Hello everyone! Our percolator died and so we are currently just using the Keurig. Keurig coffee means Newman’s Own coffee, which is quite tasty. And I definitely need it this morning, it is rainy and chilly!
So much happened in the past week!
So Jeanie at Marmalade Gypsy has told me in the past about a music camp for special needs children at MSU, called RicStar which is an all-inclusive day camp that lasts three days, all about music and musical expression and music therapy for the attendees. Then it all culminates in a StarShow on the last day that family and friends can attend! I have always wanted to sign Wyatt up for it, but the timing was never right. Well, this year it was! I am extremely excited about this adventure my little guy and I will be taking together; it’s a hike from our house but not terrible. My plan is to drive there and back one day, then the next stay up there. Billy will join us after work and stay over as well, and just work from the room until Wyatt’s concert. I have all the reservations made. Kiddo is going to have a blast. Music is his favorite thing in the whole world, besides books and painting, and the one thing that neither Billy nor I are good at (well out of those three). So this will be an awesome experience for him!
This camp was created by Judy Winter, whose son Eric had cerebral palsy just like Wy-guy. Judy and her husband are huge advocates for the special needs community, and Judy is an author and speaker for individuals who are differently abled. Cindy Edgerton , the Director of the CMS Musical Therapy Services, is their partner in this endeavor, and she is the woman I have been corresponding with. She has been extremely helpful and friendly, and has even offered to help me find regular music therapy services for Wyatt closer to home!
We also went visited Greenfield Village for the first time this season! It is one of our favorite places, even when it is chilly and damp (is that our only weather these days?) We have a membership and I try to take it advantage of it as much as possible during the summer, even if we go just to walk around and ride the train and eat frozen custard, and skip the actual historical bits. Although, I do always stop and visit all the gardens.
All my favorite spots! I also made sure we stopped in at the house that George Washington Carver grew up in, since Wyatt studied him a few weeks ago. The walls are made of wood planks from each state tree, which since we talk about different state trees every week, I thought would be mildly interesting to show Wyatt. I took special pains to find South Carolina, since we did SC last week, and Indiana, since we are learning about Indiana this week, to show Wyatt. And as you might imagine, he was not super impressed, or interested. LOL. He did very much enjoy his giant chocolate chip cookie though.
Billy was also excited this past week. His isopod dreams are coming true! I have no idea why he is so enthused about fancy roly-bugs, but..he is. And Wyatt thinks they are pretty neat to watch so I guess this is a new thing at our house. For those of you who have not heard, isopods are a niche little hobby. People keep them as pets and also raise them and sell them for others to either keep as pets or to put into their terrariums as “clean up crews” to help keep the terrarium healthy and clean. Billy plans to add our isopods, once they grow in number, to our lizard tanks and also sell them on the side. But first, the colonies needs to grow. He currently has three different kinds – and let me tell you, there are SO MANY different kinds. It is unbelievable how many! The prices range from very cheap to very expensive (not Billy’s, just in general). There is a type called the Rubber Ducky isopod, which generally costs $200 for 6. 6 roly poly bugs y’all! I guess I don’t have to understand, just accept that Billy is into this and if it makes him happy, it does me as well. Billy’s isopods are Dairy Cows, A. Gestroi, and his new ones, Panda Kings (The Herd, The Horde, and The Sleuth, as Billy refers to them). Frankly, as far as pets or a hobby goes, they are fairly easy to maintain. Just some dirt and wood and leaves and vegetable scraps, and a damp side and dry side. I also think there is a clay ball thing drainage layer too. I am not thrilled that right now they are living in my office, but we are still working on the best spot for them to permanently live.
And, I think I will leave off here! My coffee cup is empty and I should probably get ready to start our school day! Have a good one everyone!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
I’m so glad you are going to camp! It’s a wonderful experience for so many campers who return year after year — all ages, all abilities. YAY! (And the Greenfield Village trip sounds great. I’m thinking we’ll probably wait another year till Cam is a little older. Carson would be ready now but I think Cam might be on overload!
LikeLike
I am super excited about it! And that would be really cool if Wyatt was able to go every year!
Lol! It can definitely be a lot for one day for kids. They do have a playground that they added that is really nice, to give kids a break for a bit and the chance to run around. But if you try to do the whole village in one day, it can be a bit overwhelming for little kids!
LikeLike
The music camp sounds like exciting times for the whole family. That is awesome! (I never got any musician genes from my musician dad, but I love music.) And I never knew about keeping roly-polys as pets. Fascinating!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love music – I am one of those people though who is happy listening to just about anything.
I really didn’t either….until Billy decided he wanted to do it. LOL. I knew about adding them to the tanks to keep them clean and healthy, but not that people turned it into a hobby. Lol.
LikeLike
I really need to get to Greenfield Village this year. It’s been forever!! My wife and I have been talking about it.
As a coffee drinker, I am deeply saddened to hear about your percolator. Coffee brewed in one is extra delicious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know if you are into vintage cars but every year around Father’s Day they do a special event at the village called the Motor Muster at the Village. It is really neat. Like a giant car show but they have some really special different ones.
And thank you. It was a sad day for us. I mourned its passing and I am now looking for a new one. They really do make the best coffee!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love old cars! Will have to check that out!!
LikeLike
This music camp sounds so great, Erin! I’m glad everything worked out for you and Wyatt to go. I cannot imagine a world without music. I always seem to bring up when I was teaching, but, when I was teaching, we did a lot with multiple intelligences. We would take tests to see what our intelligences were. Mine always came back as music being really high. That’s a hoot because I cannot sing any song acapella unless it’s something like Happy Birthday! And, of course, I taught Indiana History for years. I hope Wyatt learns a lot about our sock shaped state!
Enjoy those roly poly bugs!!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love hearing your teacher stories!! Phew mine would definitely not say that about music for me! Lol. Does that mean that you have an aptitude for reading and playing music on an instrument? How cool!! And I had no idea you taught Indiana History. I should have asked you for some tips and ideas before we started this week. If you want to send a few ideas I will extend our Indiana study to two weeks! But only if you have time and want to. 🙂
And those bugs… what in the world? Lol.
LikeLike
William Wells is an interesting character from Indiana as is Mad Anthony Wayne. However, they probably aren’t necessarily politically correct anymore as both were involved in subduing the indigenous people of Indiana. We do have mounds that are believed to be burial mounds. We used to do a Famous Hoosiers wax museum where the kids had to research a Hoosier and then dress up as them. They would then give a report as if they were in a wax museum. But, that probably wouldn’t be as much fun for Wyatt all by himself unless you could get Mermaid Girl to do it, too. I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head. Honestly, you could probably just google interesting facts about Indiana…which you probably already do!
LikeLike
I feel like I shortchanged the state a bit since I am also getting ready for our trip. Maybe I will just let that be our big thing, that we are actually heading to Indiana and seeing some cool spots!
Thank you for the information! I need to know who Mad Anthony Wayne was now. Lol. I did learn that no one knows where the term Hoosier came from? Is that true?
LikeLike
Oh how exciting about the music camp! I can just hear your joy about it through the screen. What an amazing summer for adventures you’re all going to have. I don’t think Will would have been super interested in seeing the state trees either. He’s taking botany/zoology for science next school year and is less than thrilled about the botany element.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I saw they were accepting applications, I just went for it! I was like I am doing it with Wyatt this year, and I will work out the details later! (Something I often do…lol)
Yeah Wyatt looked at me like, “cool mom”. It was totally one of those mom moments, where I was excitedly pointing something out and my kid was totally not interested. LOL.
We did an entire year of botany this year for science. I never had purchased a curriculum like that and it was a lot, even for me! I have taken breaks from it here and there honestly. We are studying extreme weather in science right now and will go back to plants and trees soon. Lol. Wyatt was pretty excited at first, but it does get a little much. At least the zoology part should be fun!!! That is what we are doing next year – zoology. We use Blossom and Root for science and they really like to hone in on one topic for the year apparently. What science curriculum do you guys use?
LikeLike
Robert Frost’s house is so cute! And we loved learning about George Washington Carver! How interesting to see his house!
You, Wyatt, and Billy have so much fun stuff coming up! I’m so excited for you!
More excited about all that than for Billy’s isopods. *wink*
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t it so cute? I love it!
Thanks Lisa!!! And yeah…me too. Lol
LikeLike
Pingback: My Sunday-Monday Post! – Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs..
Oops, sorry, I can keep up to date with two out of reading, reviewing and reading blog posts … Anyway I hope the music camp was as good as you all hoped, what a wonderful opportunity. And I hope the little creature things are doing well and not escaping!
LikeLike
I’m so excited for Wyatt! 🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
LikeLike