Category: day in the life

RicStar Music Camp!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, special needs child, special needs parenting17 Comments

Monday morning we headed to Lansing for Wyatt’s second year at the RicStar Music Therapy Camp. Last year Wyatt had mixed feelings about the experience, but there were some challenges thrown in our path last year as well. Wyatt was being weaned off of a medication that was making him a bit grumpier and more lethargic, he was away from his home, and with just me, since Billy had to stay home due to a kidney stone hospitalization. Then Wyatt was thrown into an experience he had never encountered before. It was a lot for him. He had a good time and made some really good gains from his time at camp last summer, but it was a struggle. I remember at the end of camp last year, Billy was free of the hospital and was able to make the final concert and when I saw him in the parking lot I just sobbed. It was relief and also exhaustion from a very emotional week for me, and for Wyatt. This year though, Billy was able to go, and Wyatt’s new medicine is a much better one for him (despite his occasional barf from nausea…)

When we walked in, Wyatt was met with smiles and warm welcoming greetings of “Hello Wyatt!” from the staff. We were whisked right into the ensemble room where Wyatt was assigned to green group, and just like that, music therapy camp was in full swing! I’m not going to lie, entry was rough for Wyatt. He cried the first two hours, threw up at lunch, but then rallied in the afternoon. He is the toughest kid, I swear. I think all of us were a little done in that first day (although I have to admit, the therapy dogs helped me through the day..) After the long drive, the early hour, Wyatt being so upset, the throwing up… we were ready to crash in our hotel room by the time camp ended that day and just veg out. And the heat! Did I mention Michigan is having a heat wave with excessive temps? We walked outside and were blasted by the flames of the sun, I am pretty sure. Lol. So we were more than ready to grab some food and just chill. Which we did.

Day two we were able to relax a bit and have a good breakfast before heading the short distance to camp. And day two was awesome. Wyatt had a blast. I cannot say this loud enough, because my momma heart was so happy. He was just so excited to be there, he was participating, he was having fun and exploring and playing and just was a part of the entire thing. Up until day two, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right choice in enrolling him again after such a rollercoaster of a time last year. I went for it anyway, since circumstances were different this year, and I am so glad that I did because this experience was so good for him, in so many ways. I saw such progress in Wyatt, how he has matured, in his interactions with other people, with being there and trying new things. He showed everyone there his personality which is huge and full of joy. I always say I call him my sunshine boy because he brings the sun wherever he goes, and this year he was full of that sun. He really liked the keyboard this year, and also surprisingly, the triangle. It was super cute that he liked the triangle, and I actually had to order one since he wanted to take the one home that he was playing.

I would like to say that we spent our last day exploring Lansing, but that was not the case. Our tired little family headed back to the hotel, where Wyatt and his dad went to the little hotel store and bought a bunch of goodies, including ice cream – Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food, which the three of us split while watching YouTube.

Day three was just as fun. Wyatt was so happy to be there. I loved that he was trying new things, unafraid, and just going for it. However, we did have to stop for a little disco nap. The entire time we were there the medicine nausea was bothering him again, right on schedule, around lunchtime. I don’t know if it was just because he was off schedule, off his routine, or what, but we would just work around it because that is what this camp does. It normalizes everything that makes our kids feel different and other in typical situations. Where in some settings Wyatt would maybe be stared at or questioned, here it was just part of another day. The camp provides everything you can think of you might need to accommodate every camper, and it just feels natural and makes me wish all situations and settings were like this. It felt freeing for me and for Billy, and if we felt that way, Wyatt must have felt it a hundred times over. It was just…acceptance. A perfect cocoon of acceptance.

The last day, Day 3, is also the big showcase where the campers all perform with their groups and parents and friends and family are invited to attend. This year Wyatt’s group was performing the Pink Panther Theme song, and Wyatt got to kick things off, with a solo on the triangle. He was adorable! Every kid did so well and you could see the pride and the joy on all of their faces.

This week was full of music. It was also full of ear to ear grins, laughter, joy, that good kind of tired, learning, exploration, and fun. We returned home exhausted (except Wyatt who took a loooonnggg nap in the car on the way home) but all ready to do it again next year. We can’t wait!

If you want to read about our adventures from last year, click here and here!

Billy-isms and Winnie the Pooh

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life18 Comments

So one day while driving around, Billy and I fell into a rabbit hole about personality types and our friends and Winnie the Pooh. Mainly, how we thought everyone had a Winnie the Pooh character to match their personality, and then of course, deciding who we were and who our friends were in the 100 Hundred Acre Wood. Then we of course went off on another tangent about whether we all had secondary characters and who those were. Then I wondered if anyone else had wondered all of this too, which of course they had, and I found there were all sorts of quizzes and tests that match the characters to the Myers-Briggs Personality test, which was yet another rabbit hole for us. And I feel I have begun to ramble but stay with me, this was all just to warm up to the topic of my husband being a human Winnie the Pooh, but one who wears pants of course.

Billy is my perfect counterbalance, as I am to him. I am the Piglet to his Pooh, and even this probably not very scientific version of the Myers-Briggs tests shows this. I am not one hundred percent sold on these types of things, but they do ring with some truth. According the online tests we have taken, Billy is an ISFP and I am an ISFJ. Or Pooh and Piglet.

“Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?”

”Supposing it didn’t,” said Pooh after careful thought.”

I always say Billy is a like walking calm-bomb. Like just being near him is so relaxing, he exudes waves of calm and peace. It’s funny, because during a huge problem at his work a few years ago, one where Billy and his boss actually stayed at work together for three days working on it, his boss said something similar, that Billy is just so calming to be near. You get a sense that everything is going to be ok. He is laid back and confident and pretty agreeable, and is always willing to help. Billy’s mom told me that he was always like this. Just unflappable. She also told me that he was impossible to discipline because he nothing really bothered him and he found ways to entertain himself; she would send him to his room, take things away, and she would find him just singing to himself, happy as could be.

What got me thinking about this again is something Billy has been saying and doing. His “May as well” attitude. If you are doing x, then you may as well do y. If you are in the basement doing something, then you may as well thrown in a load of laundry. If you are heading to the bedroom, you may as well pick up Wyatt’s socks off the floor and throw them in the dirty clothes. (Wyatt always tosses his socks hither and yon – he is a total Roo) You get the idea. And I have started to do it myself. It just seems like such a gentle way to get things done, and multi-task. Instead of looking at it like a chore, it’s a may as well.

Billy has other little Billy-isms that I have learned and implemented. One thing he does is the “ok”. If someone is giving him their opinion on how to do something or maybe just opinion, and Billy is not of the same mindset, instead of disagreeing with them outright, he just says “ok”. Like a verbal shrug. Then does it his way anyway. This really only works if it is something that he doesn’t need to collaborate on, something that is his own already. He says there is no point in arguing with someone you are not going to change their mind on.

Billy also tells me all the time that it is “ok to just be ok.” Because as we established, I am Piglet and can come up with a worry about anything. He says sometimes I can just bounce from one thing to the next, and that it is “ok to just be ok”. So I have started to internalize that Billy-ism as well. Because he is right, it is ok just to be ok.

What about you all? Are you a Pooh or a Piglet? Or maybe a Tigger or an Owl? I would like to think I am also a little bit Kanga, but I might also be a little bit Rabbit…

Thanks for reading through this probably silly post of mine!

If you want to take these quizzes, click here. You should not have to pay for this quiz! If it asks you to pay then it is the wrong one. Look for this in the article.

Not sure what your personality type is? Take our in-depth personality questionnaire here. Or you can take the official MBTI® here.

I clicked on the first option which didn’t make me pay.

Saturday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life5 Comments

Hello everyone!

It’s been a rough week – I wasn’t feeling very well and I am starting to feel a little better. I have mentioned in the past that I struggle with anxiety and this week was very very bad for me. I managed but I didn’t have much left in me for extra things, like blogging. I feel terrible that I couldn’t participate in mine and Lisa’s Jane Austen January, and left Lisa hanging but she is a good friend – and actually helped me through the week with lots of chats online and prayer.

So, let’s focus on the good things that did happen. We will throw it back all the way to last Friday, when it snowed like crazy here!

We took Wyatt for a sled ride through the woods which was super fun. We all enjoyed being outside again, even though we were very cold! Wyatt also enjoyed throwing himself off the sled into the snow which was hilarious. He was red cheeked and happy to get that hot chocolate afterwards!

Then that Sunday, we hopped over to the zoo early in the morning to see the penguins! We have been studying them all month so it was a fun field trip out to the Penguinarium.

We saw king penguins, rockhoppers, chinstraps, and gentoo all bopping about the penguinarium. We loved watching the chinstraps playing in the bubbles, and then a king walked right by us! It was so darn cute!

And finally on Wednesday, we were able to get little Oliver! Wyatt and I picked him up at our local FedEx when he arrived as an overnight delivery. He couldn’t be delivered to the house because of the weather so he was a pickup but that was ok. He is so cute and tiny and hilarious. He is also very curious and friendly, and a bit of a goof. He and Applejack share a giant tank, that is separated by plexiglass in the middle. Well, the first night we had him I woke in the morning to find him on Applejack’s side! She was so confused, and looking out of her little coconut house, like who is this little interloper trespassing! So Billy and I had to go through and find any spot that he may have used to get over there and shore it up to prevent anymore visits! I don’t know how Applejack would react if he did it again, and she is full grown while he can perch on the tip of my finger.

We love him (or her!) and are so glad that he is finally here.

I also sold my first unit study you guys! Someone purchased my Monet in Winter Unit Study and I am so excited! My first sale! I am going to be working on my Matisse one this month – they take me a long time as I practice them with Wyatt first, but hopefully it will be online and in my Etsy store by March. We will see though, we have a lot of appointments between now and then, and when it gets done, I guess it gets done.

If you know any homeschoolers or just anyone with children who may want to do some fun Monet inspired activities, here is the link to my store! I have a Frida Kahlo one up too, as well as some other fun things.

We have been playing board games like crazy around here this winter. Wyatt loves board games and got so many fun new ones for Christmas. We were also lucky enough to receive a free board game from Storytime Learning, that is called Story Time Backgammon. We have not played it yet, but we hope to try it out tomorrow together! It looks super fun, with pirates and vikings and a whole picture book of stories. It is really neat!

One game that gets played a lot is Pigs on Trampolines. It cracks us up, and Billy and I really get into it, bouncing those little pigs off the trampolines. Wyatt likes to talk a lot and hoard the pigs and laughs more than bounces but I think that is because Billy and I are going nutso bouncing them around. 

I also never know if you guys can see my Instagram videos here or not?

I hope you are all doing well!

Saturday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, Detroit15 Comments

Hello everyone! Since next week is a holiday week and I am hosting Thanksgiving in my teeny tiny home I am going to be super busy, and I am not sure when I will get a chance to post. But I wanted to share about Wyatt’s appointment and this week so, here we go!

First though, the more fun parts. Wyatt and I headed to Ann Arbor Wednesday afternoon. Our destination – the Natural History Museum at the University of Michigan. I thought it would be neat to see some dinosaur bones and check out some of the other exhibits there. So we had a fun little field trip!

We both loved the Exploring Michigan room the best, more than the dinosaur bones. The museum has a lot of hands on type activities for kids and is worth a trip if you are ever in the area. It is free and I would plan on an hour or two there at least, although you could stay longer if you did all of the activities, which we didn’t.

After exploring the museum, Wyatt and I headed to the hotel we were going to stay at for the night. The plan was for Billy to meet us there after work and then we would have dinner in the room and just chill before Wyatt’s super early appointment at Mott’s. But Wyatt and I got some chill out time early! After asking a few people for recommendations, we ended up staying at Weber’s Inn. When I was a kid, it was like a big deal to go and stay at Weber’s – I think for the holidome or something. Whatever it was, I know that we stayed there too. So it was neat to take Wyatt there for a night! The rooms are all newly renovated, with super comfy beds and bright bathrooms with an amazing shower. But what really set them apart was the staff. Every single person we encountered was so friendly and helpful! I was navigating check in alone with a young child in a wheelchair, luggage, and feeling frazzled and seriously, everyone was so nice. They let me check in early, they helped me with our room door when our key wouldn’t work, they just were beyond. Once we were settled, Wyatt and I stocked up on junk from the vending machines and plopped into the bed and read and played on our devices, decompressing. Billy got there around 6, minutes after the pizza arrived (Cottage Inn for the win, they were also amazingly friendly!) and we ate dinner in the room, catching up on the day’s events.

Once Wyatt went to sleep, Billy and I tuned in to the Hallmark Mysteries and Movies channel. Since the next day was my birthday, Billy told me I could choose. So I chose a Hallmark Christmas movie! My first Christmas movie has been watched, let’s check that off the list! It was apparently based on a book by Nancy Naigle, and I really enjoyed it.

The next morning we were up at 6. I was so glad we were only staying 15 minutes from the hospital, otherwise our morning would have been much earlier – and on my birthday too!

We really liked Wyatt’s new epileptologist. We didn’t dislike his old one, but I am trying to centralize all of his care and since we moved his neurosurgeon to U of M, I felt it was important to move his epileptologist as well. It is just so much easier to share imaging, information, when it is all in one system. Wyatt had information in three different hospital systems and I think this will really streamline it all.

So – the appointment. Wyatt has focal epilepsy, which he was diagnosed with in May of 2020. Since then, he has technically “failed” two medicines, which means that the medicines do not completely stop his seizures. Wyatt’s seizures are so subtle, his eyes shift slightly to the right, and maybe he will have a little arm jerk, and they last about 2-5 seconds. Without the meds they could look different, and more involved so the medicine does control them, but he does get breakthrough seizures, which puts him in the intractable category. Usually, when you fail meds, the next line of treatment discussed is surgery to remove the spot of origin if possible. But Wyatt is more complicated. Due to his brain bleeds at birth, he has other areas of damage that could spawn seizures if this one area that is causing them now is removed. He also has something called ESES, which means he has almost constant spikes during sleep. Our new doctor really gave us so much information, and laid out so many different paths that we could take, and even said that for Wyatt, for him seizure free could mean just one or two short seizures a month. Which to some people might sound not great, but for now, that is ok with us as long as he is safe. We left the appointment feeling very informed and more hopeful. So overall, it was a very good visit, and therefore happy birthday me!

We had a very low key rest of the day. Billy and Wyatt gifted me with a gift card for a massage (yes!), my mom bought me a purse, my dad and stepmom gifted me some birthday cash, and my cousin sent me flowers! It all made me smile! (and Billy is totally making me that Dolly Parton cake tomorrow)

And that is it for now! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Road Trip: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, nature15 Comments

This past weekend we set out for a new adventure! It was close to home, just an hour away, and it was a new to us place, we had the time, and needed to get out. The perfect recipe for a road trip! I threw some snacks in my bag, filled our water bottles, and we piled into the Jeep, and headed to the wilds of …. Ohio?

Yep, Ohio. Who knew Ohio was hiding such great wonderful wildlife? I know when I think of Ohio, I think of the many farms, with their beautiful green fields of corn and other assortment of produce, that spread out over the state. And we did see such farms on our journey, like little jewels in the landscape. If I don’t think of farms, I think of cities like Toledo, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, full of their own fun activities. We were so surprised to find that hiding among the farms and cities was a huge wildlife refuge of wetlands, grasslands, and forest! Pleasantly surprised!

The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge made our radar when we visited our local wildlife refuge and bought a passport book for Wyatt, called The Blue Goose Passport. It has places for stamps from all the wildlife refuges in the country, so we started with our local one, Humbug Marsh. The volunteer told us that about Ottawa National, and told us it was only an hour away, so we knew we wanted to go and get Wyatt a few more stamps. If you read here, then you know that Wyatt uses a wheelchair right now for most of his mobility, so I went first to the website to see how accessible it was going to be. Well, as far as trails themselves go, not very, but they DO have an wildlife drive! So, we decided we would do the small boardwalk trail near the actual nature center, then do the wildlife drive. It was going to be gross hot anyway, so we would stay cool on top of it all.

We arrived in good time, after passing through Toledo and past farms, and made our way into the nature center. We didn’t have a ton of time to do all of the activities they offered, since we timed our visit to be closer to late afternoon in the hopes of seeing more wildlife and the center closes at 4. (but the park is open until dusk) First thing we did was get Wyatt his stamps for his book! Then we toured the building, checking out the exhibits and making notes for next time, because there will definitely be a next time.

We started with the movie, then moved into the old hunting lodge type room, which was really neat. It had fantastic furniture that Billy and I loved, and an old radio playing. I would love a chair like that wooden one – or a few!

From here we moved on to the main exhibit and Wyatt had fun wheeling into the muskrat den!

Then because Wyatt is obsessed with gift shops (no seriously..he is like my dad lol) we had to go in there. We each picked out a sticker for our water bottles, and moved on. The ranger told us that had we had more time, there is a scavenger hunt for kids that they can do in turn in for a prize, and all sorts of gear you can borrow for your hikes, like nets, binoculars and exploration backpacks for kids.

Doesn’t that bird cruise sound cool! I also took some pictures of books I want to read. Because of course I did.

The center was getting ready to close so it was time to hit the wilderness! We stepped outside, and behind the building was a butterfly garden, all yellow and green and full of butterflies! Wyatt was ready to be on the move so we didn’t stick around too much, but I caught sight of Black Swallowtails, Red Admirals, and Yellow Swallowtails before the garden was out of view. We did the short boardwalk through the woods, listening to the wind rushing through the trees, one of my favorite sounds in all the world. I could sit and listen to that for hours, much like people can listen to waves. I also spotted an Indigo Bunting, the first of our many bird spottings! We also ducked into the adorable little wildlife blind building, which was full of really cool painted benches. I loved the frog!!

I gave Wyatt the space to explore under his own power, but that was short lived when I thought he was going to crash right off the side! He was just too busy looking all over and being danger boy.

When we finished our exploring by foot, we headed back to the Jeep for our wildlife drive! And I was so glad I packed snacks because we were closing in on 4:30ish by this point and danger boy was now a hungry wolf boy, or so he told me. He happily ate his raisins while we drove around, and I will be honest, Billy and I were way more excited about this then Wyatt. It was seven miles and we were going to do all seven miles darn it. About halfway through Wyatt started getting antsy, which I understood, but he did get excited when we spotted the cool birds, like the egrets and swans. He would also occasionally burst out with a “Wow!” over the scenery which I loved.

Overall, the day was a successful outing! We saw 19 different birds, a few of them new to us, saw some new things, explored a new place, and had a great time! We are looking forward to heading back in the fall, to see how the landscape looks once the green has turned to warmer autumnal colors, and there is a chill in the air. I can’t wait!

So…I have a reel of Wyatt and the part of our drive, but for the life of me I can’t get it to work!

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP, day in the life, family friendly, mom life, nature12 Comments

Hello everyone! I hope you had a great holiday weekend if you are in the U.S., or just a great past few days if not! We had a pretty relaxed few days, with the exception of our July 4th celebration with my family. We actually celebrated on the Monday instead of yesterday and it was nice to have yesterday as a rest day. Because we needed it!

I have not seen a few of my cousins or their families since the fourth of July party last year! My cousin has been hosting and his house is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for parties, and the day is just so perfect and filled with laughter. Wyatt (and by default Billy) spent hours in the pool, where the kids just swam and splashed and used squirt guns, while the rest of us adults caught up with each other in the shade. Other dads did duck in and out of the pool, as well as a few moms. I loved being able to hang out with my brother and cousins – we had an hour or so where it was just the five of us sitting around the table, chatting and laughing and remembering. And all the food!! So much food. Everything was delicious but my sister-in-law made some sort of ooey gooey peanut buttery thing and oh my gosh, it was amazing.

The weather was a bit unpredictable – we would have a few hours of straight sun, then a stray rain downpour would unleash itself on us all. The first few the kids just kept on playing in the pool, and the last one was just crazy and we all ran off for the various areas of cover. Billy and Wyatt and I ended up in the best spot – we headed for high ground and the pergola covered patio – also where all the food was.

Tiny Bebe girl met the next youngest little, my cousin Mike’s youngest son. Little kiddo was slightly alarmed to see his mom holding a different baby. Lol.

By the time we left, full of sun, memories, food, and pool time, we were exhausted and ready to clean up and put on our pajamas. It had been a fantastic day though.

Saturday and Sunday were so rainy! We did do some fun stuff over the weekend leading up to the holiday though, despite the storms that kept rolling through. Between the rain and the air quality (again ugh) we were stuck inside but we made good use of it, playing board games and reading and completing our tiny art for our library’s tiny art show!

I am not an artist but I had fun anyway. It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, painting our “submissions” to the show. Billy and I have a few details to add to our paintings but I will be turning them in later this week and they will be displayed in the library the whole month of August, along with everyone else who registered. From left to right – Wyatt’s sun and moon, Billy’s Panda King isopod, and my little brown snail. Lol.

All this rain has been good for the garden and the plants though!

We managed to squeeze in one bike ride before the rain and air quality got bad this weekend. And we took lots of drives and ate lots of watermelon.

And that was that! How about you all? What have you been up to?

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life8 Comments

This morning I am drinking my coffee sitting on my sofa, the skies are just beginning to lighten out the window behind me, cartoons are on the television, but I am wishing for summer mornings by the lake. I took the above picture when we were on vacation last summer up north and I am ready to go back. It was an awesome family trip, with my brother and his family and my mom, and my SIL’s mom too.

But alas, I am here. And that is ok too. My coffee is hot and delicious (Newman’s Own Sunrise Blend today) and my husband made it for me, so bonus, coffee I didn’t have to make!

I did book a small trip! Between now and the beginning of March, Wyatt has like 7 different appointments with various specialists. No fun really for any of us but just a fact of our lives. But I felt like we were going to need a break, so I booked an Airbnb and arranged for a trip with Wyatt’s interests in mind. His birthday is the first of week of March and we usually go to some sort of nature center to celebrate. Well this year we went a little bigger than the average nature center – we are going to Wolf Park in Indiana! Wyatt loves wolves so I felt like for birthday #8, we could go see a few. I also reserved a private tour just for the three of us, a golf cart to drive around in if the weather is terrible, and a spot for us at the evening howl as well. I know Wyatt will really love that part. The little town we will be staying in looks super cute too! It will give us all something to look forward to through these gray months.

So I mentioned on my blog the other day that we had a Fast Food French Fry Showdown on Saturday night at my brother’s. Billy and my niece have a french fry rivalry going, so we were determined to get to the bottom of it, and see who has the best fries around. We got fries from 6 different places – McDonald’s, Arby’s Rally’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and White Castle. My brother picked up fries from three places, we picked up fries for the other three, then met over his house for the tasting. It was an absurd amount of fries. We got two larges from each place, and then divvied them up one restaurant at a time to everyone. Some of them were cold by the time we got to them, which didn’t help when evaluating, as they were kind of soggy, which was gross. We obviously need to work on our technique for this type of thing in the future – like maybe keep the fries or food we are not ready to eat yet in the oven on low to keep warm until it is time to eat? Anyway, that is next time.

So the votes and the verdict! I won’t give the entire breakdown, but the ultimate loser was White Castle, with Arby’s a close second for last. The White Castle fries were entirely tasteless. The Arby’s curly fries were also very disappointing – they had a very oniony taste which was very off-putting. The clear winner was McDonald’s, with all but one person (Billy) voting for them. Even I voted McDonald’s first in this challenge, when I do love Burger King better. But in this particular challenge, the McDonald’s fries were still warm and tasted better. We had a lot fun with this and are going to do this again. I think next time we are going to compare cheese bread!

Billy had also been working on a surprise for Mermaid Girl and he finally finished. He gifted it to her Saturday night and she LOVED it.

He made her her very own Explorer bag! He hand cut, hand sewed every feature, created all the bits for test tubes and tweezers and containers, planned it all out, and even purchased a little whimsical unicorn charm to decorate it because that is who Mermaid Girl is. When we asked her what she was going to collect she said “fairies”. Her plan was to catch some and bring them home to play with though, not hurt them. He is busy planning out Wyatt’s bag, and after a lot of thought, he has opted for a nature bag that is also part art bag, because that is Wyatt. Billy does such good job and is so talented.

Here is happy girl with her bag.

And it is time for a refill friends. This cup is empty!

What has been going on with you all lately?

Family Day Out at The Henry Ford Museum

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life, Detroit, Michigan15 Comments

On Monday, Billy surprised Wyatt and I by taking a vacation day! We considered going to Greenfield Village but it was cold and then started to rain so we switched plans and went to the museum instead. Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum are two parts of the same museum and we haven’t been to the actual museum in quite a long time. It was definitely time to go back. And they have a special exhibit right now, the Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume exhibit!

We loved it. These costumes designers are so talented, with billowing dresses, perfectly tailored suits, and all the various whimsical fairy tale touches.

Billy and I couldn’t believe how tiny these actors and actresses must be to fit these wee little outfits!

We all had favorites:

Ok so I had two favorites. The costume that Julie Andrews wore as Mary Poppins, and Keira Knightley’s Sugar Plum Fairy gown. Wyatt loved the Captain Jack Sparrow costume, and Billy loved Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent dress.

After goggling over the costumes we moved on to the rest of the museum.

One of my favorite permanent exhibits is the Your Place in Time exhibit. It takes you through the different generations and highlights the different technologies and pop culture of the day. The 80s bedroom was so me. I even listened to Depeche Mode and had a moody James Dean poster. Wyatt is such a music kid – he enjoyed listening to the music of the 50s and 60s, especially The Beatles. And while I might be a Gen Xer, I think it would be really cool to live in the hippie geodesic dome. (not to be confused with the Buckminister Fuller Dymaxion House that is there which is also super cool)

I always have to go visit the William Hopson sign too. His story is so crazy, and romantic to me. Lol. He was also a bit of a looker. He has a page on the Smithsonian site as well – he was a well known and beloved pilot in his day.

Billy and Wyatt were more excited about the trains and cars – and there are so so many. Seriously. I did take this photo of the stagecoach trailer that belonged to the Lindberghs. Anne wrote her novel The Steep Ascent in it!

And in case you have wondered where certain items from history end up, check museums. They are probably there. The Henry Ford has a sort of macabre collection of items within its walls – including the car Kennedy was in that fateful day in Dallas, and also the car Reagan was in the day he was shot as well. It is strange and eerie and sad to view the Kennedy car; I wasn’t alive at the time but I have seen the footage numerous times and can picture Jackie trying to climb out the back very clearly, and it brings that day to life for me, as learning about history should, even the sad and tragic moments. The Henry Ford also has the chair Lincoln was assassinated in, and Edison’s last breath. We didn’t do the whole museum this time but we will go back. We use our membership pretty heavily, and my favorite thing about a membership is that you don’t feel you need to get everything done in one day.

And on that note, we were ready to head home, one of us with a little souvenir.

Morning Coffee Catch Up!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn books and reading, day in the life, Uncategorized9 Comments

I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend, and if you celebrate Mother’s Day, I hope it was a good one.

We’ve just been caught up in the everyday over here – work, school, family, etc. My mom hasn’t been well, she was laid low by a UTI, and then her antibiotics really took the wind out of her sails, so it has been a few days of balancing letting her rest but making sure she is eating and drinking water. And in case you didn’t know it, for our ladies 65 and older, confusion is a big symptom even before anything else of an issue. (Also, ten days of antibiotics are a must! We learned that the hard way as well)

I did manage to join my friends at our favorite nursery on Saturday morning! I didn’t buy too much for outside, but I did buy a cool bonsai for my mother in law for Mother’s Day, and lots of terrarium plants to jeuje up Freddy, Harry, and Luna’s tanks. I did get a laugh out of the names of those flowers – and I have to say the Wee Bit Grumpy side seems to be flourishing.

When I got home I learned my guys had enjoyed their time together as well, stumbling on an old-timey baseball game at the park.

Billy and I putzed about with the tanks while Wyatt played outside (we were outdoors as well) and I am pleased with how they are turning out!

Sunday I wanted a slow day, after so many days of being busy. We visited our moms briefly – my mom wasn’t feeling well and Billy’s dad just had surgery – and went to the park for ice cream. I loved just laying on the blanket in the warm sun, listening to the birds, surrounded by the little spring flowers that made it seem like fairyland. Billy and Wyatt bought me an Elephant Ear plant “Mojito”, and I apparently have two more gifts coming in the mail, although I am perfectly happy with my new plant. Then Billy made dinner, salmon and brussel sprouts, rice pilaf, and brown bread. It was fantastic!

It was a lovely weekend and then we hit the ground running Monday, back to the daily again.

Today is also book launch day for my friend Lisa at Boondock Ramblings! Beauty from Ashes is her third book in the Spencer Valley Chronicles and I can’t wait to read it, as I loved the first two! It is downloaded and waiting for quiet time this afternoon.

After becoming pregnant by her abusive ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Liz Cranmer feels trapped in a prison of shame. Now a single mother she feels like the whole town, especially her church-going parents, view her as a trashy woman with no morals. That’s not how she used to think of herself but — could they all be right? And if they think that, then what does God think of her?
 
Ginny Jefferies, 53, has hit a few snags of her own in life. Her husband, Stan, barely acknowledges her, her job as the town’s library director has become mundane and stagnant, and her youngest daughter is having some kind of identity crisis. Pile on the return of a former boyfriend and you have the makings of a near-midlife crisis.

You can find it here for just .99 cents!

Or, you can read the whole series for under $5 right now!

What have you all been up to lately?

Hanging in there on a tough week

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life20 Comments

How you all doing? Hanging in there I hope! It’s been a rough week around here for me personally. There were some things that were causing me a great deal of stress with my extended family and I was struggling a bit this week. I couldn’t read, which I hate when I can’t settle down with a book. I pushed through and got things done, with a lot of pep talks from friends and family. So this week was an odd one. We didn’t get too much besides what we needed to do done, but it was a week of small victories, which are just as good.

Harry had a recheck this week and the vet said he looks awesome! His surgical area healed perfectly, and he is looking good and did not require any further medication, although we still have to give him his appetite stimulant because he lost weight, poor guy. But otherwise he is doing well. He has the world’s tiniest carrier and everyone at the vet thought it was adorable – as did I. It has a little strap that cracks me up, like I can carry him around with me on walks or in stores or something. I had to send Harry into the vet alone per COVID rules and I do wonder if they wore him for a minute because I would have, had I been them.

I also started a new skin care routine this week. I don’t usually do much, just wash and moisturize but it has been so cold and I am over 40 so I thought I should up my game. I ordered a few different oils from Good Molecules then had to call my friend to ask her how to use them. I took notes even. So I now use squalane oil in the morning, and rose hip seed oil in the evening. I also have an ultra hydrating one that I am to use as needed, per my friend Kelly, my personal beauty guru. I am sort of a wash and go person, even with my hair so anytime I add in anything new it feels like such a big deal.

I have also been trying to organize a meal plan that is sustainable and easy to turn into a routine. In preparation for this I ordered meat from Trillium Woods Farm. We have ordered from there before and picked it up at the farm, but this time we had it delivered. It came today and it was sort of fun to go through when it came. The things that make me happy these days! Truth be told, I feel like it was a good price for the quality I know we are receiving, especially when the prices in the grocery store are pretty comparable these days. Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are also planning on doing a recipe swap in February to sort of mix things up and try new things. I am excited about it!

Wyatt and I also had a great week of homeschooling, after I had one day of dragging my feet over it. I plan on sharing more on that tomorrow, but we are both loving the topics we are learning about this week.

It’s been so cold here too! Not much snow but single digits that go below freezing at times. We are winter hikers but I don’t like to take Wyatt out when it is that cold out. So this weekend we are sticking around the house, baking, and working on his Valentine’s! I am part of on online “cohort” group that all use the Blossom and Root curriculum for first grade, and one of the mothers organized a Valentine exchange. She grouped interested families into “classes” of 24 and sent out the lists! We are going to make a Valentine’s box that Wyatt can put them in as they arrive, and then open them all on Valentine’s Day. I think it will be fun! Especially since Wyatt loves anything to do with mail these days.

So how are you guys? Hope all is well in your world!