olympic heads

yesterday i attended the opening ceremonies of the maybrook olympics.  every four years, in sync with our international summer olympic games, the girls' elementary school holds their own olympics, and it is quite an experience.

each class is assigned a country.  to prepare for the games, they study about their country, design costumes to wear for the opening ceremony, make flags, banners etc. to represent their country and choose athletes to participate in each of the events.  events include basketball, volleyball, soccer and all kinds of track and field events. our beej had the honor of running the 50 yard dash for her country, norway.

this year's opening ceremony consisted of a entrance march country by country into the "colliseum"  (the blacktop), a reading of the history of the olympic rings (beautifully done by our own savannah, maddie's dear friend. i feel like she's part mine.) a reciting of the actual olympic oath, a declaration of the games as "officially open" by a student rep. from china, the host country. (in previous years, they brought in a gas barbeque to be the olympic flame and used it to light the olympic torch, which i thought was the coolest thing. they also used to release a cage full of homing pigeons.  no olympic flame and no pigeons this year.  it's just a leaner year everwhere you turn, with these gas prices and all.) the band played "chariots of fire," (i think i recognized the melody.) and there was an exhortation from the microphone by the "olympic commissioner" (our beloved mr. wallace) to "be humble in winning, and gracious in losing" and "to cheer for everyone, from every country, race and creed" (say this with a j.f.k. voice.)

i get such a kick out of this!  i run around with my camera swinging from my neck, snapping tons of pictures, telling parents i've never even met before, "isn't this just the greatest thing?!"  and they just look at me, and, with a polite smile, give me little nod.

why do i love it so? for one thing, i am an olympics head!  i love the excellence, the character, the determination, the sacrifice, sweat and grit that are represented there.  i love the stories of the athletes, in all their humanity, many having overcome huge obstacles just to make it to the games.  and i love the idea of so many countries coming together to participate, although i wish the unity between the nations that the games represent were more of a reality.

what i love about the maybrook olympics is that all the teachers and administrators get so into it!  they put their whole hearts into it,  and the kids learn a ton. when our kids get to have their own olympics, when they get to be from a different countries, when they get to be the athletes, when they get to recite the olympic oath themselves before heading off to compete, it's such great learning!  another reason i love the maybrook olympics is because i love watching my girls run.  it gives me a tickle in my chest.

anyways, i'll stop rambling and get on with some of the pictures from the day.

that's my little viking on the left. did you know that norway invented the paper clip?  neither did i!  don't think it shows in the pic, but the kids attached about 47 paper clips to the bottom of their shirts.

this actual doll was norway's mascot in the winter olympic games at lillahammer.  maddie's teacher has relatives in norway who have access to it, and they let her bring it over to visit for the big occasion. 

to give you a flavor of the other participating colors and countries 

beej, at the starting line, pulling up her socks (innapropriate racing attire, worn for spirit purposes only.)

see this man wearing the baseball cap?  his name is mr. hill.  he is maybrook's  band director.  i have such deep admiration and respect (and sympathy) for this man.  he's been doing this job for about 20 years.  do you know what it takes for a music lover to devote his life to teaching young kids how to play musical instruments, and not just one kid at a time, but to put them together, 25 beginners, into a band?  do you know how much screeching, honking and blatting he endures every day in order to instill in these kids a love for music?  most of the time, he doesn't get to see (or rather hear) the fruits of his labor. he must believe in process. and he must know that he is a hugely important part of the process. i have been watching this man for the 15 years we have at this school, and he has to be one of the most patient, dedicated, saintly men i know, to do what he does, and to do it with grace and dignity, and to do it with a smile.