Band Aide?

I went up to my bathroom the other day and discovered this on the floor in front of the closet. It struck me as odd because I am the only one in the house who would have need of that box, and I knew I hadn't left it on the floor.

When I went outside to water my flowers I noticed my son's leg:

When I asked him about it he explained that he'd scraped his leg and the regular sized band aides weren't big enough so he needed to get out one of the really big ones.

He had a friend over so I  waited until his buddy left to explain that they weren't actually band aides...

Mackinac Moment

Out under the Mighty Mac...

Excursion: Castle Rock Ponds

My family is bound to love  a place where ponds, frogs,

and fish can be found.

My husband especially loves Castle Rock Ponds because it is off the beaten path so we rarely if ever see other people while we're there. Plus it is so close to home it's perfect for an afternoon getaway.

Art Rocks the Boat

With so many public schools across the nation cutting art and music programs, I am so glad that the Mackinac Island Public School isn't one of them.  Sure, the budget has been reduced, but my children (soon to be second and third graders) both participate in art and music. Which, by the way, they love! Miss M, who teaches the art and music classes at our school, is amazing - both of my children regularly come home very excited to tell me about the current art project, or singing one of the songs from the upcoming music program. In fact, I had heard quite enough of "Polar Puppy living at the North Pole. Santa's best friend living at the North Pole." Over and over again last Christmas. My old college roommates are laughing at this point insisting that it's Karma for me torturing them by playing the same Barenaked Ladies songs over and over again, but I digress...

One of the great things about Mackinac Island is the Mackinac Arts Council. Not only do they offer weekly movies and live concerts throughout the summer, but they work to raise money to supplement the budget at our school to insure that art and music classes for island kids continue. This year, one of the fundraising events was Art Rocks the Boat.

Just imagine a floating cocktail party aboard an Arnold Line "traditional ferry". There was food, drinks, and lots of great conversation. Supporting the arts was never so much fun...

Maze of Mirrors: A Special Treat

The Maze of Mirrors is fairly new on Mackinac. I can't remember exactly when they opened, but ever since it opened the kids have really wanted to visit. Much to their dismay, I've not been willing to pay the entrance fee (which I thought was $8.00 each ) for just a few minutes of fun. It seemed a bit pricey to me - I mean I'd pay that much for a two hour movie. Well, yesterday, I caved...

The kids have been diligently working on GRASP all summer; GRASP is the summer school program offered by our school. As a parent I wanted to avoid the summer learning loss that I see in many of my students, so I've enrolled my two in  the program each year. Anyway, they both worked so hard this summer - mostly without complaint, so I wanted to do something special as a reward. (And as a motivator, since GRASP will be on the agenda again next summer.) I suggested going out for ice cream, but S and K had other plans. They both immediately asked, "Can we go to the Maze of Mirrors?  Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

How could I refuse?

When we got there I was pleasantly surprised; I expected to have to shell out twenty-four bucks for the three of us to get in, but they had reduced the price to $5.00 each.  S and K loved it! We had a great time - especially when they managed to discover "the fun room."

Nothing like crazy carnival mirrors give you a serious case of the giggles. We had a great time at the Maze of Mirrors. It really is quite well done. It truly is a maze - you've got to walk with your hands out in front of you to avoid walking head first into a mirrored wall. The kids really enjoyed the 20 minutes we spent inside. If you're on Mackinac Island with kids, you may want to take some time to get lost inside...