Indoor Olympics

I love the winter Olympics. I have wonderful memories of watching them with my family when I was little. So naturally I want our boys to have memories of the Olympics too. We've been letting them stay up a little later than normal, watching hockey at seven in the morning (awesome!), and live ice dancing at 10am. For some reason they love the ice dancing and pairs figure skating. I'm a total sucker for all the features on the athletes. The grainy movies from when they first started skating. The personal obstacles they've overcome. Maybe I tear up a little.

I don't know if all kids are this way, but Cal and Clark don't miss a single detail in anything it seems. They remember the clothes that people were wearing at certain times and mimic the movement of all kinds of athletes. This was no different. Lately all sorts of athletes and competitors have been showing up at our house, along with enthusiastic observers. Here are some moments I've captured this past week.

Three fans cheering for USA hockey at 7am

Ski jumping

Got some real air there

The bobsled course was tough this year.

Because the boys love Alex Ovechkin (Russian Capitals player), they
cheered for Russia vs. Team USA...until the end when the US
won. Then they claimed they really wanted their country
to win all along. Here is the Russian flag Cal made out of gears
and a t-shirt.

We have pretend metals, but Cal wanted to make some of his own too.
#lovemyartsandcraftskid

Gold metal winner in smoothie drinking!

Just to get under my skin-- when the USA women's hockey
team was playing Sweden, Clark came out
dressed in Sweden's colors.

Cal practices his figure skating jumps- I believe this is a
double toe loop.

and again

Ice dancing getting underway-- they got out mattress pads and I
let them decorate the "ice" with Olympic rings made of Sharpie.

And now skating from the United States of America...

Calvin and his cross-dressing brother Clark!

Such grace 

Perfect unison

Delightfully choreographed routine 

The lift

Aaaand... the finish

Speed skating! Made the bibs from newsprint

This speed skating track is made of mattress pads, old poster paper, and a towel.

Cal's bib

Short track speed skating ended in a bit of a meltdown. 

Biathlon! Cross country skis and a gun on his back 

gun= Wii steering wheel and foam sword stuck down his shirt

Ready to hit the trail

And another contestant ready to ride

same gun situation

Shooting at the target- target is upside down bucket of gears,
bullet is a battery that comes out of the wheel in slow motion

The course, designed by Cal, and including a
penalty lap, is made of gears and t-shirts
rolled up, and a sword and pajamas

All kinds of hockey gold metal games have been played...
they are much more dramatic than the hockey that happens here
once a day-- more slow motion replays.