Category: Detroit

Birthday at the Brasserie!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit23 Comments

In Detroit at the corner of Grand River and Washington, nestled into the stunning Book Tower building, is the gem that is Le Supreme.

It was a Saturday morning, just in time for brunch, when we headed downtown in nicer clothes than normal, for Billy’s birthday brunch. Billy loves all things French, and I thought it would be fun to surprise him with a special meal for his birthday. We don’t usually make a fuss over our birthdays, but this year, I wanted to make a fuss over my hard working husband.

We chose to valet park since parking can be difficult in that area and we had Wyatt’s wheelchair to consider as well, then made our way through the French blue doors into the colorful lobby of Le Supreme. The hosts were both so sweet, with the male host complimenting my rabbit necklace and the woman being very helpful in finding just the right table. When I made our reservation, I had mentioned it was Billy’s birthday and that we had a wheelchair user so they were prepared for us. They wished Billy a happy birthday and directed us to our table.

I was busy looking all around but trying not to look like a rube who never goes anywhere, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I wandered into the movie Amelie, which is one of my favorite movies and I was taking it all in. So was Wyatt – his head was on a swivel on our way to the table as well.

It wasn’t too busy yet in the room we sat in, although the front section was bustling and filled with chatter. The color palette of the design and the architectural details of both rooms were absolutely gorgeous – I loved both areas. The sage green, the tiled floor, the wood details of the front room, to the wood and mirrors of the room that we were in both transported Billy and I to another place, reminding us of vacations in New Orleans (we have never been to France but we have been to New Orleans many times!). The waitress offered us a choice of sparkling water or regular – Billy and I chose sparkling, Wyatt the regular. Then we perused the menu.

So I am not the most adventurous eater, but I knew I wanted to explore a bit more than my usual orders at places. I didn’t go wild, but I did order something different than my norm – Eggs Benedict. I wavered between a few things, the Omlette Francais, the Baguette Jambon Beurre et Brie, the Salade Nicoise, or… something safer. I went for slightly safer but out of my comfort zone since I am not a sauces person. Wyatt ordered the pancakes and bacon, and then Billy plumped for the Croque Madame. I also ordered a glass of wine. When in a Parisian-inspired restaurant, why not?

Those pancakes were bigger than Wyatt!

Everything was delicious! Seriously, the best thing I have eaten all year. We were just about filled to the brim with goodness when the waitress told us that she hoped we had saved some room, because they were going to bring Billy out a complimentary Creme Brulee for his birthday. How did they know that is his favorite?


Billy was nice and shared. It was safe to say Wyatt enjoyed his first experience with Creme Brulee…

After we ate we took a quick walk through the lobby of Book Tower, while we waited for the car to be pulled around. It was gorgeous, and we loved the giant window into part of the kitchen.

I want to give a shout out to the valet team here. They were so thoughtful and accommodating, making sure to park so that it was easier to load the wheelchair, offering to actually load the wheelchair, holding the doors open for all three of us.. they were just very good at their job and sort of made the outing feel even more like a dream.

Billy absolutely loved his birthday brunch, and we loved making a bit of special over him. He doesn’t get that very much and he deserves it way more often.

We had a fantastic time, and would 100% go back again. We definitely want to go back for dinner one night, perhaps a date night, although Wyatt behaved perfectly and I was so proud of him.

Overall, this experience was amazing, every last bit of it.

The Details

Le Supreme is located at 1265 Washington Blvd Detroit, MI 48226 and they are open for brunch and dinner on the weekends, and from 4-10 during the week. If you go, I highly recommend the valet service, although there is a parking garage directly across the street, but honestly you might end up paying the same amount. I also recommend making a reservation.

As for accessibility, they were very accommodating with Wyatt. They do have outdoor seating, but not much of it is shaded and if shade is important, keep that in mind. (it is for us)

I also want to just add that we got a little postcard when we left with our bill, of The Supremes, and I loved that touch of Detroit. Full circle.

The Bookstore With One Million Books – Literally

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit25 Comments

On Saturday, we stepped out to one of the coolest bookstores in our area, John K. King Books in Detroit. This place is an institution around here, especially for readers.

Housed in an old factory building that operated from the 1940s to the 1970s, it is rather unassuming from the road. Maybe you might pass it by, thinking it didn’t hold much of value. But were you to stop and step inside, you would be whisked into the dreams of every book lover, with four floors of books, stacks that tower to the ceiling, and seem to go on and on indefinitely on those old factory floors. It’s truly like a weird, wonderful world in there. One feels like Dorothy must have upon entering Oz, Lucy entering Narnia, or any other character who stumbled into something like a dream.

When you enter, the staff greets you warmly and hands you a map. Yep a map. However we made a grand entrance upon the scene – we entered in style. When we arrived, we opened the front door and immediately in front of us were two sets of stairs – not very easy for us to navigate with Wyatt’s wheelchair. As luck would have it, a Detroit fire truck pulled up at the same time, and out popped a fireman who was heading inside to look for a book. He saw our predicament and helped Billy carry Wyatt up, one on each side of his wheelchair, like Wyatt was in ancient Egypt. I can’t make this up. When we got all the way up, the staff told us that there were elevators, and that it even accessed the parking lot, so leaving was going to be much easier, since I am sure our fireman friend would be long gone. We got our maps, and prepared to enter the labyrinth. And seriously, the first floor is like a labyrinth!

Laid out like a rabbit warren, I soon found myself lost and absorbed in the books. I had a goal though: to find the children’s books. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to stay as long as I wanted, as I had a nine year old in tow, so I wanted to explore, and hit the one section I really wanted. Thankfully, it was on the first floor and easy to find! There were so many books though! I was excited and also super overwhelmed. I browsed the shelves, pulled books out, put them back, over and over again. I also had an extra mission – to find the Nancy Drew books to see if they had any for Lisa, over at Boondock Ramblings, who is collecting and reading them.

At first, it seemed like it would be simple.

I found the section and I thought, I did it! Success! Sadly though, they were all sold out! The staff there told me that they sell out very quickly, which I am sure they do. I quick chatted Lisa and told her the sad news, and told her that while there was no Nancy Drew, there were a ton of Hardy Boys and a few Bobbsey Twins. After some back and forth, she decided that if I wanted I could pick her up a Bobbsey Twins book. Then we had to decide on how vintage she wanted it…

I will reveal all books bought at the end of the post – suspense!

I prowled through more of the shelves, having no idea where my husband and son were by this point, lost in reading title after title.

After some time I thought I should probably look for my family. I asked the woman at the register if she knew where they went (and she called me young lady, bless her) and she directed me up to the second floor.

I took the stairs and finally found them on the third, after I explored the second floor and couldn’t find them. I did call Billy to see where they were. I had to. I met them up there and Wyatt was getting super bored, so we decided Billy would take him outside and I would finish up, which meant sweeping through the third floor super fast and then paying.

For the second photo, I was standing in the middle of the room and the shelves were down the middle and off to both sides. I can’t stress just how many books this was. You can see Billy in the distance as well, pushing Wyatt.

After I breezed through quickly, I went back down to the first floor and purchased my books, knowing that I would be back soon. I have already asked my cousin Brian to go back with me one day; we often take used book store shopping trips together and this will be the biggest one. I am super excited about it, and so is he!

A few things, if you visit. It is huge, but there are phones to the front desk on each floor. As far as mobility, well, they try. There is an elevator but even with Wyatt’s little kid wheelchair it was hard to get around. There are just so many books crammed everywhere it was hard to fit through the aisles. It is on the edge of the downtown area, so it is one of the safer areas, however still, like in any big city, keep aware of your surroundings.

And now, the books! I didn’t buy many, as I was sort of overwhelmed and I didn’t spend all that much time there.

First, up, Lisa’s Bobbsey Twin book. And mine! I decided to get one too, and there was one with a houseboat, one of my favorite things! I would love to stay on a houseboat! So I had to treat myself to that one.

I had been on the lookout for Carol Ryrie Brink books. They only had Caddie Woodlawn so I picked it up. I was really hoping that they had The Pink Motel but alas, they did not.

Then I picked up these rather randomly. I had not heard of any of them but they called to me.

I loved the covers of the bird book and the blackberry book, and then I just thought the pond book was too cute.

And..that was it for our first trip to John K. King! We had other adventures after we left, but those are for a future post. I can’t wait to go back to this bookstore again – it just has so much!

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!

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up: Van Gogh and Ghosts

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn, Coffee Catch UP, Detroit, DIY craft10 Comments

Hello everyone! That fall chill is in the air here in the mornings now, making my morning coffee even better than normal.

I feel like I have so much to share today! I will try not to talk your ear off.

Two weeks ago was our city wide garage sale and we had such a good time checking everything out – and buying some things as well! Wyatt decided he had to have that tiny fisherman which he kept calling a fisherman gnome. We had picked that up while on a neighborhood walk and Wyatt rode his little bike home, holding it the whole time. Little fisherman gnome now lives in our den. My husband also found that giant snail in a box of tools, and knew I would want it. He knows me so well! I love it! And finally, we picked up four different paintings/pictures that I had a master plan for.

Wyatt and I also went to an immersive Van Gogh exhibit in Detroit with my dad. We had so much fun!! I thought this immersive experience would be much more accessible to Wyatt as we learn about Van Gogh this month, and it seemed like a fun way to start the school year, with a special field trip. It was pretty amazing actually. The walls, ceiling, floor, everything is covered in images and it moves and flows with music. You are literally in the paintings, and it sweeps you away into the scenes. When they played one of my favorite songs, Non, je ne regrette rien by Edith Piaf, I literally stood up, it was just such a powerful, exciting moment. I didn’t even film or take photos during that part, I was just fully in. I did talk to Wyatt about the scenes we were seeing, the music, and since there were only like ten other people there with us we were able to freely explore and walk around. I know that my dad loved it as much we did. I caught Wyatt bouncing around to the music, and clapping a few times throughout, and it made me so happy.

On this past Saturday, we went to a Halloween/fall themed festival with my brother and his family down in Detroit. It was a nice time! I don’t think any of us bought anything but it was fun to be together and chat. The kids enjoyed all the monsters and everyone enjoyed the Lyra Hoop aerialist.

Later that night, Billy and Wyatt and I put those paintings we got at the garage sale to use! I had been seeing around the internets how people were painting ghosts into old pictures and paintings. Well, we wanted to do that too, but we didn’t want to permanently alter the painting in the process. So Billy came up with the idea of using wax paper and it turned out so cool!! Wyatt did two pictures, I did one, and Billy did one, and we had so much fun! Wyatt wanted his ghosts to have happy faces so they are the cutest little ghosts you ever did see! Our works of art are now displayed proudly around our home – in the den, in the hall, and above my bed. Lol. We had to take a few things down temporarily but that is ok, this was so fun and festive. And after Halloween is over, I think two of the paintings will go to my mom’s apartment if she wants them, and one of them will hang in Wyatt’s room. The other we will just store until next year!

The lighthouse minus ghosts is going to hang in Wyatt’s room for a bit I think. He seems to like lighthouses and ship captains and nautical life lately. I blame Grandpa Rabbit on Peppa Pig.

And then here are some random photos from the old camera roll!

And now I need a coffee refill! Have a good one everyone!

A Full Father’s Day: Classic Cars and a Picnic

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit, family10 Comments

We had a very vintage Father’s Day. Every year on Father’s Day, Greenfield Village has a Motor Muster, and is jam packed full of classic cars, vintage style refreshments, and historic re-enactments. We have been going for a few years now, and this year by far was the absolute busiest we have seen it. There were also three times the cars on display as well!

I took fifty billion photos but I will refrain from sharing all of them – I really took a million. We all had favorites though, and favorite areas! Billy loves all things VW and they had so many this year. Our favorite was a 1977 Camper Van that has been in the same family since 1981. Wyatt wanted to get in it so bad – he is apparently a new fan of them as well. They would be pretty cool to tool around in! One of my friends in high school had an orange one and I didn’t appreciate how neat it was until much later. The green one pictured is the one that has been owned by the same family since 1981 – it is even the perfect color!

This year Hagerty Driver’s Club had old Broncos on display, and they were a huge draw, especially since the new Broncos are out. This is the Motor City all, so we are all about cars here. I dream about owning a vintage Bronco, they are so awesome and massive.

I settled for a polaroid of my guys posing in front of it.

Wyatt and I both also liked this crazy looking van. It was so super glittery and colorful how could you not like it? Wyatt also wanted to get in there and play too. Apparently we need some sort of van.

We all loved the historic re-enactments – they were all CCC and Forest Service related, so of course we did. Billy and I love that whole era so it was really neat to walk around the CCC encampment, and meet the women of the “She-she-she”. I loved that they were teaching women real skills so that they could get jobs, things like refinishing furniture and sewing. Eleanor Roosevelt did not like women being left out of the opportunities that were presented by the CCC so she started her camps for women to learn these skills. There were also “Forest Rangers” from the 40s. During the war, these men were usually out managing timber for the war efforts.

However Wyatt’s favorite moment of our time there? Meeting the pack horse librarian who gave him a library card. Prepare for us to go exploring a new rabbit hole together!

Ok and finally, the Vernors truck!! Vernors is the ginger ale choice in Detroit. It is the cure all you know. It can heal any ailment! And look at that mischievous looking imp on the logo.

Ok last photos just for fun…

We left after lunch and headed home for a quick little nap. After nap, Billy wanted to go to our favorite picnic spot, where we like to just go and relax and enjoy the shade and breeze that we always get there.

It was a very full, outdoors kind of day and was completely wonderful!

The Nutcracker Immersive

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit, family friendly, holiday13 Comments

We have been on the go these past few days!

I declared last Wednesday Wyatt’s last day of school until the first week of January, and since then we have been just doing all the Christmas.

Thursday afternoon my dad, Wyatt, and I went to the Nutcracker Immersive Experience in Detroit. My dad and I are “get there early” people so we left at like 11:50 for a show that started at 1 and was an easy 20 minute drive. I was all parked in the parking garage at 12:10 and we both looked at each other and were like, “Well, we have some time before it starts”. I wandered to the street to see how far we were from the venue – which ended up being 250 feet so good on me for choosing a close parking garage. (The Detroit Opera House garage was a good choice but pricey at $20. There is also a lot on the other side of the venue that is gated and $10) So we listened to some Christmas music for a bit then decided to walk down and see if we could get in early. I was guessing we could because it was a Thursday afternoon before school was out for the day or for the holidays. And we could! It was in an old Detroit building with stairs up to the door, but they had a clearly visible sign pointing to where we could access ADA entry. It was a little old elevator that my dad told Wyatt had been around since the time of Lincoln but it did the job.

The doors opened, and we were the first people there! Or only people? We could hear the music all around us as soon as the doors opened and Wyatt was getting pretty excited! We got all checked in – Wyatt had a premium ticket where he received an ornament and my dad and I had basic tickets, because we wanted Wyatt to get the special treatment. There were four ornaments to choose from, and Wyatt picked the Mouse King. This was not surprising to me – Wyatt always picks the animal choice if there is one.

It looks pretty cute hanging on our tree!

Once checked in we were scooted across the hall, the source of the music. There were drapes across the doorway and the staff held them open for us as we entered the room (which was completely empty!). We were all awestruck. Seriously. We walked in at the perfect time – the projections and VR and the music were at a crescendo, a blizzard was swirling all around us, and we were absolutely immersed in the scene. It was pretty amazing honestly. Wyatt kept exclaiming “Whoa! Whoa!!” and laughing. Exactly what I wanted!


This reel is a composite of different moments – I didn’t want to add too many videos and drive you all crazy!

We spent about 20 minutes alone in that first room which was awesome. Then we decided to check out the ballroom upstairs.

This room was huge! And still very empty as you can see. It was actually so big that Wyatt wanted to wheel around everywhere and explore the space more than watch the show, but that is exactly why I chose this immersive version. He loves the music of the Nutcracker but there is no way he would ever sit through a full production of it. A 30 minute immersive was perfect.

We were in the ballroom for the end of the show, and we weren’t quite ready to leave. As there were not tons of people and no one waiting, we chose to go back down to the first room to see the snowstorm again before leaving. It was still just as magical!

Best photo of the three of us of the bunch that were taken. Lol. Oh well. We had a fantastic time, and would for sure do it again. It was a a great day of music and magical memory making, a very special day spent with my dad and my child.

The Details:

The Immersive Nutcracker in Detroit is at the Lighthouse ArtSpace on Grand River, right by the Opera House. They have a few different ticket packages to choose from, with the most basic ticket starting at $29.99. Parking was easy during the day, but it did look like there were multiple lots scattered all around. This area services Comerica Park, The Opera House, and Ford Field so it is a pretty main area of Detroit.

There are a few benches scattered around the rooms for seating, but I think if you go during a busy time, it might be difficult to grab one. I am not sure how close they pack people in, so if you have the ability to go during a less busy time like we did I would suggest it. Also, this could be very overstimulating and cause sensory overload for those who are sensitive to it. It is immersive, and they don’t kid around with that claim. There are even sensory warning signs on display. Wyatt and my dad are both sensory seeker type people, where I am..not. I was find with it but afterwards I definitely felt the need to decompress in a quiet space. So keep that in mind.

ADA Thoughts:

I was happy with the accommodations made for wheelchairs and those with mobility issues. The clearly visible sign directing us to the elevator entrance, the staff was also very friendly and made a point to tell us that the ballroom had tons of space to move about. I don’t know how it would be if it were crowded but with a light attendance it was perfect. I also would ask about epilepsy warnings if photosensitive epilepsy is an issue, at least for the Nutcracker Experience, as the scenes moved quick and there was some flashing. And of course the sensory warnings as well. Overall though, this was a very easy and fun trip out for us all! I would 100% go again!

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.

Field Trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit, family friendly, homeschooling, Michigan15 Comments

Circumstances have aligned that are going to make going places and doing things much more accessible for us. First, the wheelchair! Wyatt is working on walking but just doesn’t have the stamina or endurance to go very far, so we need the wheelchair until he gets there. And we have one now and life is easier! Second, the pandemic has reached a point where I feel comfortable taking Wyatt into places like museums again. We still wear masks but things are better for us around here. So I was super excited to take Wyatt to the museum!

We rolled up early in the morning., bright and early at 9 when they open. We are get up and go people, we are up early anyway (thanks to early bird boy) and I also like how empty a place is that early so, there we were. The only other people there seemed to be the people going to the Van Gogh exhibit (which I need to get to before it leaves) so we sort of had the rest of the museum to ourselves for quite a while. My mom went with us, as did Billy since he had the day off to go camping. (he headed out after our field trip). We had a great time.

First up were the Diego Rivera murals, the whole point to our trip. Wyatt has been learning about Diego River in art and I was really excited to be able to show him some actual, in person, works of Rivera. He could not believe how huge they were. They are pretty awe inspiring.

After we spent some time here, we moved on to the ofrendas, a special exhibit right now. I wanted all of us to see it, as this month Wyatt and I are focusing on all Hispanic artists this month and I also have some lessons about Dia de los Muertos as well coming up. My mom, Billy, and I were very moved by these personal and emotional creations. They were very elaborate and thoughtful. I was not comfortable taking photos of them for obvious reasons, but there were some parts I did feel it was ok to do so. These ofrendas were intended for public viewing to educate but also still were personal to the artist’s family, so it was tricky.

After soaking in the ofrendas, we wandered around the rest of of that floor. Wyatt was more excited about using his wheelchair than he was about the art and we had to keep him in check – I was slightly anxious my exuberant child was going to knock over a Roman bust or something.

Just a few more, I promise.

We didn’t explore the whole museum this time – I figured that this was enough for this visit and we can back and see the rest later. I also wanted to visit the gift shop before we left to look for Frida, Rivera, or Day of the Dead stuff. I could have poked around in there all day but my guys were getting restless.

The DIA offers a free educator pass to homeschool families which is pretty cool! I applied in September and received mine a few days later. I am looking forward to seeing what they offer!

Our first wheelchair field trip adventure was a success and I am looking forward to our future adventures!

Franken Fest

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit5 Comments

My husband is more of a social animal than I am, and for the duration of COVID, has been locked down pretty tight due to our son’s different needs. I know he has been missing the liveliness of being somewhere that has high energy, people, things to see… so Saturday left the house early, masked up, and went to Franken Fest.

Franken Fest has apparently been around, but this is the first time it was in the Detroit area. We are huge Halloween fans and love monsters and cryptids and spooky stuff so we thought this event would be pretty neat to check out! Bonus – it was on the site of Fort Wayne in Detroit, which has been around as a fort since the War of 1812, and was used by the military until as “recently” as Vietnam. My dad actually shipped out from Fort Wayne. Now however, it is a series of crumbling buildings that historic preservationists are trying to save. We are going to go again one weekend when it is not a festival, the grounds deserve their own post..

Back to Franken Fest. I learned about it through the reptile rescue group Saving Scales Reptile Rescue. I want to adopt a rescue tortoise sometime this winter and was doing some research – in particular, I wanted to see a Russian Tortoise in person to get an idea of their size. Saving Scales was doing on the spot adoptions (I did not give in to temptation and adopt a tortoise…this weekend at least) so we headed there first. I enjoyed talking all things reptile with the volunteers and meeting their adoptable animals – leopard geckos, snakes, tortoises…all so cute! They also do educational outreach to schools and parties so I met their educational assistant, a blue tongued skink named Emma. I have never seen one in person like that and I was surprised at how big it was! I

After checking out the animals, we walked around the festival, perusing the art and creations. Since we were there at the time it opened, 11 am, we were really the only ones walking around, which was nice. Everything was scary, horror themed which was different from what we usually do. It was a fun change! I found a few really cool booths and creators! I did not buy anything, only stickers from an artist whose store is called Monsterologist. He had stickers and patches and posters based on legends like the Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, Sasquatch – it was fun! Wyatt picked out a mothman sticker, I chose a Loch Ness Monster sticker, and we bought a mothman sticker for my brother’s family, since this summer they vacationed in the area that legend derives from. (Not intentionally) There were also a few things I have never heard of – what is the story behind that frog, I wonder?

We also really liked this booth. Artist Jess Sheeran creates these adorable little critters! We are thinking of maybe gifting some at Christmas time, they are so cute! There was one with a mushroom themed headband that was cute, and also the little “nuggets” are so squishable!

Artist Stephanie Ellis really captured my attention though, with her more nature based art. She had prints and t-shirts, and I loved that she will reuse vintage t-shirts or t-shirts that are thrifted to screenprint on. Can you see why she caught my attention?

Finally, the art at the Gnarled Barnacle was definitely worth stopping in for a chat. They make “electric art” which I had not heard of but Billy had. They somehow use electricity to burn the wood, like a lightning strike in my mind but I am sure it is not that dramatic. Billy just told me they are passing an electrical current through the wood so I don’t think I was that far off. And how perfect was their booth for an event called Franken Fest!

After about an hour of wandering around, it started filling up so we decided it was time for us to go. We had seen everything anyway so we were ready. It was nice to do something different though and now I feel like I am really ready for fall!

The Weekend Vibe

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Detroit, family friendly, Michigan, nature12 Comments

I felt like we lived in this car most of the weekend! We kept busy for most of the weekend, whether it was time spent outdoors, with family, and sometimes just taking a ride around. I apologize, this will probably be a long post with lots of photos!

Friday morning we loaded up the car with our new little red wagon, a cooler of water, my backpack of snacks, and headed off to the zoo! We were meeting my brother Devin, his wife Chrissy, and my niece Dino Girl. Thank goodness it was a cooler day, it has been so hot and humid in Michigan it’s like a swamp out there. But Friday was practically perfect.

Whenever we go out we have to make choices on how Wyatt will get around. A backpack carrier? And with me or with Billy? A stroller? I hate that these options limit his independence to practically nothing, but he outgrew his wheelchair over the past year and the way insurance works, if we were to get another one we would practically insure that he would never get another walker again. So, we are trying to work around that since he is working on walking and can use a walker, just not well enough for a trip to the zoo. And not to be negative on here since I hate doing that, but my husband took him for a stroll around the neighborhood the other day in the stroller and was stopped by someone asking what Wyatt’s “issue” was. They also let Billy know that Wyatt was eligible for therapy services, like he hasn’t been in them since he was six months old. So frustrating. I get that the person had good intentions but frankly it wasn’t her business. And now I feel super self-conscious taking Wyatt out that way, I don’t like people staring at him. It will more than likely happen his whole life but I want to be able to make things as easy as I can for him when I can. I’m his mom. I can’t help it. Anyway, Thursday night it clicked that we could use a wagon. So, Billy headed out at 8pm to find one. And delivered like the awesome dad that he is. I felt like the wagon would first, blend in, and second, I was positive my niece would crawl in there at some point too, giving him company and making him feel less isolated. And it was so much easier to take him in and out, he could move around a bit, and it folds down into a bench seat as well. Win-win. There were a million wagons at the zoo too, just like ours so I feel like if he looked around, he wouldn’t feel as different.

Anyway. Once that was out of the way, we were golden for the whole day. Zebras, lions, giraffes, rhinos, camels, tigers – they were all out and about and looking cute. Zebras are Wyatt’s favorite (and mine) and I was excited to see them so close this time!

However, we all seemed to love the Amphibian House the very best. I guess our family does love its little creatures!

I also got super excited about this turtle in the marsh system outside. And this bee!

Saturday we stuck closer to home. We loaded up our little wagon again, this time with picnic supplies, and had a little picnic in the park. Later on that night we had drinks with my brother and fam, plus my dad and stepmom too.

It was so hot and sultry out this weekend, and I think we were all remembering our many trips to New Orleans – which inspired Billy to make a cocktail. Which he never does. And I rarely drink at all, if ever. But it was good, y’all. Also, my new favorite summer wine made an appearance. The drink Billy made is called a Gin Basil Smash, and it is so light and refreshing and citrusy. And actually so is the wine. (Loveblock, Sauvignon Blanc)

Sunday morning, and we just kept on rolling. We took a drive around Detroit, specifically Belle Isle and the farmer’s market area of Eastern Market. Eastern Market was closed so I was able to grab photos of the beautiful street art.

From here we headed to Belle Isle for a total change of scenery…

And someone got a little sleepy.

It was a busy, full weekend, full of people and sights and things that I love.

I hope you all did something or talked to someone that made you smile over the weekend!