Mackinac Moment

If I had to sum up yesterday in a word, it would have to be "blizzard." It wasn't particularly cold (it was 10 degrees, which was warmer than the day before) but it was blowing like stink. We had 40 mile (about 64 km) an hour winds pretty much all day. Two of our teachers, who had left the island early in the morning to go to a professional development class in Sault Ste. Marie, ended up turning around when the driving conditions got really bad. The farther north they drove, the worse the roads got; less than halfway to the Soo they turned around and headed back south. Things got so bad the State Police closed I-75 and US-2 due to poor visibility, and the Mackinac Bridge Authority closed the bridge due to high winds. So glad I was safe at home...

Photo: Stephanie Baxter

Heritage Day

Yesterday was the first Heritage Day Party on Mackinac. Designed as a day for locals to get together, relax and share old photos, it wasn't really advertised.  From two until five there were kids games outside and lots of photographs and good conversation inside. A number of folks brought out stacks of old pictures and family albums, while others literally took pictures off the walls. I've only been here 21 years and it was a nice walk down memory lane for me - I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been for the folks my parent's age. 

The afternoon was on the quiet side with adults chatting and kids wandering in and out, but after five, the band came out and people let their hair down. Well, I'm assuming they let their hair down - the kids and I left a little after four. We had to get home and get ready for sleepovers...

Drama

There's been a wee bit of drama on Mackinac over the last few days. Drama over snowmobile helmets. It's winter, it's quiet, there's change in the air, so, of course, everyone's talking about it...

I'll be honest. I own a helmet (it's so old it still labeled with my maiden name,) but until Monday, I've rarely actually worn it. (For the record, my children do wear their helmets 99% of the time and I always wear it when I go out on the ice or when I ride on the mainland.) Over the 20 plus years I've lived on Mackinac Island, to my knowledge, the helmet law has never really been enforced. Many people on the island only drive about 15 miles an hour (about 24 km) and only drive a mile or two each day - if that much.

Well, now the police are starting to enforce Michigan's helmet law. While I don't like wearing my helmet, it is the law, and it does set a good example for my children, so I'll wear it without too much complaining. Plus, I've been told the ticket for not wearing one is 180 bucks. Yikes!

A Little Late for Christmas

There is a little girl living in my house who decided yesterday was the day for her tooth to be out. She asked her father to pull it out with dental floss. He tried twice, but both times the floss broke. (Yeah, I couldn't watch.) When she makes up her mind about getting a tooth out, she gets tunnel vision and wants it out now. Sometimes I'm amazed at that little girl's pain tolerance. 

Well, after much wiggling, she asked her dad to try again today. This time it popped right out and hit his glasses. She's thrilled and looking forward to the Tooth Fairy's visit. Though, she doesn't want to put the tooth into the beautiful little bird shaped tooth box her Aunt Kelaine gave to her because, "I don't get as much money when I use the box. And I want money!" (Luckily that made her Aunt chuckle.) Now we're all laughing as we enjoy her toothless grin.

Off the Couch

I decided to think of today as a gift; an extra  10 hours I wouldn't ordinarily have had. I often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day, so it made sense to me to use my extra time to get stuff done.

We started the day with homework. Well, actually we started with  pancakes, but then it was on to spelling. It made sense to me to get homework out of the way right off the bat. While the kids finished up their work, I tackled the Christmas tree. I don't love artificial trees, but it has simplified things for us. This morning I managed to take off all the ornaments, pack them away, and  dismantle the tree.

Somehow I also managed to process and felt two batches of wool sweaters and to wash, dry and fold two loads of laundry.

Then, since I still had energy left I went around and completely de-christmased the house. I packed everything away and carried all the tubs down to the basement. I even sorted through the decorations and pulled out a bag to toss and a bag to take to Goodwill the next time I'm on the mainland.

Right after lunch, my daughter, her friend and I built a fort in the living room. The boys were too busy with Minecraft while we built, but once it was up, they couldn't keep away. I mean, who can resist a fort?

The kids forted for a while and then they settled down to watch Enchanted, which, by the way, is cuter than I anticipated. While the kids watched, I popped upstairs, measured and pinned, and then came back and hemmed a pair of pants while we watched the movie. 

Since I wasn't dead on my feet yet, I thought I'd start on some dinner. Vegetable soup and honey buns -

 yum. But now, I'm bushed. It feels good to have all the Christmas decorations put away, the laundry done and my pants ready to wear, but I think I'm ready for bed...

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

It's mighty cold in these parts; delightfully cold. Sure the wind chill was -25 (about -30 C) this afternoon and my cheeks and thumbs hurt when I got off the snowmobile after school, but those frigid temperatures are forming an ice bridge, and caused this note to go home today.

"Snow days" on Mackinac are few and far between, so this was an unexpected surprise. (The wind chills tomorrow are supposed to be in the -30s.) 

Tomorrow is like an extra day in my week. Luckily I have a rather long "to do" list, but then again I may not get off the couch...

2014

2014...

When did that happen?' I can't believe  how quickly this year has flown by. It seems like the older I get the faster the years seem to go by. But I can't complain; I love watching one season flow into the next and the kids grow and change.

I know most people don't keep New Year's resolutions, but the new year always gets me thinking about  the changes I'd like to make in my life.

This year I'd like to focus on health. Not exercise (we do pretty well in that department) but eating better, eating healthier. To me, right now, that means eating meals with more vegetables and less fat.

Eating well has been a challenge for me. I tend to be tired when I get home from work, and have little interest in spending time cooking dinner. I'm getting better at using the crock pot, but I still need to grow a lot in this area. My husband loves to cook, but to me it's just another chore...

We tend to eat a lot of frozen vegetables, given that we only grocery  shop every couple of weeks to once a month. With a shopping schedule like that, keeping fresh vegetables on hand is a challenge. 

Any help anyone has to offer would be greatly appreciated. Do you have some great healthy recipes? That "go to" dish you make often because it's quick and easy (and hopefully healthy?) Please send your ideas my way.

I'm going to start out slow and try to cook at least one new thing each week. Here are a few recipes I've found so far: Hungarian Goulash, Vegetable & Chickpea Curry, Garlic Chicken, Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff, Crock Pot Lasagna, and Chicken and Dumplings.

Done

The mighty Huron made her last trip for the season this morning. While it's been cold and the Straits have started icing over, the harbors have also been an issue. If the winds are just right, chunks of ice can blow in and fill the harbor; making it difficult for the boat to get in and out. The boats may start running again if the ice conditions improve, otherwise I'll be getting home in my other "car." It's a good thing I stocked up on necessities early!

Often the boats make it through the beginning of January and then we have to fly on and off the island through early spring. It's a quick trip - less than five minutes from take off to touch down. The only downside is the cost of freight. That, and the plane is much more dependent on the weather...

What's Wrong with this Picture?

With all the snow we've gotten lately, our snowmobiles are out and everyone is happy. Well, most of us are happy. I think the police are getting a tad frustrated with some people's parking habits.

As I was getting off the boat the other day I noticed this up at the head of the dock. This time of the year, parking downtown can cause issues - especially next to the Christmas tree. (It's in the middle of the street.) When people park on the street by the tree, the emergency vehicles can't get through. (Remember we do have an ambulance, fire trucks, and other utility vehicles on the island.)

Yesterday I noticed they had cordoned off that area with barricades so parking there is now impossible. As far as I know, our police department has never issued parking tickets, but now I'm wondering if they might start...

Mackinac Moment

Hi. Yeah, I'm still here. December has just been crazy busy for me. People are always asking me, "What do you do up there all winter long?" It just makes me giggle because people think there is noting to do on Mackinac this time of year, but I'll tell you December has flown by. Between school, sporting events, the Christmas Bazaar and just every day life I feel like I've barely had a moment to catch my breath. Hopefully as things slow down a bit, I'll have more time to spend here.

Mackinac Island has gotten a ton of snow in the last week or so and its been glorious. Don't you just want to hop on a snowmobile and zip down that road? Just bring warm clothes - it's been really, really cold up here lately.

Minecraft Birthday Party

I love birthdays. To me, they're like a special holiday just for you. I really enjoy planning family parties for my children; I think I enjoy planning their parties almost as much as I enjoy being a part of them.

My son has been all about Minecraft these days. (Although World of Kefllings is running a close second.) So, of course, he wanted a Minecraft birthday party. What fun. Lots of kids love Minecraft, so I knew there'd be tons of great ideas out there.

We didn't eat anything fancy - just kid friendly hamburgers and hot dogs, but we did drink Creeper Juice, A.K.A. Diet 7-Up spruced up with new labels. I made them labels in photoshop, using this image as a starting point. Then I just added the "Creeper Juice" using this font. The image is sized to completely cover a Diet 7-Up label. If you want to use it, feel free. I printed three at a time in Microsoft Word. (The  image will appear cropped below, but the full-size image download.) I'm not sure if it will cover the labels for other brands. I suppose you could pull them off; Michigan has a bottle return law, so I didn't want to remove them. 

The table was tough for me because I didn't want to spend a ton of money on decorations what would just get tossed out after dinner. I bought one of those cheap plastic table cloths - brown of course, and then made everything on the table different shades of green. I did splurge a bit on the paper plates, but  when I saw the square ones, I had to have them. It worked out perfectly that scrapbook paper was on sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics the week before the party. I cut each piece into two inch squares and scattered them over the table. Each guest's place was marked with a name tag (free - made here.) My son loved how they they looked like they came right out of the game. I also printed out this wonderful (and free) Minecraft birthday banner. 

Of course, we had to make the dining room windows look like they were made out of glass blocks.

I was super excited to find the brown and green gift bags at Hobby Lobby - they were perfect for a Minecraft party We put the poppers on the table because in the game, Creepers (silent green monsters) sneak up behind you and explode. 

Since Allen is the cook of the family, he made cake. (He's an amazing cook. Although, if the challenge involves cooking a meal over an open fire or in an early American open hearth kitchen - I can cook him under the table!) While it may not look very cake-like to the untrained eye, trust me when I tell you that most nine year-old boys will immediately recognize it as a Minecraft Cake. 

I decided to do something different with my son's birthday shirt this year. Now that he's nine, the stuff I've been doing seemed rather juvenile. Plus, S and his dad both love tie dyes. Just look at those flowers! Can you tell, it's been a month or two since we actually celebrated?That garden is under two inches of snow this morning.

If you like the shirt, pop into this wonderful little shop over on Etsy. Cassie makes amazing custom tie dyes and can pretty much do anything you want. She was quick and even had shirt suggestions for my very skinny son.

It's hard to believe he's nine already - nine. It seems like not all that long ago he was off to his first day of kindergarten. My husband made sure to point out to me that our son's time living at home is (most likely) half over. Gasp!   It hadn't really hit me - we'll probably only get another nine years of  having him at home. Right now I simply can't imagine not having him around; I wonder if I'll feel different when he's 18...

I See London, I See France, I See Captain Underpants

See that belly? It's the result of the 16 pounds (about 7.25 kg) of candy my son and daughter brought home Halloween night. OK, her belly isn't really stuffed with chocolate, but the kids did bring home 16 pounds of candy - and we only trick-or-treated through a small part of our neighborhood. Believe it or not, one of my students managed to haul home 30 pounds (about 13.5 kg.) (I asked the kids to collect data on their candy so we could work on mean, median, mode and range. Averages are more meaningful to kids when they use data that is important to them. But I digress...)

While the Captain Underpants books may not be among my favorites, my daughter adores them.  She's only in second grade, but she has read them all. When she told me she wanted to be Captain Underpants for Halloween, I honestly had no idea how I was going to pull it off. I mean, we live in Northern Michigan, so going out in undies or even a swim suit wasn't really an option. So, I started searching and managed to find this "skin suit" on line. It wasn't quite right, but after pricing materials at the fabric store, I realized it was my best bet so I broke down and bought it. Be aware that at the store I linked to above, the child size medium suit was large enough to fit me, which ended up being OK since we were enlarging her tummy, but otherwise it would have been way too big. 

After removing the face piece, the gloves and the feet from the suit, I tightened up and shortened the legs and the arms. It fit fine and it was stretchy enough that even with the gigantic tummy K could wear long johns underneath to keep warm. (Luckily her rain gear also fit.) All Captain Underpants needed was new undies, a cape, a bald cape, stuffing for that belly, and she was good to go.

We knew we were onto something when strangers started coming up to us the day we trick-or-treated through town asking to take K's picture.

Of course she needed a treat bag, too. Just like I did for her brother, I found a graphic on line, reversed it, and ironed it on. The graphic is below just in case you might want to make a tote for your favorite little superhero. Now I'm hoping that we have "dress as a character from a book" day during March is Reading Month this year, because I'm certain K will want to wear this again.

Right click to download the full-size image.

Captain Underpants TM by Dav Pilkey.
All rights reserved.

Guess Who?

I have several big Dr. Who fans living in  my house, so I wasn't surprised when my son announced, back in August, that he wanted to be Dr. Who for Halloween. Specifically the Eleventh Doctor. 

The geek in me was thrilled and I thought, "Cool, that's a pretty simple costume to put together," and I started looking for a child size eight  tweed blazer at my favorite thrift shops. I found lots of navy blazers with brass buttons, but nothing even remotely tweedy. By mid-September I still hadn't found one so I had to go to plan B...

I found a machine washable jacket for next to nothing,

and used this pattern to make a lovely coat for my little Doctor. I'm glad the blazer I found was a lady's size 18; if it had been any smaller, a few of the pattern pieces wouldn't have fit. If you ever need to make a blazer for your son, I highly recommend this pattern. The directions were quite clear and, even with deconstructing the other blazer, I managed to finish it in one day (although since it's a Halloween costume, I did leave off the welt pockets.)

The best part of S wanting to be Dr. Who was he decided he had to grow out his hair. Back in August, S had a buzz cut - a very short buzz cut. But once he chose to be Dr. Who, he started to grow it out so he could have that little swoop of hair in the front - just like "the real Doctor." Every now and again he would ask me to style it, just to see if it had grown out enough.

If you've been around here for a while, you're probably surprised to see my son's face smiling back at you today. I started blogging in 2008 - back when my son was three and my daughter was two. At the time, it didn't feel right to put their faces out there. These days, both of the kids have been asking me if I will stop "cutting off" their faces in my pictures. So, after a discussion with my husband, and since they are a little older I've  decided to ease off my "no faces" rule.

I always try to make my kiddos treat bags that coordinate with their costumes. (Plus, later on they make a great storage bag.) Dr. Who needed a bag with a little bit of British flair and a Tardis (the time travel machine the Doctor travels in.)

It was easy to make with iron-on transfers. Luckily, I remembered to reverse the images first! I sized each one to print out on a standard size piece of  transfer paper.

If you have a notion to make one, I've included the reversed images below. They're big (about 8 in by 10 in) so only a portion will show in the post, but you'll get the full-size images if you right click and download them. I just inserted each one into a Word document and printed them out.

I was glad I made the blazer a tad on the big side since it poured here on Halloween. Luckily it fit over my son's rain gear...

Keep Calm original art here
Tardis original art here

Mackinac Moment

We were treated to a beautiful rainbow the other day just before school started. I've got to say, my classroom probably has the best view of any schoolroom in the entire state of Michigan!

Fall

Fall on Mackinac is, by far, my favorite time of year. Things are quieting down, the air has that wonderful wet leafy smell, and the trees are absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention that fall is the only time of year that Mackinac Island is warmer than the mainland. All that water has been heating up all summer and now Lake Huron gives us beautiful "Indian summer" days. Though not today, definitely not; it was downright frigid this morning. But, while several towns near us got their first snow, we didn't get as much as a flake.

I was a busy little beaver this past weekend - feverishly working on Halloween costumes. My son's is finished and I'm about 80% through my daughter's - I just need to alter her "nude suit." (Don't worry - I'll share soon.) What have you been doing with your time?

Minecraft Cake Pops

Since my last attempt at cake pops didn't turn out so well, I thought I needed to give them another try. This year my son requested a Minecraft party (he's kind of obsessed these days) so I thought I could make cake pops in the shape of the blocks from the game. Luckily, we tend to plan these things early, so when I saw these molds at Meijer back in August, I bought three of them for $1.00 each. They were perfect - each little side of the cubes was about an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) long.

I followed one of the many cake pop tutorials out there and just made cube-shaped pops using the molds instead of rolling the dough into balls.  I squished as much dough as I could into the molds, too; I wanted the pops to be really dense. I was glad I bough three of them; I had one sit out and thaw for a few minutes, one fill, and one to sit in the freezer. It would have taken much longer if I'd only bought one. And, since they were so cheap, it wasn't a big deal.

I dipped the  pops into white candy melts, this time using the brand sold at Hobby Lobby instead of Wilton. I did not have a good experience with Wilton last time. I also melted them in the microwave rather than using the double boiler. I'm not sure if the difference was the chocolate or my newly improved mad-cake-poppin skills, but either way, they turned out so much better this time.

After dipping them in the white chocolate, I sprinkled the sides with brown decorating sugar and the tops with green so they would resemble a grass block.. They weren't perfect, but my son's second and third grade class didn't seem to mind.

I made sure to save one for myself. Quality control you know, they looked like grass blocks but I needed to make sure they were fit for the kids to eat.

It's a good thing there weren't a bunch of them left over - they were that good. The creaminess of the candy coating with the crunchy sugar was delicious!