Vancouver, 2010 is here!
I’m pretty sure if you tuned in to your preferred news station last night or picked up the paper this morning, you will know of the sad news of the 21 year old Georgian Luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili’s fatal accident yesterday on a practice run in an event that he loved. I sat last night watching the spectacular opening ceremony with tears in my eyes. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, his family and team mates and the other athletes that not only would be competing, today in the luge, but in all the different disciplines. I’m not even sure what excatly I am trying to say here other than, let’s not take our loved ones for granted, let’s give our children that extra time and celebrate life to the full.
So I had already ear marked the Olympics for this week. Sorry if you are not a ‘winter sport’ kinda person. Still there are loads of things that can be fun. Pick a country each to support and see who gets the most medals, find out one fact about your ‘new’ country and share it at family meal time. Or why not print off and colour the flag of your adopted country by using this website, go to the area of the world, click on the coloured version then print off the black and white version. If you are keen, why not make your own results table or even your own medal!
So without further ado let me introduce to you some new friends….
Quatchi
Meet Quatchi, a sasquatch with a love of travel and a longing to become the first sasquatch to represent his country playing in goal in an ice hockey game.
Sumi
is an animal spirit. He has the hat of the great orca whale, the wings of a mighty thunderbird and the legs legs of the strong black bear.
Miga
is a young sea bear who lives off the coast of Tofino on Vancouver Island. She is part killer whale and part kermode bear and loves to surf. She dreams of landing a 720 in the half pipe!
Mukmuk
is our little marmot from Vancouver Island.
Also available in a set of 4 for $60 Canadian but without the red gloves. Or from $25 to $30 separately.
For a great little video clip of these adorable furry friends click here and take a look.
Okay so my boys are half Canadian and we love skiing so I may be a little bias about this little lot but they are fun and cultural and available from the Olympic store.
There’s lots of fun to be had. Just let your imagination run wild. You never know you might even be harbouring a future Olympic athlete in your house right now!
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the idea of a way to involve the kids, it would be fun to make a poster and keep track of who’s cheering on who and have a party at the closing ceremonies.
We just went skiing up to park city and they still have all the olympic stuff up there too, so fun.
Love the Olympics!
Oh, like the idea of a closing ceremony party…any excuse to make more of Maria’s delish cookies. Could make them in the shape of medals!
Envy your ski trip, I still am minus 2 on the boys.. they got to go over Christmas…boo. Still enjoyed clearing the snow off the drive and path this morning. Ah, it’s so pretty. Happy Valentine’s day by the way.
I think MukMuk is the cutest! I think I might need him, not want, but need. I will be rooting for the US and I think the whole idea of a bobsled team from Jamaica is well…intriguing mon!
Yey, we like Mukmuk too. Things get a little complicated in this house hold when it comes to support….. Great Britain, Canada and US… oh and then there is the German influence! Incidently, we have watched Cool Runnings about 6 times over the last 2 weeks as Roo got more and more into Bobsled!
Cute! Thatch is so into stuffed animals and baby’s right now, I think he would love any of them, but I like miga for some reason.
So my sister did an olympics birthday party once and had cute obsticle course events and made cupcakes to look like the olympic rings (you could do cookies) and had small water bottles filled with candy and prizes for the party favor. You could do similar things for a fun closing ceremonies party. Just don’t forget to invite me.
I should have thought about a birthday olympic party for Frank. Darn… that would have been a good one. We have one for ‘cuddlies’ and one not! It seems that once you hit 3 in this household all things soft are good. Roo has Quatchi and Sumi and Ol, Miga and Mukmuk… from Grandma and pa J in Vancouver Island!
These are so adorable. My son is having fun watching the Olympics so far. These are a great way to get him more involved.
Hi Kim, have you let him watch the download video they have one their site? It’s uber cute. There are games to play too. My eldest like colouring at the mo as he is a little too young for computer games, he like the video though. Check it out and have fun together.
Smiles :O)
What about celebrating with a dinner that has food from the Host Country? What do Canadians eat that is specific to their country? I may have to do some research on that…
oh good one Jileen. I’ll ask hubby….think he’d probably go with something with maple syrup but that might just be ‘cos he loves it so!
On the west coast here it’s definitely salmon, salmon, salmon, salmon, a different variety for each of the four seasons! Tongue in cheek they say “moose burgers” .
The following I’ve stolen from AllExperts:
Defining what is Canadian food depends on what part of Canada you’re from! The traditional cuisine varies from British Columbia (Salmon & Wild Rice, and Nanaimo Bars) to Newfoundland (Cod Cakes and fish cheeks), to Native dishes (maple sugar pie) to French Canadian Foods (Tortiere, Yellow Pea Soup,Poutine).
Speaking of Poutine, did you know it is almost uniquely Canadian to have gravy on your fries? In England, that’s how they can tell Americans apart from Canadians – Canadians ask for gravy on their fries.
From the East Coast – Irish Stew, Fish Chowders, Bangbellies (a pork/rice bun), Toutons (Pork Bread), and Duffs (like a dumpling), Molasses Tarts and Partridge Berry Coffee Cake, chocolate bread pudding, oat bread, Cape Breton scones, Creamed Potato Balls, Baked Stuffed Lobster,
Native – Posole Stew (uses hominy), corn casserole, Frypan Fork Bread, Cornmeal pudding, Maple Fudge, Wojape (a berry pudding)
Quebec – Crème Caramel, French Onion Soup, Split Yellow Pea Soup, Garlic Pork Pot Roast, Cipate (Chicken, meat and vegetable casserole with biscuit topping), 3 crust blueberry pie
Ontario – Pine Nut Stuffed Quail, pickled yellow beans, apple butter, headcheese, smoked ham, creamed potatoes, vanilla pie, ice wine, BBQ’s, hot sauces, doughnuts
Prairies (I’m not too familiar with foods from this region of Canada) – Crusted Pork Tenderloin, Wild Mushroom Barley Ragout & Summer Vegetables, Grilled Asparagus, Saskatoon Pie
B.C. – Goats Cheese Terrine, Raisin scones with clotted cream, sablefish, Nanaimo Bars, Poached Salmon, Maple Glazed Chicken Breasts, Oysters, Flatbreads, Vegan cuisine and anything disgustingly healthy (i.e. tofu, miso soup, etc.)
Good job on the this blog Kate!
OOh, thanks for teh help Helen. I think I might just start eating my way through… particularly fond of the raisin scones with clotted cream………….I wonder why??????? and the crusted pork tenderloin sounds rather scrummy too, and the goats cheese, and the asparagus, and donuts, and maple fudge……………. think I should go and eat breakfast. Smiles.
Can I just take off a month and go on a food adventure through all the areas of Canada? Sounds delish!
Kate what a fun idea to learn about countries that are in the Olympics I will have to tryt this with my little one. I know Jileen is doing her homework on the Olympics because one of her little ones was at my house and the olympics was on and he said oh look there’s “Apollo” . I was impressed since he is only 5.
wow that is impressive. Perhaps there is a cupboard speed skater in the house! enjoy the fun and games .. our latest is speed saking round the kitchen… it’s not big kitchen but it’s fun and it is definitely as close to me being on ice as I am happy with!