Olympics

We’ll Always Have Paris

The Paris 2024 Olympics has been one of my favorite Olympic Games to date (although nothing holds a candle to London 2012), so it was really challenging to choose just five favorite moments, but I did my best!

  • Pommel Horse Guy–America’s newest (super)hero, Stephen Nedoroscik, captured all of our hearts with his quick transformation from self-proclaimed glasses-wearing nerd to star of the Bercy Arena, as he left his glasses hanging on the chalk bin and wowed us all with his talent and skill on the pommel horse. I was thrilled when he helped the US men’s team capture the bronze medal, and even more ecstatic when he won an individual medal, as well!
  • Léon Marchand Wins Gold in Front of the Home Crowd–I’m always a fan of a home-town hero, and seeing Marchand win not just one, but four gold medals in Paris was a thrill, and he was even able to accomplish something Michael Phelps never did, by winning two individual gold medals in the same night! As always, it was fun to listen to Rowdy Gaines call his races, because Rowdy always gets excited about a good swim!
  • Respect on the Podium–The image I will forever carry with me from these Olympics is that of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing in respect to Rebeca Andrade on the podium following the floor final. The beautiful display of sportswomanship and ultimate respect was an unforgettable moment, and one I am grateful I got to witness.
  • Djokovic’s Golden Slam–I couldn’t not root for Djokovic, who was attempting to complete the elusive golden slam to cap off his illustrious career. Knowing that he was the oldest player in the tournament, competing in the final against the youngest player, just made the story more perfect. Seeing the joy on his face when he finally accomplished that goal, and watching him run through the stands to his family, was touching, and later seeing him outside the Eiffel Tower with his gold medal and the flag of Serbia completed the narrative.
  • Golden Noah Lyles…and Bronze with COVID–I love Noah Lyles’ larger-than-life personality and his story of struggle and triumph, so I was really rooting for him to win the 100m, and it was a thrilling moment when the victory came down to a photo finish. I was also hoping he could match Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis by winning both the 100m and 200m. That wasn’t meant to be, but when I found out that Lyles won bronze in that race in spite of having COVID (and being an asthmatic!), I realized just how impressive that bronze was! And his loss enabled Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who was running in memory of his mother who died earlier this year, to win the gold in that event, which made me happy for him, too.

And one bonus item, which includes all of the non-athlete heroes from these games!

  • Snoop Dogg, Bob the Cap Catcher, Phryge the Mascot, Flavor Flav, and Cookie Monster, Elmo, & Abby Cadabby–Not all of the heroes of the games participated in the sports. Snoop Dogg somehow became America’s grandpa and Team USA’s mascot. Bob the Cap Catcher, a man who wanted anonymity, rose to fame simply for diving into the pool in a speedo to retrieve the caps that the swimmers lost. Phryge, an anthropomorphic Phrygian cap, taught us the ins and outs of the different sports. Flavor Flav inexplicably became water polo’s biggest fan. And the visitors from Sesame Street charmed athletes and added a wholesomeness to the Olympics I didn’t even realize was missing!

Ok, one last-minute shoutout to:

  • The Closing Ceremony–Hands-down my favorite Olympics Closing Ceremony ever. I loved the pageantry, the music, the speeches, and especially the handover to LA. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the youth of the world assemble there in four years for another Olympic Games!

Paris 2024 was a great Olympics full of memorable moments and characters, broken records, and history made. My biggest regret is that the women’s artistic gymnastics ended up with a cloud over the event, which is a shame because it was amazing in the moment. Hopefully in the end, we will remember these Olympics for all of the moments that went right, and not those that went wrong.

Mani Monday

I’m back with one more Olympics-themed mani. This time, I used Holo Taco ”Blue Freezie,” “Lemon Sucker,” “Black Holo Wish,” “Green Taffy,” and “Red Licorice” to make polka dots inspired by the Olympic rings on a base of “Sugar Rush” in the spirt of the background of the Olympic flag.

Mani Monday

This week’s mani is an homage to the host country of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. I used Holo Taco’s “Blue Freezie,” “Sugar Rush,” and “Red Licorice” for the recognizable blue, white, and red of the Tricolore, and added the very neutral “Oat Couture” on my thumb and pinky.

A French Feast for the Opening Ceremonies

Mesdames et Messieurs, la Cérémonie d’ouverture de Paris 2024!

Today is the Olympics Opening Ceremony I’ve been waiting for for eight years! While I enjoyed the Tokyo 2020(1) Games, it just wasn’t the same, and we all know it. But Paris 2024 is going to be the Olympics we all remember from pre-Covid days, and I can’t wait. Of course I planned a day full of French recipes to get us in the proper spirt, beginning with homemade croissants for breakfast, served with butter, Nutella, and homemade blueberry jam:

For lunch, I made Salade Niçoise. I liked it, but the best I can say for everybody else is that they found aspects of the salad they enjoyed. We did discover that we really like seven-and-a-half minute eggs, though!

For the soup course, I made Vichyssoise, which I thought was really interesting. The flavor was excellent, but it is a different experience eating cold soup!

I made the classic French dish, Bœuf Bourgignon, for dinner. It was A LOT of work, but really delicious!

We didn’t have champagne, but we did still have a toast to Paris 2024!

For dessert, Ladybug made macarons. I tried to help, but as it turns out, macarons are above my pay grade. She kindly let me help fill them, though. They’re so delicious, and we’re looking forward to making them again!

I have a few other French recipes I want to try over the next two weeks, but mostly, I’m just ready to watch the Olympic Games!!!

Mani Monday

The Olympics begin this week! In honor of my favorite quadrennial event, this week’s mani is inspired by the Olympic rings. I used Holo Taco, and all of the shades other than the black are from the “Rainbow Bundle”…”Blue Freezie,” “Lemon Sucker,” “Black Holo Wish,” “Green Taffy,” and “Red Licorice.” I can’t wait for the Opening Ceremonies!

What We’re Reading–Paris 2024

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are only one week away! As usual, I planned this year’s summer school to coincide with The Games. Between the books I already had about the Olympics and some Olympians, and a few that I bought focused on France (including food, art, and fashion), I think we have a pretty good reading list. Also included are some DVDs (featuring Rick Steves), a CD, a craft kit (fashion-focused to fit the Paris theme), and a game (Ticket to Ride Paris came out just in time!). We’re also planning on doing some French cooking (I did promise, however, not to make snails!).

  • Rick Steves Pocket Paris
  • Mastering the Art of French Cooking volumes one and two
  • My Life in France
  • A Bite-Sized History of France: Gastronomic Tales of Revolution, War, and Enlightenment
  • The Little Prince
  • Coco Chanel: Pearls, Perfume, and the Little Black Dress
  • Linnea in Monet’s Garden
  • Where is the Eiffel Tower?
  • 2024 Paris Summer Olympics Activity Book
  • Paris Through a Fashion Eye
  • Courage to Soar
  • Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team
  • DK Eyewitness Books: Olympics
  • Great Moments in the Summer Olympics
  • What are the Summer Olympics?
  • How to Train with a T. Rex and Win Eight Gold Medals
  • The Wildest Race Ever
  • Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still
  • The Story of the Olympics Games
  • Fashion Design Kit
  • Ticket to Ride Paris
  • Debussy for Daydreaming
  • 100 Years of Olympic Films
  • Rick Steves Europe: Paris and the Loire & France’s Countryside

The only thing missing from this list is a Lego set, which I try to include whenever possible, but we already have the Paris landmarks, and although it is a beautiful set, I can’t afford Notre-Dame de Paris at the moment.

The Top Five–Figure Skating Routines

The cold weather we’ve been having for the last week or so has me thinking back over previous winters, and when I think of winter, invariably one of my favorite memories is the Olympic Games I’ve watched over the years. One of my very favorite parts of any Winter Olympics is watching the figure skating, and I’ve come up with a list of my “Top Five” figure skating routines since I’ve been watching the Winter Games. In no particular order:

  • Sasha Cohen: “Romeo and Juliet”–I have never seen anyone with as lovely a spin as Cohen, and while she may not have performed up to all of the hype of the 2006 Torino Olympics where people thought she would win gold (she “only” won silver), this is still one of my favorite routines of all time. Yes, she fell, but it was a beautiful and emotive performance in spite of that, full of the grace and elegance she was known for.
  • Jamie Salé and David Pelletier: “Love Story”–The figure skating competition at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics was rocked by scandal, and Salé and Pelletier were right in the center of it. Their long program was beautiful and full of emotion, and their chemistry was undeniable. The haunting music and simple costuming just highlighted their skill as performers. This was a gold medal winning performance, even if it did take the powers that be some time to sort that out.
  • Katarina Witt: “Robin Hood”–Witt was my favorite skater when I was child…one of my earliest Olympics memories is watching her skate at the 1984 Winter Games. The routine that really stands out to me, though, is one that did not win her any medals…she skated to music from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves at Lillehammer 1994. I remember this one so well because it was the first time Germany had a united team for the Olympic Games after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and because I loved the music she skated to.
  • Sarah Hughes: Ravel and Rachmaninoff–Another memory from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics is Hughes’ gold medal winning performance. She wasn’t expected to win (that was the year everyone though Michelle Kwan was finally going to win gold), but Kwan, Irina Slutskaya, and Sasha Cohen all made significant mistakes in the free skate, and while Hughes’ routine wasn’t completely clean, it was challenging and well-executed, and in the end thrilled the world with one of figure skating’s biggest upsets. I will always remember the look on her face as she finished the routine, a joyful look that said she realized the gold was hers, and it was beautiful.
  • Johnny Weir: “My Way”–At the Torino 2006 Olympics, Johnny Weir was a hopeful to medal for the US, but he left the Winter Games without standing atop the podium. In spite of that, as a fan favorite, he performed at the Champions’ Gala, where he skated to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Skating to Sinatra was absolutely the perfect choice for him, and his artistry and elegance were an impeccable fit for the song, which was itself the perfect description of how Johnny Weir approached skating. His camel spins across the ice are unparalleled and just demonstrate his exquisite form and grace.

Do you have a favorite figure skating memory?

2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Wrap-Up

Beijing 2022 certainly did go by quickly! We can never dedicate as much time to the Winter Olympics as we can to the Summer Games, either in school, or just watching for fun. We did try to fit in as much Olympics as possible though, which always begins with trying new recipes that reflect the cuisine of the host nation, starting with our dinner for the Opening Ceremony and continuing through the events with special meals here and there:

  • Scallion pancakes
  • Sticky ginger shrimp with scallion rice
  • Bok Choy
  • Don tot
  • Mango pudding
  • Congee with mustard greens
  • Chinese crullers
  • Xiao long bao
  • Chinese snowflake cake (raspberry and coconut)
  • Potstickers
  • Chinese noodle soup
  • Nai Wong Bao

We also managed to fit in a few crafts…Chinese plum blossoms, unique medals for the Winter Olympics, and an adorable dragon made out of cupcake liners:

Here’s a look at our completed medal chart…I was really hoping that by some miracle, Jamaica would win one medal, but no such luck! At least every other country we were following made it to the podium.

This was a complicated Olympics, and I’m left with a feeling of ennui about the whole thing, but I think we still managed to enjoy ourselves, and I know we liked trying new foods! I will say that I hope this is the last Olympics I see competed in front of empty arenas…here’s hoping for better from Paris 2024!