winter olympics

2021-22 School Year–Week Twenty-One

We’re over halfway through February! Since this is always the month of the school year that is the biggest struggle, I consider that a victory!!!

Ladybug worked with 30-60-90 triangles in geometry. She started learning about scientific classification in biology, beginning with bacteria, and learned how to use a biological key. We discussed the Salvation Army in her study of denominations. She read about Ashurbanipal in history. Her astronomy study took her to the moon. We finished Sir Gawain and the Green Knight…Henry V is up next!

Chickadee reviewed fractions in math, and learned how to find the greatest common factor of a pair of numbers. We finished the chapter on crustaceans in science, reading about shrimp, horseshoe crabs, and trilobites. We continued our trip through the midwest in geography. She got to read one of my favorite Bible studies…Jonah’s misadventures. We finished Greek mythology, and next week we’ll start reading The Blue Fairy Book.

We also completed a few Olympics crafts this week. We reimagined the medals for the Winter Olympics, starting with the shape, and also made cupcake liner dragons, which are just too adorable!

Ladybug has been working on some oil paintings in her free time…I’m very impressed with her work!

I imagine next week we’ll feel the full impact of the February blahs because we won’t have the Olympics to distract us, but maybe we can arrange a field trip soon!

Chickadee Thursday

We’re still enjoying the Olympics…Chickadee even bought a figure skating costume for one of her American Girl dolls!

We also had fun reimagining the medals for the Winter Olympics, starting with making them snowflake-shaped…I really like how Chickadee painted hers!

Quote of the Day

“Let us curl, milady. Let us throw and sweep atwain until the heavens themselves drop their jaws in wonder and envy. And afterwards there’ll be beer and cocoa with marshmallows floating in the foam. And if, from now till the end of time, someone should ask what we were doing on the eve of the seventeenth of November, we shall proclaim that we were curling!” Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson on The Simpsons

2021-22 School Year–Week Twenty

It’s so hard to fit school in when the Olympics are on!

We did still have a busy week of school, though. Ladybug did more work with the Pythagorean Theorem in geometry, this time with 45-45-90 triangles. The first subject of the school year has been finished, as she completed the last lesson in vocabulary. We talked about Darwin and the difference between macroevolution and microevolution in biology. She read about Sargon II in history. We started fit four of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Chickadee learned how to calculate perimeter, area, and volume in math. We read about crustaceans in science. She started her study of US geography…we began close to home, with a few midwestern states. She is almost done with her study of Greek mythology…this week, we read the stories of Theseus and Oedipus.

While we don’t have as much time to dedicate to the Winter Olympics as I would like, we have managed to work a few things into our school days. Taking a cue from the Opening Ceremony, which focused on the coming of spring, we did a fun plum blossom craft. In addition to our Opening Ceremony dinner, today we also tried a recipe for congee, a rice porridge, topped with mustard greens…it was surprisingly popular!

We also took some time to recognize the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II this week. In addition to the tea party we had on Sunday, we started working on a fun yarn craft, which will hopefully turn into a bunting we can hang up in the school room:

I have a few more Olympics-themed activities planned to go with our school days next, too!

Tasty Tuesday–Dinner for the Opening Ceremonies

The Winter Olympics have arrived!

Do I feel good about the 2022 Olympics? Not especially. Am I going to watch, anyway? Of course. Can I still use this as a good opportunity for us to learn about another culture? Without a doubt!

I never do as much for the Winter Olympics as I do for the Summer Games, because it’s just so difficult to try to fit it in with everything else we’re doing at this time of year. But I did make a special dinner for the night of the Opening Ceremonies, starting with scallion pancakes served with a tasty rice vinegar-soy dipping sauce, which were definitely the hit of the evening!

We also had sticky ginger shrimp with scallion jasmine rice and bok choy with oyster sauce:

For dessert, I made don tot, which are egg custard tarts, and mango pudding:

I’m hoping to try a few new recipes before the end of Beijing 2022, and keep an eye out for a few fun craft projects, too!

Chickadee Thursday

Today’s Chickadee Thursday is going to be a little bit different, because instead of just sharing a picture of Chickadee, I want to show you what she’s been working on.

She really enjoyed the Winter Olympics, and she especially thought the mascot, Soohorang, a white tiger, was adorable. We have a picture of him hanging up in our school room:

One day, Chickadee was sitting at her desk, drawing, which is in no way unusual for her. But I was surprised when she brought me the picture she had been working on:

I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed that a five-year-old can copy a picture hanging on the wall across the room so well!

Chickadee’s elephant family has been busy this week, as well:

And finally, a picture from our trip to Target on Tuesday…Chickadee loves the Target dog!

2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Wrap-Up

PyeongChang 2018 was another fun Olympiad, and we’re sad it’s over! Here’s a look back at all the fun we had learning about South Korea and the Olympics!

In addition to reading lots of cool stories, we did several crafts projects:

We tried a variety of foods, not just from South Korea, but all around Asia, as well, and we threw in a wintry tea party just for fun!

I even did a segment on KFUO’s “Coffee Hour” about homeschooling through the Olympics:

The Coffee Hour – Olympics Homeschool Style

And a final look at our medal chart…we tracked seven of the top ten countries!

It’s always sad to see the Olympics come and go so quickly, but I’m sure Tokyo 2020 will be here before we know it!

One Last Korean Feast for the Closing Ceremonies

Just over two weeks ago, I shared the Korean dinner I made for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics…tonight I made another special meal for the Closing Ceremonies. I used the same cookbook, and we tried two new foods…Sundubu-jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew) and Gaji-namul (steamed eggplant). Once again, I got to work with some new ingredients and cooking methods.

One of the ingredients in the stew was kimchi, so we had that as a side dish again, along with short-grain rice. I even found Jinro, a brand of soju (a distilled beverage), for the adults in the house! I strained my stew because I wanted to make sure I found one of the eggs, but everybody else enjoyed it as soup like you’re supposed to.

I left the gold and silver table linens we used at our tea party on the table, to complete our Olympic look:

When I was researching Korean food and culture, I discovered that we know as Moon Pies in America are quite popular in Korea. I managed to find Choco-Pies made by the Orion Confectionary Company, a South Korean confectioner!

This meal was even more foreign to us than the one I made for the Opening Ceremonies. It was also quite popular, but I will confess…I didn’t like the stew! I’m glad the children enjoyed it, though, and I really liked the experience of making something new and special as we say goodbye to the Olympics!