In my last blog, Road Trip to the Olympics: The Dream of a Lifetime, I told the story of our ill-fated attempt to go to the Olympics, which was thwarted by a flu bug.  But after a 48 hour recovery period, we were ready to go!

At 7:30 AM on Thursday, February 25, we headed up I-5 toward the Peace Arch border crossing at Blaine, Washington.  Our Olympic mobile contained 2 moms, 4 kids and lots of happy anticipation, especially mine.

We arrived at the Bridgeport Sky Train Station where we planned to park and ride into the city.  The garage was already full, however we noticed many people parking in a mud lot underneath the train tracks.

“Can you park here?”  I asked a man and his wife who were heading into the station. “I don’t know.  We walked from our hotel.  We are from Holland,” the man replied in his Euro accent.  Wow!   We were having what I envisioned in my Olympic experience and we hadn’t even parked the car yet!

After parking, we purchased our $9 all day train tickets and boarded the Sky Train. We rode to the Waterfront stop, several blocks from the Olympic flame Cauldron and the Pacific Coliseum where the figure and speed skating events were taking place.

Along the quarter mile walk to the Cauldron past the Coliseum, we saw vendors selling Olympic pins.  Each Olympic venue and sport had a collectible pin.  Volunteers carried some in their pockets.  If you were lucky, they had one to give to you when you asked.   The kids loved this giant treasure hunt taking place all over the city.  They collected four pins each and bought two more.

We picniced fifty feet from the impressive Olympic Cauldron. After taking pictures, we headed toward Robson Square, one of several “Celebration Sites.” On the way, we stood in line to receive a free ball cap at the Omega Plaza behind the Art Gallery.  The kids got their picture taken in a real, cherry red bobsled.

At Robson Square, a zip line was strung between two towers at a breathtaking height and distance. A juggler entertained a crowd next to an ice skating rink where the public could skate for a $2 skate rental fee.  We scored two Olympic pins there and rested our feet watching Finland beat Switzerland in hockey on the live Jumbotron outdoor screen.

Next we walked to BC Place, where the women’s gold medal hockey match was soon to begin. Streams of fans in red maple leaf Canadian jerseys flowed toward the rink.  The band and cheering crowds could be heard from outside. We were looking for one of many pavilions offering free activities. The line snaking around the Ontario house indicated a two-hour wait to enter, which was typical of the indoor venues.  We contented ourselves with the outdoor ambiance and headed off to find our souvenirs at a quaint section of town called Gastown.

As afternoon edged toward evening, our Olympic adventure wound down with the waning stamina of six-year-old legs.  We meandered back to the Sky Train for the trip home.

Though we hadn’t seen a single athlete or attended an athletic event, our expectations for our road trip had been fulfilled.  We’d been to the Olympics!  We’d seen the flame.  We met people from other countries. We experienced outstanding Canadian hospitality.  We had Olympic pins and souvenirs to treasure.  Our kids had a unique experience that would enhance their Olympic enjoyment for years to come.

I’m still smiling.  We pulled off a spontaneous, nearly cancelled, very affordable, fabulous Olympic road trip. I’ve had a dream come true. And to think I almost missed it!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who suggests you take a road trip to Vancouver for the Paralympics coming up in March.

Having grown up in the snowy Midwest on the tip of Lake Michigan, I learned to ice skate at a young age. We drove up to the Iron Mountains of Northern Michigan to ski regularly during the winter and eventually out in Colorado a few times. My parents lived near a golf course, which was perfect for cross country skiing.

So when the winter Olympics rolled around every four years, our family was as happy as a teenage boy at an all-you-can-eat buffet.  We were allowed to watch TV on school nights (a rare privilege) and during dinner (a very rare privilege.) Like many families, our talk was dominated by one subject during those two weeks.  I swear our skiing and skating improved after watching too.  My ski posters were my prize possessions along with the book, How to Ski with the Big Boys.

Decades later, married and living in Seattle, you can imagine my delight when the Winter Olympics were to be held in Vancouver, BC in 2010.  I vowed to go up, even if I could only get tickets to the curling event, which I’ve since discovered is a cool sport.  But when the time for the Olympics came around, I somehow lost perspective. To go up to Vancouver seemed too expensive for the budget and impractical with all the unknowns of traveling in an unfamiliar big city with young kids in tow.

Just in the nick of time, my innate Olympic passion shook me out of my passive sensibilities.  On Sunday night of the final week, I was having coffee with a friend. I said to her and myself:  “I’ve always said that I would go to the Olympics if I ever had a chance.  I think I’ll regret it the rest of my life if I don’t at least go up there—even if I just see the Olympic Cauldron and take in the ambiance.  I don’t care if we don’t have tickets. We’ve gotta go!”

Having chosen the right friend to go to coffee with that evening, she replied, “Of course we have to go!”  We planned our Olympic road trip for the coming Tuesday.  My desire was coming true!

The picnic was packed, maps printed off the internet, and excitement was running high.   One child was tucked into bed in preparation for our early trek to the border when the second child came to me with those ill-fated words, “Mom, I don’t feel so good.”  Eight hours later, my Olympic dream had gone down the toilet, replaced by an all night vigil in the bathroom and a trip to the store for Ginger Ale and Gator Aid. By morning, both kids had been bitten by the flu bug.  We weren’t going anywhere.

All through the sleepless night and into the next day, I had a positive attitude that surprised even me.  Was I drawing strength from all the perseverance I’d been watching nightly on the Olympic coverage?  Somehow, I held onto hope for a quick recover throughout the whole flu ordeal. And by the grace of God, our delayed, but not destroyed Olympic Road trip began 48 hours later!

Tomorrow’s post:  The Dream Comes True!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who watched lots of Olympic coverage with her kids during those sick days.

Here’s another beautiful Studio3Music birthday boy, with professional photographer Brooke’s and mom Lisa’s comments. Doesn’t he just look so kissable?

Brooke:  So oh my goodness…if every baby made it as easy as birthday boy Liam! Just seconds from being a real “walker”, happy little Liam was all smiles and love for his Mommy Lori (cooing at him just off camera). Usually, the grown-ups have to shamelessly perform like trained circus animals to get those amazing expressions from our kids, but Liam generously shared them without the usual acrobatics! He’s the type that lures all of use into having more babies…and we all know what happens when the first baby is a dream, right?

Lori:  Brooke is quite professional, does great work and has superb artistic skill. She has a great way with kids, and was very efficient with our quick little man’s attention span ; )

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who encourages you to visit Brooke’s website, and then use your Studio3Music birthday free session gift!

Kyler, the innocent-looking perpetrator!

Kyler is synonomous with mischief.  But honestly, I thought we were past the worst of it, I think we probably are.  However, today I learned these things:

1.  When a mama smells something burning but isn’t cooking, the kitchen is the last place to look.  When she is tempted to give up looking and is sure it’s just the neighbors burning some wood, she should not give up.

2.   Examining all the wall heaters in each room making sure nothing has been stuffed into them and caught on fire, is reasonable but possibly not helpful.

3.  Looking in the oven, three times, is not helpful either.  If it wasn’t on fire the first time, it likely won’t be in 2 minutes.

4.  Enlisting children to help determine where the smoke is coming from is a good idea-maybe.

5.  Trex decking material, though very stain-resistant (per our friend Justin who built our little deck), is apparently not fire proof.

6.  Heat lamps for chickens provide a lot of heat.  Especially when aimed (or directly face down) on the deck.  In fact I’m now sure they would catch a chicken on fire were it to touch the light.

7.  Lining up all the children and asking who turned on the heat lamp and laid in on the deck with a scary/scared mama face is a quick way to get the truth.

8.  Kyler is apparently not quite done with mischief.

9.  Pretty surely, the dad is not going to be a happy one when he sees the damage.

10.  The house is still standing.  Thank goodness for that.

-posted by Karissa Strovas, Kindermusik mama  and family blogger, who assures us that no chickens were harmed in the burning of the Trex.

Bonjour!

As some of you know, I was off once again to see some of my family who live in France.  I love it there, and the people are so nice and inviting!  My cousin, his family and some friends live outside of Paris.  My sister and her family live in the French Alps in a small village with great skiing! The landscape is amazing and the food is incredible.  And although we live thousands of miles apart, thanks to the internet and Skype, I can visit and see my family and friends who live all over the world.  It IS a small world after all!

So here are some fun facts about France and a little French lesson too:

Capital: Paris

Language: French

Ne vous escaladez les montagnes? (Do you climb mountains?) The highest mountain is Mont Blanc in the French Alps. It rises to 4,807m (15,771 ft). Mount Blanc is also the highest peak in the whole of Europe. Btw, I could see it when we were skiing!

Vous aimez le fromage? (Do you like cheese?) More than 350 kinds of cheese are made in France.

Avez-vous une bicyclette ? (Do you have a bicycle?) Every summer more than 100 professional cyclists race in the Tour de France. The race is approximately 2,000 miles long. The race lasts up to three weeks and is held in July. The route changes from year to year.

Vous aimez l’art? (Do you like art?) The Louvre is one of the largest art museums in the world. Some of the paintings exhibited there are from the French artists Monet, Cezanne, and Renoir.  The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci is there too.

Avez-vous faim? (Are you hungry?)  Then try some dishes such as quiche, soufflés, mousse, pâté, croissants, crêpes, French bread and my personal favorite….fondue.

J’aime la Tour Eiffel! (I love the Eiffel Tower!) Visit here for facts about the Tower.

-posted by Miss Beth, who is very glad to be back with you all in class, even though she loves to travel!

I threw in the proverbial towel.  My children looked at me with wide eyes wanting to know why mommy suddenly quit.  I started to realize how foolish my declaration sounded, so in a calmer voice I informed my kids that mommy simply needed a time out.  Again, the looks. 

My oldest finally asked, “What did you do?”  I had no idea what he was asking.  “I’m not sure I understand you, sweetie.  Can you ask me in a different way”?  His younger brother looked at him as if the wisdom of the world rested on his seven year old shoulders.  “I mean, why are you in trouble?  We get time outs when we make bad choices.  What did you do?” 

I was upset that I had spent the entire day cleaning my house, rearing my children and then topped it off by making a pleasing meal only to have nothing to show for at the end of the day.  For a minute I was yearning for the old life, the life where I was on top and in control and not at the whim of three little ones. 

As soon as I had the bathroom clean and moved on to my next task my five year old had the sudden thought that finger painting on the mirror with toothpaste would be a grand use of time and exploration.  He also followed me around all day negotiating all the boundary lines I had put into place. 

My 18 month old daughter found a green crayon that had rolled underneath the couch and decided to do her version of a Van Gogh on our slider window.  I discovered her when coming out of the laundry room looking at me sheepishly with green shavings around her mouth.  We won’t even go there!

My oldest spilled milk all over our carpet in the dining room while pouring a glass (more like a tableful!)   I spent the rest of the evening dealing with children who refused to eat a perfectly good dinner but at the same time didn’t want to go to bed hungry.  Oh, I could not wait for them to go to bed!

 My son’s question made me realize that I was focusing on the accomplishment, needing to see immediate results in order to justify what I do each day. Somehow I got into a place where I needed instant gratification in order to feel like a good mother and wife.  I did not feel like I had done anything but battle since I woke up. 

My mom use to always tell me that what I feel is real, it is indeed my reality but is not always based on truth and that in fact, the two rarely get along with each other.  As always, my mom’s words of wisdom were so right. 

Although I felt I did not accomplish anything, the truth is I accomplish more in one day than what I can immediately see.  I shape, form and fasten the characters of three precious children each and every day.  They do not realize this now, but one day they will.  My children are currently a raw resource in the process of becoming a grand piece of art and I am the artist.       

- posted by Miss Jesikah, who is still trying to figure out what makes crayons so tasty and dinner yucky!