we have our new video camera is that I have missed getting their voices recorded a lot in the last several years. Noah's little voice is still so cute! If you stick with it until the end, you'll see a frantic 100 m Wii race.
Two of fun things we've enjoyed learning about this week are the national anthems and the olympic mascots.
We played "Name That Tune" using itunes clips of different national anthems. We are now pretty good at identifying the anthems of the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, China and Russia. After that, it gets pretty difficult. It would be neater if each country's music reflected the kind of music you associate with that country, but instead I think all the anthems were written around the same time period with pretty much the same style.
We also learned a lot about the past and present Olympic mascots. These are the ones from the Beijing Olympics:
I thought they were pretty cheesy, but when I read about what each one represents and why they were designed the way they were, it seems like a lot of thought went into it. You can read about them here.
Anyway, if you still think they're cheesy, you need to check out the mascot from the 1972 Munich Olympics - a pastel-striped weiner dog!
Well, they finished everything and got the game yesterday. We decided to make the game a bit more educational by insisting that they only play with "Olympic Miis." So far we have Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Wilma Rudolph, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Mary Lou Retton, but they have plans to create many more!
Here's a video of the challenges. One reason I'm glad we have our new video camera is that I have missed getting their voices recorded a lot in the last several years. Noah's little voice is still so cute! If you stick with it until the end, you'll see a frantic 100 m Wii race.
Two of fun things we've enjoyed learning about this week are the national anthems and the olympic mascots.
We played "Name That Tune" using itunes clips of different national anthems. We are now pretty good at identifying the anthems of the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, China and Russia. After that, it gets pretty difficult. It would be neater if each country's music reflected the kind of music you associate with that country, but instead I think all the anthems were written around the same time period with pretty much the same style.
We also learned a lot about the past and present Olympic mascots. These are the ones from the Beijing Olympics:
I thought they were pretty cheesy, but when I read about what each one represents and why they were designed the way they were, it seems like a lot of thought went into it. You can read about them here.
Anyway, if you still think they're cheesy, you need to check out the mascot from the 1972 Munich Olympics - a pastel-striped weiner dog!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Challenge
Our kids have really been wanting to get the Olympics Wii game that is out right now. I thought it might be fitting to get it - especially for our boys that are left behind. Anyway, I gave them a challenge on the first day of school and said I'd buy the game once they all completed the challenge. They had five things to memorize (the Olympic motto, creed, oath, and two passages of scripture) and two reports each to do (one on an Olympic sport that they didn't know much about and one on a country).
Well, it's taken only about three days for them to all complete everything. Nathan chose to do a report on fencing, Noah chose beach volleyball, Caleb chose cycling and Rebecca chose the paralympics. Last night they made some powerpoint presentations when we hooked up our laptop to the plasma TV. Here is a picture of Noah getting ready for his presentation.
They are getting ready for the new game by making lots of new Olympic-athlete "Miis" for the game. They've had to do quite a bit of research as they're trying to make sure to get things like the eye color right. By the way, Michael Phelps has brown eyes, but his Mii just doesn't look right without a Speedo.
Here are the two passages of scripture that the kids have memorized. Even though they're "done" memorizing them, we can continue to glean spiritual insights from them as we discuss them in light of the Olympics.
1 Cor. 9: 24-27
Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Hebrews 12: 1,2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well, it's taken only about three days for them to all complete everything. Nathan chose to do a report on fencing, Noah chose beach volleyball, Caleb chose cycling and Rebecca chose the paralympics. Last night they made some powerpoint presentations when we hooked up our laptop to the plasma TV. Here is a picture of Noah getting ready for his presentation.
They are getting ready for the new game by making lots of new Olympic-athlete "Miis" for the game. They've had to do quite a bit of research as they're trying to make sure to get things like the eye color right. By the way, Michael Phelps has brown eyes, but his Mii just doesn't look right without a Speedo.
Here are the two passages of scripture that the kids have memorized. Even though they're "done" memorizing them, we can continue to glean spiritual insights from them as we discuss them in light of the Olympics.
1 Cor. 9: 24-27
Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Hebrews 12: 1,2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
First Day of School!
Today was the first day of our 08/09 school year. Some years we have a special breakfast or take photos. This morning we simply had toast and sat in front of the TV watching the Today Show's coverage from Beijing. It was so cool thinking we would see those places ourselves in just 14 days!
Today we spent some time learning the history of the modern Olympic movement and practicing the Olympic motto, creed and oath. Last year the boys enjoyed (yes, they really did enjoy this, believe it or not) learning Greek and Latin roots, so probably the most interesting thing that they learned today is that "gymnos" means "nude," so gymnasium really means "a place for naked exercise." In the true fashion of 8-12 year-old boys, they talked about this over and over! We also learned that the word "stadium" is based on the "stade" which was the length of the foot race in the original Greek games, but somehow this did not bear repeating as much as gymnasium.
Each of the kids chose a sport and a country to prepare a report for to present tomorrow night to the family.
We did a few experiments from our "Sports Science" book - learning how the brain is the most important body part when it comes to success in sports. Our experiments were on reaction time (which involved dropping and catching a ruler with a partner - it turns out that Rebecca had the best reaction time)
and learning about balance (Nathan won the balance challenge!).
Probably the biggest thing that I learned today is that shots hurt!
Nathan, Terry and I had our hepatitis shot in preparation for travel. Since Rebecca has traveled to China before, she got to skip this ritual.
Speaking of ritual, we are watching a documentary tonight called "The Real Olympics" and learned that the first Olympics started with the ritual of animal sacrifice. I'm glad that won't be part of the opening ceremonies this year!
Today we spent some time learning the history of the modern Olympic movement and practicing the Olympic motto, creed and oath. Last year the boys enjoyed (yes, they really did enjoy this, believe it or not) learning Greek and Latin roots, so probably the most interesting thing that they learned today is that "gymnos" means "nude," so gymnasium really means "a place for naked exercise." In the true fashion of 8-12 year-old boys, they talked about this over and over! We also learned that the word "stadium" is based on the "stade" which was the length of the foot race in the original Greek games, but somehow this did not bear repeating as much as gymnasium.
Each of the kids chose a sport and a country to prepare a report for to present tomorrow night to the family.
We did a few experiments from our "Sports Science" book - learning how the brain is the most important body part when it comes to success in sports. Our experiments were on reaction time (which involved dropping and catching a ruler with a partner - it turns out that Rebecca had the best reaction time)
and learning about balance (Nathan won the balance challenge!).
Probably the biggest thing that I learned today is that shots hurt!
Nathan, Terry and I had our hepatitis shot in preparation for travel. Since Rebecca has traveled to China before, she got to skip this ritual.
Speaking of ritual, we are watching a documentary tonight called "The Real Olympics" and learned that the first Olympics started with the ritual of animal sacrifice. I'm glad that won't be part of the opening ceremonies this year!
Ready, Set, Go!
Here's a picture of Rebecca with all the stuff we got in a recent package from Panasonic. We are excited about getting to trade pins with the collateral they gave us - it will be a great conversation starter. And I love the fancy luggage tags!
We also had a phone conversation this week with Panasonic and found out many more details about our trip. These are the events that we're going to be seeing:
Men's Beach Volleyball
Men's 200 M
Men's 50K walk
Men's Basketball
Women's Softball
Platform Diving
I'm probably most excited at this point about Platform Diving as Rebecca and I have been fans of Laura Wilkinson since the 2000 Olympics. I'm also pumped to see the Men's 200 M as I'm sure some former Razorbacks will be competing.
We also found out about some of the specific sites we'll see in Beijing - I'll post more about that a different time.
We also got a package from amazon this week - several books and videos to complement our unit study that we'll start next week. I've also put a ton of books on reserve at the library!
To change gears . . .
Rebecca and I have completed eight weeks of training and will be competing along with a great family friend, Laura O., in a sprint triathlon next Sunday. We did a mock run of the race this week. As soon as we exited from our swim in the lake, the heavens broke loose in a downpour. We decided to risk a lightning strike and just go for it! It was better than running in extreme heat and humidity at least. We are not competing as a team - but we'd do better if we did - Rebecca is the best swimmer, Laura is by far the best biker, and I am the best runner. But the good news is, we all finished within our goal time. The bad news is that I have not lost a pound. I do feel pretty good, though. Our families are traveling to Chattanooga with us to cheer us on.
I'll end with this picture. We took it for the latest HD challenge - we're supposed to be taking some pictures that could end up on the side of a truck. We'll take few more tomorrow as I'm not sure the ones we have are that good. Anyway, this picture sort of reminds me of how I feel right now. My family is in a photograph, and it feels both fun and scary to have your family on display.
In The News
Here's an article that came out in the local papers about our family. It has a bit of misinformation as it implies that we were chosen out of thousands to attend the Olympics when we were actually just chosen from among the HD families. The main reason to look at the arcticle is that you get to see my new haircut! I was sort of bummed that the kids were out of town when the reporter came by. They would have enjoyed being in the paper.
Article
Karla and Paul Gately have given us some ideas of places to go in Japan. One is
Karuizawa and the other is a Torchbearers site at the base of Mt. Fuji. Panasonic folks in Japan are also providing us with a sample itinerary.
We have our passports and tickets now (we'll be flying on American Airlines to Chicago and then on Japan Airlines the rest of the way). The visas are in process.
Article
Karla and Paul Gately have given us some ideas of places to go in Japan. One is
Karuizawa and the other is a Torchbearers site at the base of Mt. Fuji. Panasonic folks in Japan are also providing us with a sample itinerary.
We have our passports and tickets now (we'll be flying on American Airlines to Chicago and then on Japan Airlines the rest of the way). The visas are in process.
Lotsa Stuff
First of all, check out this video that Nathan made. He built the set himself - he loves to make booby traps.
This week our kids are at "Cousin Camp" in Knoxville. I understand that the boys built a go-cart yesterday with Poppa - I'll be anxious to hear how that went.
Here is a picture of the T-shirts Rebecca made for all the cousins. I thought they turned out cute. They say "My cousins are nuts from the same family tree."
Lastly, I thought I'd give you an update on our Panasonic Trip.
Right now we are set to fly out at 7:13 am on August 18th. We will be connecting through Detroit and then Japan. Once we get to Detroit, we will be traveling with lots of Panasonic folks. Panasonic is a big Olympic sponsor and is sending lots of their execs. These are the first Olympics to be broadcast entirely in high definition. We will be staying the first three nights at the Kuntai Royal Hotel in Beijing and will then be moving to The Grand Epoch City resort - which is a resort built to look like the old city of Beijing. The first place is closer to the Olympics, and the second place is closer to sightseeing.
On the way back, Panasonic has given us permission to layover in Japan at our own expense, but we have to decide by tomorrow. So we're looking into things to do and places to stay in Tokyo if we decide to do that.
This week our kids are at "Cousin Camp" in Knoxville. I understand that the boys built a go-cart yesterday with Poppa - I'll be anxious to hear how that went.
Here is a picture of the T-shirts Rebecca made for all the cousins. I thought they turned out cute. They say "My cousins are nuts from the same family tree."
Lastly, I thought I'd give you an update on our Panasonic Trip.
Right now we are set to fly out at 7:13 am on August 18th. We will be connecting through Detroit and then Japan. Once we get to Detroit, we will be traveling with lots of Panasonic folks. Panasonic is a big Olympic sponsor and is sending lots of their execs. These are the first Olympics to be broadcast entirely in high definition. We will be staying the first three nights at the Kuntai Royal Hotel in Beijing and will then be moving to The Grand Epoch City resort - which is a resort built to look like the old city of Beijing. The first place is closer to the Olympics, and the second place is closer to sightseeing.
On the way back, Panasonic has given us permission to layover in Japan at our own expense, but we have to decide by tomorrow. So we're looking into things to do and places to stay in Tokyo if we decide to do that.
We're Going to the Olympics!
I almost don't know what to say! Rebecca says that I am so excited that I am spastic! God has been so good to us, and we will be going to Beijing on August 18th to see 4 days of Olympics (including the closing ceremonies) and do 2 days of sight-seeing. It will be a whirlwind, and we will need to be documenting everything on film and video in order to produce material for the Panasonic website. What an adventure!
I feel bad for the families that didn't win, but Greg told us that they were going to do something for all the families that applied. What a great bunch!
Here's the version of our video that we sent to Panasonic along with our application.
More Jumping Pictures
Jump into Summer!
My kids have recently discovered they love jumping in the lake! We found a dock that's been for sale for a long time right in the cove where Terry likes to ski. It's a great place for the kids to hang out while Terry skis (getting them out of the boat reduces the wake), and they finally got brave enough to try jumping in. I love these pictures! The older guy is Mike Baker, a Moody Aviation grad that we befriended years ago and who recently came to town for a visit. Rebecca jumped, too, but not with the camera!
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