We were featured on the Homeschool Desk

        Posted by Paola and Alex



On February 24, Jodi wrote about our blog on The Homeschool Desk . You should check it out!  She loves our blog. Alex and I really appreciate the nice things she said. The Homeschool Desk is a great blog if you want home school tips.

Planting Seeds

On Sunday the twenty first, my family and I went to the hardware store to buy seeds and plants. We bought black tomato, bell peppers, beans, lettuce, and parsley seeds. Here are the grown plants we bought,  rosemary, basil, sage, bell peppers, and tomatoes. 

  

We also bought a miniature greenhouse. These are the steps to plant the seeds. First, we put soil in the little holes. Then, we pour lukewarm water into the soil. While the soil was still moist, used the blunt end of a pencil, and dug small holes in each section. After that, we put two of the same types of seeds in each hole. Then, we buried them. Lastly, we labeled each plant and put on the greenhouse lid. We will give them water a couple times a day.

  

  

  

 

 Since we had extra seeds, Mom let Alex and I take care of our own plants. I chose a black tomato, and Alex chose a bell pepper. First we poured soil into our pots. Then, we took the blunt end of a pencil and dug a few small holes in our pots. ( One in the center and a few around it.)  We followed the same drill as in the miniature greenhouse, and put two seeds in each hole. Then, we watered the plants. The last thing we did was put a small piece of plastic over are pots and fastened it with a rubber band.

  

  

 

We had an exciting day!

Posted by Paola and Alex

How to Make Infused Calendula Oil

 Posted by Paola

Yesterday I helped my mom make Calendula oil to put in my soap and to use for my dog. Here are the steps to make the oil in the crock pot. 

1. Place 1/2  ounce of Calendula flowers and 1 cup grape seed oil in the the the crock pot. (You can also use massage oil.) 

2. Let it boil at a low heat for two hours.

3. Put a cheese cloth  over a cup. Pour the oil into it. Pull the cheese cloth out of the cup and let the oil drip from it.

4. Let the oil cool. Then pour the oil into a jar. (If you have to, use a funnel.)

I use the oil on bruises, cuts, muscle soreness, sprains, stings, and wounds. It is useful to have in a first aid kits. Most people have Marigold flowers in their gardens.

Plant Family:Asteraceae

It is also known as Marigold.

Later I am going to make my Calendula oil into soap.

Which Country Has the Most Medals

Posted by Paola
Lets find out which country has the most medals in the Olympic Winter Games.

 These are some of the countries that we lived in that are also competing in the Winter Olympics.

These are the top five countries that won the most medals, in the Olympic Winter games so far. The United States of America  won the most medals. They won two gold medals, two silver, and four bronze. Germany won one gold, three silver, and one bronze. France won two gold, zero silver, and two bronze. Canada won one gold, two silver, and one bronze. And finally, Switzerland won three gold, zero silver, and zero bronze.

I want to tell you what Sweden won since my big brother Robin, and my mom are from there. Sweden won one gold, zero silver, and zero bronze.

If you want to find out what other countries won, go to http://www.vancouver2010.com/

The Olympic Rings

Posted by Alex

 

The Olympic rings represent five major continents. The colors in order are blue, yellow, black, green and red. These color were used because at least one color is in each flag. The colors are used to symbolize friendship of all humankind.
 

The Olympic Medals

Posted by Paola
The Olympic medals show a Greek goddess, the Olympic rings, the coliseum of ancient Athens, a Greek vase called Amphora,  a horse drawn, the year, and the number of Olympiad, since 1928.  Each host city is allowed to add special details. The Atlanta Committee for the Olympics selected a picture of athletes  doing the sport the medal is awarded for.

 These are some Olympic rings I saw at the Olympic Museum in Park City, Utah.

There is a total of 1,838 Olympic medals used each year of  Olympic Games. There are 604 gold medals, 604 silver medals, and 630 bronze medals. Some Olympic events don't have third or fourth placers.

In ancient Greece, the winner was rewarded with a crown of olive leaves.  Second and third placers received nothing.

In 1896,  the first placer received a silver medal, not a gold medal.  In 1904, the Olympic Games of St. Louis replaced the silver medal with a gold one. Other people didn't like this. 

Today's Olympic gold medal is actually sterling silver covered in pure gold. The Olympic medals are two inches in diameter.

The Opening Ceremony

Posted by Paola
The  Olympic Winter Games start tomorrow, and I'm going to tell you about the opening ceremony.

The modern opening ceremony started in 1896,  at that time 258 athletes from thirteen different countries marched through the stadium in Athens Greece. It is called, the Parade of Nations. First, the Greek flags comes. It is followed by Greek athletes. The rest of the countries' flags come in alphabetical order. They are followed by their athletes. There were more than 70,000 people watching at that time. Today millions of people are watching around the world.

The king of Greece announces that the Olympic games begin. Every country that participates in the Olympic games, hold a  party on the day the games begin. The party includes, music, dancing, and anything else you can think of. 

After that, the president of the Organizing Committee and the president of the I.O.C (International Olympic Committee) make speeches. Then, the Olympic flag is raised, and the Olympic hymn is played. Next, the Olympic torch lights the Olympic flame. Then, doves fly through the stadium. They are a symbol of peace. Next, the athletes and an official take the Olympic Oath. Lastly, the host city provides cultural entertainment.

Olympics

A couple of years ago we went to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and the Olympic Park in Utah. We learned a lot of things about  the Olympics, so we thought we would share some of our information with you.

Alex and Paola

 The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

The Official Vancouver Winter Olympic site:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/

Alex:

The Torch:

http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/olympic-torch.html
The Olympic Rings:
http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/olympic-rings.html

Paola:
The Opening Ceremony:
http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/opening-ceremony.html 
The Olympic Medals:
http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/olympic-medals.html

The Olympic Torch

Posted by Alex
The torch is lit by the sun at Olympia, Greece. The torch is passed from runner to runner in a relay from city to city across the world until it reaches the host city. The flame from the torch  is used to light the Olympic Flame at the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies. The flame burns until the games are over.


The modern Olympic torch began at the Berlin Games in 1936. It is a link between the ancient and the modern Olympic Games.

 

Here is a picture of me with the torch at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. We went there and saw the museum and the park.