Sled Parking

Mackinac Island Public School sled parking.

Notice how several are tied to the rack?

It gets windy down by the school...

Snowy Day

We woke up this morning to find everything covered in a blanket of snow. It was so beautiful, I couldn't resist going out to explore.

Spending s bit of time outdoors by myself was just the ticket for a quiet Sunday morning.

Delightful

It is a delightful thing to come home from a long day at work and find your husband up to his elbows in dinner preparations. He's a keeper...

Kids Do the Darnedest Things

While walking down the hallway after school today, I stopped in my tracks as I watched a third grade boy attempt to take a drink from the drinking fountain. Nothing too unusual about that you say. Well, the amusing part was, the boy tried to take the drink while still wearing his snowmobile helmet. A helmet virtually identical to this one: 

Photo via

I couldn't help but quietly giggle inside my own helmet as I watched the water pour out the bottom of his as he lifted his head and walked away - undoubtedly still thirsty and now quite damp from the nose down. 

The Long Walk Home

It was 38 degrees (about 3 C) this afternoon and my daughter walked all the way home without her coat, hat or mittens. She insisted "It's way too hot for my coat!" 

Sure, the walk home is a mile (about 1.5 km), and yes it's up hill pretty much the entire way, but it made me chilly just watching her...

If you're wondering about the sleds, lots of island kids take sleds to school to use at recess. Our kids go outside for lunch recess virtually every day.

Photo by Clark Bloswick

(Taken in the last day or two.)

Cheese Please

Allen bought me a cheese making kit. And who knew - homemade cheese actually tastes delicious! Though, I won't be making it on a regular basis. You see, to make cheese you need milk that hasn't been pasteurized at high temperatures. I tried three batches using three different brands of milk (Wal-Mart, Meijer and Prairie Farms) but not one of them worked. 

Luckily, the mother of one of my students only drinks raw milk, and she was able to pick up an extra gallon the last time she stopped by to pick up her milk share. (In Michigan the sale of raw milk is illegal, so people who drink it typically purchase a share of a cow from a farmer, who then provides them with milk from their own cow. Thereby avoiding the illegality of selling unpasteurized milk.) 

The raw milk worked beautifully. On my fourth try I finally got to see some beautiful cheesy curds in my pot.

I had no idea how much milk it takes to make cheese; one gallon made a ball of cheese about the size of my two fists. (No wonder it's expensive!) We ate some while it was still warm and it had the most amazing buttery flavor. Allen, especially, loved it, but  I don't see myself purchasing a cow share just to be able to make cheese regularly...

New Jammies for a New Year

Up until a few days ago we hadn't pulled out the warm jammies, but normally they are a must in Northern Michigan. Both kids love footed PJs, but I've never attempted to make them before. Which is weird given how many Christmas PJs I've made. This year I was running a bit behind so the kids got New Year's Pajamas.

Now that my children have a number of homemade garments, they are becoming clothing connoisseurs; I'm starting to hear design comments and critiques:

"I want my next pair to have built in gloves, too." (Not gonna happen.)

"Mom, mine look good, but the tops and bottoms don't match." (But they "go.")

"Next time can you make the head hole bigger?" (Oops.)

Now I know, when I decide to make my skinny son the size eight PJs with the size 12 length thinking  I'll get a perfect fit that way,  I need to use the size 12 neck opening, too. Thankfully he loves them anyway. How could he not - they're footed Dr. Who pajamas, which according to my son makes them awesome. 

The pattern is Happy Feet Footed Pajamas by Peekaboo Patterns, available here. (Go buy it now!) I love this pattern and have now made four pair ranging from newborn  to size 12. They were super easy; the raglan sleeves make the top quick and simple with no armscye to ease or sew and each leg is just three pieces. I sewed both pair in one evening. If the pattern came in my size - I'd have a pair!

I did receive this pattern for free, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own.