Star Wars Lego Olympics

"One revel is a biathlont." (That's Danya's phrase for a rebel is a biathlete.) "Two rebels are snow-crossers. The captain clone is a cross-country skiier. Annikan is a snowboarder-crosser. The pilot storm trooper is a snowboarder...crosser. A storm trooper is a bobsledder. Another rebel is a speed skater. A clone trooper is a speed skater."

There are advantages to being legos. They can easily clip back in if they lose their snowboards. And Tima even showed me how Annikan 'used force' to get his back when it fell off. (There are advantages to being Star Wars guys, too.)

When watching the Olympics, Ella definitely likes the female figure skaters. Even when watching the pairs, she comments, "I like the girl." And whenever hockey comes on (which is often!) she comments, "I don't like pockey." Or, complains, "Pockey, again!" She claims her favorite is 'kee-gwumping.' And more than anything, she asks, "Mama, can we wat' de commer-tal?" since commercials are a novel thing in our household!

Tima claims his favorite sports are ski jumping (which we see a lot of here) and bobsled, both short and longtrack speed skating, and snowboarding cross. When I asked Danya to choose three (from the list of 10 he first told me) he finally decided on speed skating, half-pipe and the crosses.

Ella is Three!

Ella enjoyed a very special day yesterday! We kept it very simple, since in our opinion a three year old doesn't need much to make the day special. She enjoyed her gifts, got a lot of attention from her daddy, and enjoyed a party with our teammates. Although we were disappointed that the Skoks couldn't come, we enjoyed the Huddlestons, Cheryl and Lena. Ella chose pelmeni for dinner and a pink cake. (No surprise on either count!)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3999097&l=6fb870558c&id=593736915
Here are a few more photos!

Olympic Fun

We are having another week of geography and sports science.

Ella notices the letter "E" in everything, including results lists of the competition. "That's my letter!" she exclaims.

The boys are very interested in the different countries. The US and Russia are favorites... sometimes Danya cries when they lose. But they are passionate for Korea as well. And this mroning, watching speed skating, they were all for the Japanese because of their shiny gold 'super hero' outfits.

Danya has a week off of Russian school, since all first graders get four vacations each year. He thinks it is for the Olympics. My goal is to do extra American homeschool. We're doing a medal chart and some geography to go along with the Olympics. And we found a list of apporopriate spelling words. But the weather here is warmer, and we're trying to spend more time outside doing our own winter 'sports'.

There are huge piles of snow in front of our building, and the boys love to scale them and slide down the 'cliffs'. On the southern side, where the business entrances are, they have piled all the snow in the ramps, and the boys love to tunnel through them.

We haven't made it to the woods to sled or skate much. The weather was too cold for awhile, especially for Ella. And the paths packed by walkers down are a too skinny for the baby jogger, which means I'm either carrying Ella or she's crying on the sled. THe last week it's been warmer (about -5 to -10C) but Tima and Ella have been quite sick with croup-like illness. Now, they're getting better, but Eric and I are fighting something off. So it goes, I guess! But even home-bound, we are enjoying more sunshine and longer hours of daylight.

Winter Student Conference

Tima and Ella, along with our friend Sam, spent hours each day playing with the little animals. Their babysitter started bringing a book when she watched them because they were so engaged with their play.

Beauty.

Today I talked with a friend in Krasnoyarsk. Ella and Tima are coughing and feverish, but did well for most of the conversation. Ella wanted to see who I was talking to and showed Tima their family's photo.

Quick update

We are spending the week together with staff and students from about ten cultures across the Russian-speaking world, plus our traditional group of Korean students! Ella and Tima are having a great time with the one other child-Sam McFadden. Their babysitter started bringing a book since the kids only want to play with their little animals and Snow White. Right now they are having a feast …some of the Jedi and dwarves are in the pile to be eaten by the tigers.

Danya is having a good time staying with our teammates in St. Petersburg. Trisha was so gracious to take him in for the week, though her husband is with us at the conference. And Danya’s definition of heaven is Nate and Nicks’ home! He’s playing Wii, Monopoly Deal, and Legos. Just like I have three kids of similar interests who are intensely playing with one another, Trisha says the three at her house are just as intense, though of course at a different developmental level!

It’s been great for me to watch Eric in action, leading the staff and students of Russia. I sat in on his vision casting meeting with the Korean students, and my own vision for Russia was renewed. And for the first time I experienced Korean style prayer at its most intense- with us in the center, hearing the many shouted prayers poured out with literal tears. And though I worried I would have no common ground with students (in my old age, having missed this conference for 5 years!) I have been blessed by the 45 students who live in cities without staff members, who are looking for mentors and friends. The atmosphere among our staff and students is very hopeful, as we all trust God together!