The boys decided not to go to the March Madness Dance. Instead, they invited their fellow Foreigns to the house for dinner, FIFA, and ping pong... oh, and dressing up Bailey.
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The school celebrates March Madness (both the end of winter and the college basketball tournament) with a week of dress-up days plus a race around the school. It helps kids get rid of some energy! Here are the boys at the school race.
The boys first cross-country race had them crossing the finish line holding hands. So, in honor of that... Ray Broomhall, the boys' ski coach, is 80 years old! His brother Chummy was Rich's coach in the 1960s and 1970s.
The boys had the day off from school today, so Connie took them to the state capitol in Augusta. There, they toured the Maine State Museum, lunched at a State Building, visited the capitol, and met with Matt Peterson, a State Representative and a former student of Rich's (Connie, was Matt a student of yours?). Then, they did a quick look-see at the mall.
The boys have been lifting weights on and off throughout the winter. They balance ping pong, FIFA, weights, and an abs workout. They've also stopped drinking soda... clearly, they want to make a good impression when they return home!
On a chilly winter's night we made some Energy Bites. These little balls of peanut butter, oats, and other fun ingredients are a hit on the ski slopes, during a hike, and at lunch. The recipe may be found here.
Felix tried his hand at my lasagna recipe. He did a great job so says Rasmus after devouring his second piece. "Rent a 'Foreign' to make you dinner: $25!"
After a winter of indoor soccer, River Valley players gathered on Sunday night for the playoffs. "The Foreigns" ended up facing one another in the final match. Congrats to Team Prömm on the victory... but wow, Team Søegaard sure did surprise the field by playing into the finals.
The boys are enjoying the annual WinterFest weekend at the mountain. Here are photos by the boys and our friend Marie.
This February is on track to be the coldest in the history of recorded weather in Maine. Today, the temperatures soared above freezing, so Bailey and I got out for a terrific cross-country ski. Here's the boy resting after our run.
Most Sunday evenings the boys play indoor soccer at the high school. I'm still learning how to take photos indoors with my somewhat new camera! This day, Rasmus's team played Felix. The German boy won, 3-2.
The boys climbed out the windows to shovel the roofs, Now don't worry, they were on flat surfaces that were very stable.
The boys' team won the state championship. You won't see Rasmus and Felix in this photo below because they were finishing their jobs in the final cross-country race.
The boys and I chatted over Facebook before their final race. Can you tell that they are excited to be done?
The boys have finished two of the three races today. They stood up in both alpine races and now have only the freestyle skating race in cross-country remaining in their ski racing careers. Below is a photo from yesterday that gives you a feel of how cold it was in Presque Isle. Today, the temperatures are a bit warmer.
Even at these cold temperatures, the boys raced cross-country this afternoon. I don't have any results other than they finished safe and sound. Race at this temperature (–10 degrees F with a wind chill) will be something they'll be talking about for many years to come. Our friends the Phelps are at the race and sent me the report.
Bailey and I practiced with my new camera's timer before my first phone conference of the day. With the wind, it's –35 degrees F (and degree C) outside here, too. But, it's sunny!
High winds and dangerous temperatures caused the cancellation of today's events up north. We're experiencing the same weather all across the state. Now, the team may visit the local university's fitness center to swim, rock climb, play basketball... or, they may head over to the mall... or watch movies.. It's disappointing for everyone, but canceling was the right decision. Here are some pictures from friends up north....click to enlarge. We have our second blizzard of the season coming in today and tonight, so the ski team left one day early for the state ski meet in Presque Isle, a town in northern Maine. The boys will ski their alpine events at Big Rock Mountain. The cross-country races will be held at the World Cup venue called the Nordic Heritage Center. The kids are staying in a hotel in Presque Isle with a swimming pool and hot tub; they'll have team dinners and pizza parties and movies. Oh, and they'll race for a state championship... we wish the 5th and 6th place Mountain Valley Conference Skimeisters all good things as they enjoy their final races in America. Click photos to enlarge.
Wouldn't you know that Ben would have to work in the mill on his birthday! Connie made the cake and the boys certainly wanted to celebrate (and eat that delicious cake). Have a great year, Ben!
The Mountain Valley Boys Ski Team were co-champions of the conference championships. And the big news: Rasmus and Felix came in 5th and 6th as 4-event skiers known as skimeisters. Not too many kids ski all four events, so it's a credit to the boys that they put in the time to ski slalom, giant slalom, classic cross-country, and skate cross-country. In the way back old days, I was a skimeister. Back then, a skimeister id both alpine evens, one cross-country, and ski jumping. Here's a picture of the champion Falcons:
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