It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last week was Music Camp – and a complete whirlwind of a week, honestly. I did not get much reading done but this week, my plan is to take things slow and easy for Wyatt and I. So far our summer has been jam packed full of goodness and being busy and I hope to take a few weeks of laid back summer daydreaming and just chilling in July.
Read Last Week:
I finally got to this one and it was a total treat! I flipped through it while drinking some coffee, wishing I was in the woods or the mountains somewhere, looking into the wilderness from my own lodge room. It was a book for dreaming by, that is for sure.
Reading This Week:
I totally used to be able to read this many books in a week. Those days are over for me right now, but I am going to hopefully read at least two of the three!
I did start Dial A for Aunties last week and it was making me snort laugh out loud while reading it, all in the first chapter so it is off to a good start. I can’t wait to dive back into it later tonight!
Billy and I are still watching Death in Paradise at night. We do a lot of rewatches when we are tired out or need comfort tv (me). We hadn’t seen the first few seasons in a while and it is fun to revisit them.
Yesterday I left off with the end of Day One at Camp – however, our day was hardly over and we (me really) still had far to go.
We left camp exhausted and ready to get to the house I had rented on VRBO and just relax. I had picked this house because it’s main selling point that they advertised was that it was CLEAN, and the yard looked fantastic – big and grass neatly mowed perfect for playing in, and bonus, was handicap accessible. However, when I arrived, I was instantly taken aback. It looked abandoned and sad and uncared for. I pulled into the driveway, left Wyatt in the locked car, and surveyed the yard, which was like overgrown field. I went up the uneven wheelchair ramp, and the door we were supposed to use was covered in some indeterminate substance and looked absolutely filthy. I just could not deal at this point in time because…. Billy had also called me and had been to urgent care and was probably heading to the hospital. I was literally at my emotional edge. I looked at my child in the car, decided I didn’t want to even go into the house at all, because either I left him alone in an unknown neighborhood in the car (and for some reason I kept thinking about Cujo), or went through the whole process of getting him and his wheelchair into the house to maybe just have to leave anyway. So I went back to car and immediately made hotel reservations. We ended up 2 minutes from the music hall, at the Towneplace Suites by Marriot. I am such a rental house person that it has been forever since I was in a hotel, and this one was like a godsend. It was sparkling clean in our room, spacious, quiet, and even had a kitchen. I think it is probably a business traveler hotel but Wyatt and I were there too, and it was perfect. Comfortable, safe, clean. I could not recommend that hotel more.
Later that night I did get a call from Billy – he was going to the ER. Hours and hours later, we finally learned what was going on with him. A kidney stone! I had been a ball of nerves because I was so far away, so his mom was checking in on him, which made me feel better. However, this also meant he would not be making it up to Lansing to meet us the next night as planned. As long as he was feeling better, we could all deal- well the adults at least. Wyatt really missed his dad which is understandable, and was just another part of Wyatt’s emotional state while we were there.
The morning of Day Two arrived and I felt like I had been through the wars already. But we packed up and headed out, although luckily we got to spend more time sitting around first, and I could have coffee.
Day Two was much like Day One. Wyatt had his good moments, and not as good feeling moments. But he was growing and stretching and that was good. We were both out of our comfort zones and it does you good sometimes to step outside those. I ended up leaving with Wyatt an hour early, he was just so fatigued I couldn’t bear to ask him to go much longer. I talked to the director, and we decided that Wyatt and I would arrive the next day in the afternoon, for rehearsal for the big performance and then the performance.
Wyatt and I spent some quality time playing and reading in the hotel, and then we both went to bed early. I was asleep by 9:15! The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast, got ready slowly, and after a fake nap from Wyatt which I had been hoping for a real one, we headed to the music hall.
Wyatt rocked rehearsal. Like nailed it. He did awesome and amazing. However, once Billy and his parents arrived, that was over. He was done. He didn’t want to participate in camp, and didn’t want to sing in the concert. He ended up going up for his group’s turn but halfway through the song, just sobbed. Yep, my kid was the crier in the concert. After his group was done, I walked straight outside and sobbed myself. It was a long three days, stressful at times, fun at times, highly emotional for us both. But we did it, we made it, and we grew from it, because Wyatt has been a nonstop chatter machine since we got home. Music stimulates all areas of the brain, and I can see how this intensive therapy really seemed to light a fire in him that I haven’t seen for a while. He is curious, mischievous, exploring, and is just using so many words!! I really do attribute this to our time at camp!
As for Billy, he is doing better. He is not back to normal yet and won’t be until that kidney stone is gone, but at least we know the issue and have a plan and things are feeling less painful for him.
And today, it is Friday, thank goodness. Pizza, movies, and then some relaxing family time this weekend as well.
I would definitely recommend this camp or music therapy to anyone thinking about either. Despite our struggles, it was a growing experience for Wyatt, that pushed him in good ways, and I feel that I have seen some very positive gains even from our short stint!
I don’t even know where to start talking about this! Our last three days have been just so much, so full of everything – laughter, singing, dancing, learning, growing, challenges, and tears.
Let me start by telling you what it is. Jeanie from The Marmalade Gypsy told me a few years ago about this camp, and I knew as soon as she told me about it that it was something I wanted Wyatt to do. He has always loved music and singing and playing instruments but then Covid hit, and we all know what that did. It was created by Judy Winters, to honor her son Eric. Judy sounds like an amazing woman and mother, and I had the honor of meeting her yesterday very briefly before the performance.
The Eric ‘RicStar’ Winter Music Therapy Camp was created to honor Eric Winter, a 12-year old CMS music therapy client with cerebral palsy who had a passion for music and a dream of starting a music therapy camp. Shortly after his passing in 2003, Eric’s parents, Dick and Judy Winter, along with Cindy Edgerton, CMS’ Director of Music Therapy Clinical Services, made the dream a reality and founded RicStar’s Camp. Eric’s parents continue to honor their son as advocates for individuals with special needs, with his mother, Judy Winter, leading the way as an author, speaker, and nationally recognized voice on special needs parenting issues.
Also: [This] is a one-of-a-kind, inclusive day camp that provides opportunities for musical expression, enjoyment, and interaction for all persons with special needs and their siblings.
This was the year, I decided. I signed Wyatt up, exchanged a few emails with the Camp Director Cindy, who is also the Director of the Music Therapy Department at MSU, where this camp is held, made plans, and made some reservations to stay in Lansing. And I just realized this post may get long and become a two parter!
I knew going into this that Wyatt would love it but that it would also be tough for him, but I thought, we are doing this anyway, and we will just play everything by ear and be flexible and follow Wyatt’s lead which is just what we did.
So. Monday morning Wyatt and I drove up to Lansing in the wee hours of the morning (7 am), directly to the MSU Community Performance Hall where camp is held every year. We got there, tired but excited, and slightly nervous if I must be honest. Or at least I was. Wyatt was fine. We got all checked in and waited for everyone to get there. Wyatt was green group, and it was a small group of kids ranging in age, with his age being maybe the oldest in that group (there were a few other kids around his age, and a few younger).
The days are divided into five sessions, with a half hour lunch. Each session focuses on something different, and this year they had sessions such as Play a Song, where the kids got to play instruments and sing, percussion, blues and beats, guitar jam, a parachute, music and movement session, and musical theater. I knew this was going to be a long day for Wyatt, and stretch him and challenge him, but we were going to give it our all, along with the support of the many understanding therapists and counselors and volunteers, all of whom were simply amazing.
I say this was going to be a challenge, because for Wyatt, this is like all of his therapies, occupational, physical, and speech all rolled into one in every session, for five hours. It was going to be fun for Wyatt, but also WORK. It was going to be hard, it was going to be tiring, but also in a playful fun way. Wyatt has a motor planning disorder, which means that for him the signal between his brain and his body sometimes gets confused or lost altogether, which can create frustration for him. And even when they connect, it is due to work on his part to make it all fit together. For example, in percussion one afternoon, the kids sat in a circle with a paddle drum (which has made our Wyatt wish list!) and sang The Ants Go Marching while passing drum mallets around. For every ant added (1 by 1, 2 by 2, etc) another mallet was added. So Wyatt had to watch for a mallet to be passed to him, hit his drum once, then pass it on, while singing and watching for another mallet. For Wyatt to do all of this processing at once and make his body respond the way it should was huge, and kiddo knocked it out of the park. All of our days were like this, with struggles and gains, but this one, this one was a huge win. We are going to do similar things here at home, because attending with Wyatt, I was able to learn as well, about music therapy, how much it affects the entire brain, his body, and learn as well different things I could do with him at home.
Wyatt ended up needing a nap at lunch time. He was just worn out. He took a little disco nap in the car with me, then we rejoined his group. He was still tired out but was able to participate.
We had musical theater the first day, where Wyatt volunteered to be Lord Farquaad, the villainous king. We also had guitar jam, which Wyatt never ever ended up liking. The only reason I can think of is that it was a) difficult and frustrating, and b) the music was sort of slow and bluesy, and slow saddish sounding music makes him cry, no matter where we are, even when they are in cartoons.
It was the one session everyday that Wyatt just didn’t even try much, and would just cry instead. It broke my heart so we usually ended up taking a break once the tears started. (if any special needs educators or therapists out there read this and have an idea about this, I would love to hear! It happened no matter what time of day)
In the afternoon we had Play a Song, which Wyatt LOVED! He sang his little heart out. In the application we had to list songs our children like and the very first song they did was one of Wyatt’s favorites, Howl by the Okee Dokee Brothers. Play a Song was a mix of these songs so sometimes they were songs we didn’t know, but that was ok, Wyatt enjoyed it anyway. Then they sang Let It Go from Frozen and Wyatt really let it go! He was singing with all his might, and doing the arm motions and was so loud (they decided my child did not need a microphone, he was loud enough without it). The therapist in charge was like, Wyatt you are the perfect embodiment of Elsa! Listening to him sing and just be so filled with joy brought on the first moment of happy mama tears, let me tell you.
From there we moved on to percussion and then more percussion with beats booms and blues. Wyatt really enjoyed playing the drums.
And that was the end of Day One!
I will post more tomorrow – I still have so much to share, and I want to share it all for anyone out there who is considering this camp or even music therapy!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hi all! Last week was all appointments and appointment follow ups, phone calls, phone calls and more phones calls. However, I did get a lot done and I feel like we have a new, good plan for Wyatt that all his doctors are aware of and working toward. So, I feel like it was also a very successful week too, which made all the talking on the phone worth it (hopefully!)
This week Wyatt and I go to music camp! We leave tomorrow morning and I have an Airbnb all reserved for us – I have a feeling we are both going to get back to the house tomorrow night and want to just veg after a big, awesome day. We will be home Wednesday night, and while I am anxious because that is who I am, I am also very excited for Wyatt, since he is going to love this!
Read Last Week:
I read two whole books last week! First, The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White. I absolutely loved this book and when it ended I was so frustrated that I didn’t have the next book in the series right on hand so I could start it immediately. Lol. I have a hold at the library but it looks like it won’t be in before I leave for music camp, so I will have to wait just a little bit longer! I read it fast, but not as quickly as I read The Villa by Rachel Hawkins! The Villa was a fast read, one I couldn’t put down. It was a crazy ride and I loved it, although it was very tense and heavy in parts honestly. I felt sort of sad after I finished just because the material was sort of intense. It was really good though, and I read it all in one day. I would love to stay in an Italian Villa for a summer but maybe not one like this one…
Reading This Week:
This week I need something a little bit lighter, especially after reading The Villa. I am reading an ARC of Lisa’s newest book, a cozy mystery called Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing, which comes out July 18th! I am also starting Dial A for Aunties.
Billy and I have been rewatching Death in Paradise, starting over at Season 1 again. We also started a BBC show Full Steam Ahead, which about “golden age of steam” and “how Victorian railways created modern Britain.” We love the team of Ruth, Peter, and Alex and watch pretty much anything we find that they have done, including rewatching all the farm series shows many times. We were just saying the other night while watching how cool it would be to hang out with them and have a chat over drinks and talk about history. You can find them on YouTube right now. We are still also watching Newhart here and there.
As for listening, I started a new audiobook, Billy Summers by Stephen King, but it is not a true Stephen King book. I mean it is, but it is not a horror book per se, more of an action-crime type one that doesn’t interest me. So I returned it and I am looking for something else to listen to.
And that is that for today! I hope you all have a good week!
What is the most amazing thing you remember about your wedding?
We had such a fun wedding, truly. We were 24 and young and just wanted a big old party. It was New Orleans themed, and instead of table numbers, we had New Orleans street names. We had cajun and creole food, and our favors were masks and doubloons and beads. We made all 400 masks by the way…. that was a thing. Billy’s mom made a gigantic mask to hang on the wall behind the head table – anyway, we had a party all right! People still talk about our wedding to us. We actually got discounts on things because vendors wanted to do it so they could add it to their portfolio, because I guess we were weird and different.
Billy always tells me that he will never forget the morning I had my hair and makeup trial done, because I met him and his family at lunch after and he didn’t recognize me for a second… I am not sure how I feel about that! Lol. My hair was all done up in an updo, and I had makeup on though, so I forgive him. I never wore my hair up, or wore makeup so it had to be different.
My bridesmaids all wore black, I wanted to go from a very small color palette at the wedding to an explosion of color at the reception. I had this image in mind of going from a formal type of event in a church to a straight up celebration and that is what we had.
Tell us about your wedding dress.
My dress was off the shoulder, with bands of satin that overlaid the whole top of the dress. I bought the second dress I tried on. It was my mom and I at the store and we both loved the dress immediately.
Did you include all three things (they start with b) at your wedding? Care to share more?
My something old and borrowed was a gold sovereign coin from England that was my grandfather’s and my mom carried on her wedding day as well. I had the unfortunate mistake of losing it… My something blue was my garter, something new the dress, etc.
Where was your wedding held…church, park, neighborhood bar?
Our wedding was held at the church my mom was married at, my aunt was married at, and that we had attended all of my life.
What is the worst thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding?
Gosh, I am not sure! I am one of those people who loves weddings and going to them and usually I love it all. Hmm. Ok, the worst thing I saw was more of a potentially embarrassing moment for a bride that Billy and I saved her from, I guess? We were at a wedding where the bride had really enjoyed the bar, was well-endowed, and wearing a corset dress. Billy and I had stepped outside for a bit and the bride came out a few minutes later- with the corset all loose and her dress top falling down exposing her to the world! She seemed oblivious (probably was) so I held Billy’s jacket up in front of her and looked away while Billy redid the back of her dress.
Do you think less of a bride who doesn’t wear white?
Nope not at all. I love the fact that weddings are becoming more personal and less traditional. If I was to have a wedding now, I think I might do it totally differently, although I loved our wedding.
If you got married tomorrow or sometime soon, what would be in your bouquet?
I had white roses the first time around. This time I might opt for something less formal, and want more wildflowers instead.
Have you ever attended a celebrity’s wedding? (Yes, I’m looking for name droppers!)
No, sadly. I did attend a wedding at the Hotel Del Coronado, where Some Like It Hot was filmed, but alas Marilyn Monroe was long gone by then. We were at my SIL’s sister’s wedding. She had a very casual, small like less than 20 people, wedding on the beach and it was beautiful and so very her.
What wedding tradition means the most to you?
Here I will be old fashioned – I like the groom not seeing the bride until the wedding.
Describe your perfect wedding.
Am I my current age in this imagining? Or still in the bloom of youth? I am going to imagine I am planning a wedding now with my new loves for 24 year old me…
I would still get married in the autumn, but in the woods by candlelight would be amazing! And then I would just want it more casual, smaller, rustic boho feeling. I would not wear that headbandy thing that is in the photo though.
This was a fun walk down memory lane! And dang, we all look so young in my wedding photos! My flower girl is now a grown woman with a new baby!
Stephen King and summertime go hand in hand for me. So many summers of my young adulthood were spent reading his books, scaring myself silly. I will always associate summer reading with Stephen King. I haven’t read as many of his books in recent years, I just can’t keep up anymore, but I do have a few on my list for this summer, that I hope to read. This list however, is of Stephen King books that I have read and loved and will always make me think of summer.
First up one of my two all time favorite Stephen King books – Bag of Bones.
I think this one flies under the radar a lot, and does not get the appreciation it deserves. It is fantastic, the story of a grieving man who retreats to his summerhouse to try to heal and write again, as he is a writer unable to write. While there, he meets a woman and her daughter, and..a ghost. I am all about a ghost book. I read this entire book out loud to Billy one summer, years after I had read it for the first time. There is a made for tv movie, but don’t watch it and don’t compare it to the book. The book is by far superior!
My second book on the list is my other favorite – another underappreciated King book, in my high opinion!
Joyland! I really can’t say it better than I said it in 2016 –
I loved this book so much; I didn’t want it to end! The feel of it was classic top of his game King. It put me in mind of Bag of Bones. Thinner, and The Body. The story was a sentimental and nostalgic coming of age story; there were triumphs and revelations and a bit of sadness too. The story is told from the point of view of Devin as a wistful older man, looking back at this summer, a monumental one that changed him forever.
It was weird reading this a bit, as two of the characters are named Erin and Devin, and my name is Erin and my brother’s name is Devin. Lol. I don’t usually encounter them too frequently in books, especially Devin, much less in the same book! (If you want to see my review that is on my old blog, click here!)
Ok the next ones are pretty classic!
Is there any horror fan out there who can think of summer without thinking of It? My cousin Brian and I read this the same summer and completely terrified ourselves!
These two go hand in hand! The Regulators, written under King’s pseudonym, and Desperation. Both are the same story, parallel universe type stuff, about the same monster. My brother and I for years and years would respond to each other in the language of Tak like complete nerds. We still do at times lol, most often thankee sai which is more Dark Tower. Anyways, I digress.
The next three were all part of compilations as either short stories or novellas.
I swear, this story is one reason I absolutely am terrified of swimming in open water. And I can’t see one of these rafts afloat in a lake without thinking of this story!! Originally part of Skeleton Crew, chockful of terrifying short stories…
Also known to my generation as the movie Stand by Me with River Phoenix (sigh..my young girl heart had such a crush). The story is just as compelling as the movie, and is another coming of age story like Joyland. Such a summertime Stephen King memory for me, especially renting this on VHS and watching it at slumber parties as a kid. Originally part of the Different Seasons book, which is one of my all time favorites of King’s as well.
Oy this book was so good but so terrible and made me cry. Why am I including it?? It is just sad. I could never revisit it now as an older person with a child. It would break my heart even more than it did before! However, I couldn’t leave it off of this list. It was originally published as part of the Bachman Books.
As for the books that are on my summer TBR, I have added the following two:
I am not a baseball fan, but I am a fan of baseball movies and stories. Blockade Billy just sounds so good and I am intrigued, what could be the secret in this one!! And 1922, eeek! I will probably not sleep for a few nights.
And since June is audiobook month, I’ve added Billy Summers to listen to – starting now!
I would love to reread Bag of Bones and Joyland this summer as well! I own all of his books except for those that came out in the past seven years, I think I may have to revisit my Stephen King collection after this meander down memory lane..
So when Lisa at Boondock Ramblings told me she was going to do a Spring of Cary Grant, I knew I wanted in on it. She introduced me to the legend that is Grant last fall, and I am woefully behind on his films. So I am tagging along on her journey, posting along with her as well. Katja from Breath of Hallelujah is also posting with us as well!
This was it – the last in our Spring of Cary Grant series. From having never watched a Cary Grant movie up until last fall, I feel like now I am so very familiar with his range and his work. I have watched him woo women, catch thieves, clown around and be silly, work for the government, and be positively creepy as well. This one – this one had a different feeling all together. I feel like in all the roles I have seen him in, I have never watched him act so – detached and emotionless. That wasn’t his fault, it was the role he was playing, that of a no nonsense American agent. He is charged with getting Ingrid Bergman, Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy, to help him infiltrate a group of “Germans” who are living in Rio. I feel fairly confident in saying that this movie never said the word Nazi, but that is what they were looking for.
Anyway, Huberman is supposedly perfect for the infiltration into the group – poor Alicia. That is all I can say. Her life has been determined by the men around her it seems at all times. She has to deal with the fall out from her father’s history and trial, and now she is being pretty much pressed into service for the country when she really doesn’t want to. Devlin convinces her by playing a recording of her and her father arguing, and with her claiming she loves her country, America. She reluctantly agrees.
While waiting for the assignment to go through, Devlin and Huberman fall in love, despite Devlin seeming to also loathe her, and her former promiscuity and drinking. She has been a “new woman” the last week or so, not drinking or sleeping around, yet he slams her telling her that she will eventually go back. She looks so upset as she asks why he just can’t believe in her, and I agree, that would be nice and he really shouldn’t be so judgy and blunt, she has some pretty serious trauma to work through, but I guess it has only been a week.
The assignment comes and Huberman is supposed to use her feminine wiles to work her way into the group via Alex Sebastian, played by Claude Rains. Devlin has information that Sebastian has been infatuated with Huberman for a long time, which is gross because it sounds like she was a child perhaps when they met, since she later thanks Sebastian for overlooking her bratty years. Anyway, Devlin tells Huberman about this assignment and she wants to know if he spoke up for her, telling them that no, that is not something she could do, wanting him to show her that he loved her. He has never told her that he loves her, not then and not earlier, despite them having the longest kissing scene in the movies for that time. I’ll talk about that in a bit, it was interesting!
So Huberman and Devlin contrive a way for Huberman to literally catch Sebastian’s eye, it works, and he woos her and she lets him. She mentions later to Devlin at one of their info dumps where she reports in to him what she has seen, including the removal of a man from a dinner party after he totally freaks out after spotting a wine bottle and it is heavily implied that he is killed for being a weak link on his way home, that Devlin can add Sebastian to her list of “playmates”. You know she wants him to act jealous or something to show he cares, but nada. Later on, Sebastian proposes, and when Huberman tells Devlin and the American agency, they encourage her to do it, although she is secretly desiring Devlin to tell her not to. But she does it, probably to make Devlin happy. So now she is married to a pretty bad dude who has seemed to have been infatuated with her even as a child or young person. He also has a weird relationship with his mother, which hints of Psycho another Hitchcock film. His mom is always embroidering, and every time I saw her in the background, sewing away, it made me think of Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities and her constant knitting of the names about to be killed. (foreshadow, foreshadow)
Devlin needs to look at the wine cellar because that info about the wine bottle made them awfully suspicious. He and Huberman manage to work it out, and I won’t do a play by play on this part because I thought this part was very well executed and it should be watched. Despite all of their best efforts however, Sebastian figures out that Huberman is working with American agents and he goes to mommy to report it. He wants to just off her since once his friends find out, he is a dead man walking. His mom however tells him no, no, it needs to be more subtle, so no one suspects anything. She suggests a mysterious lingering illness, and the two (or maybe just her!) begin to poison Huberman.
Huberman pieces it all together but it is too late – she is too weak to get away and they also remove her phone from her room so she can’t make any calls. After she misses a week of meetings with Devlin, the agency is like wow she must be on a real bender, but Devlin is like no, I thought she was drunk when I last saw her but now in retrospect I think she was ill. Too bad he couldn’t believe in her sooner guys! He goes to the Sebastian residence to check on her, finds her laying there severely ill and on the verge of death probably, and ….. you will have to watch to see the end. I am just not saying. It was the best part in this movie. Although I have lots of thoughts so if you have seen it and want to chat with me about it in the comments feel free.
Now, I mentioned the “notorious” kissing scene!
At the time, kisses were to be no longer than three seconds. Well Hitchcock got around those pesky censors, and created a kissing scene that was 3 minutes long, but made up of kisses that only last a few seconds at a time. The two kissed, nuzzled, cuddled, continued little kisses in the midst of conversation, even a telephone call, and this stretched into a three minutes long scene where it was quite obvious there was obviously something between these two….
Jokes aside, it was a great scene, well executed by all involved.
Overall, this was probably my least favorite that we watched. I felt so terrible for Ingrid Bergman the entire movie, and I felt like Cary Grant was a little too stiff and blah despite the kissing scene. I think this was more of an Ingrid Bergman movie, with Cary Grant also starring in it. She just stole this movie from everyone, which in a movie where a woman is ultimately always at the mercy of men, was fantastic irony. Or was it?
Anyway, just my two cents, early in the morning as I drink my first cup of coffee and reflect on this film.
I absolutely loved participating in Spring of Cary Grant with Lisa and Katja. We watched so many good movies, and I think there was only one I didn’t care for out of them all. I still can’t tell you my favorite! Cary Grant is very swoony and I can see why he was a leading man for so long. Plus his acting range is amazing, he could literally pull off any role.
And that’s a wrap folks!
Updated to add: I did not hate this movie. And I remember after the coffee started working that there was one of his movies I disliked more. However, this one was not one of my favorites. I just felt so angry and upset on Bergman’s behalf! She was a very sympathetic character to me.
To see Lisa’s thoughts, visit her here. For Katja, visit her here.
Saturday was the Full Strawberry Moon, and we finally revived our moon parties! We had missed a few due to illnesses and surgeries and babies being born, but now we are back on schedule! And the strawberry moon is one of my favorites in the whole year – it’s just such a fun theme.
The Strawberry Moon derives its name from Native Americans, as this is the time when wild strawberries would ripen and be ready to be picked – and eaten! My strawberries are just starting to ripen too, and honest to Pete, we had our first red ripe strawberry in the garden Saturday, just in time for the full moon that bears its name.
Anyway, I was super excited about this moon and celebrating with the kids. We always have such a good time, and this past party was no exception. I spent Saturday hitting up the dollar store, baking a cake, and decorating, and while I puttered about Wyatt and Billy headed out and bought the plants the kids were going to plant.
When Mermaid Girl arrived, I already had the Merry Magic Mac and Cheese (frozen Stouffers, the kids’ favroite) in the oven. While it was continuing to cook, we read the full moon story that is part of the Kids Moon Club, and the kids colored in their strawberry coloring pages. By the time we were done, it was time to eat!
The kids enjoyed the mac and cheese, and the cake especially. I enjoyed the cake too! (Duncan Hines for the win!) Oh, we also had strawberry watermelon juice which was also delicious. Billy and I felt like kids eating this obviously designed for children menu, but it was fun!
Next up – the main event- the craft! This is always the kids’ favorite part. This time I had them paint terra cotta pots to look like little strawberries, and once it dried, plant the plants inside. They turned out super cute! We played the game Pop the Pig while we waited, which is a super simple, fast game if you are looking for one, and kids crack up when the pig eats so much finally that his jacket pops open!
However, the fun did not end here! We still had our strawberry lantern sunset walk ahead of us! I had bought these battery operated lanterns from the dollar store, and drew little dots all over them to look like seeds. Then Billy took construction paper and made the top leaves and voila! Done! So simple and the kids loved them. Our walk was beautiful too – it was the perfect evening, cool and breezy but not too cool and breezy, you know what I mean? (also how did my kid get paint in his hair?)
By the time we got home, it was time for Mermaid Girl to go home and for the kids to get ready for bed. I was sure ready for bed! We did get to see this little peanut too, for a minute.. she was a little cranky but I did get some smiles out of her! She was tired too.
Tiny Bebe.
By the time Wyatt was all cleaned up and put in his jams, and happily sleeping and hopefully dreaming of strawberries and moons and playing with his cousin, the moon was up. My brother texted that it was huge and pink but I literally could not see it from my house! I did hang up the lantern though.
Next month is the Full Buck Moon, and you can bet I am already planning for this one! Then in August we are planning a big ol’ party, with all of his little cousins and his friend Tadpole Girl, at his grandma’s pool for the sturgeon moon, which I think I might just make more aquatic themed… I mean, sturgeon just aren’t that fun, are they?
We are such fans of the Detroit Zoo! We have been taking Wyatt since he was a wee little baby, and even before he was born, Billy and I would go to the “Date Nights” they would host, which was adults only, after hours, and served alcohol. It was always a good time! Our first real date night after Wyatt was born was actually one of these date nights, now that I think about it! We love going to all of their seasonal events, especially the Halloween night and the Holiday Lights event. But Dream Night was something else, something even more special. It is a night intended for those with special needs, and is limited to a pre-approved 1000 guests, total. It is cost free, everything from snacks to tickets and parking to the special exhibits, and is stress free as well.
I applied early and a few days later heard back that we were lucky enough to get tickets. I knew that Wyatt would enjoy it, and with hardly any other people there, Wyatt would be able to see things easier.
It felt so empty there! I have never been there, ever, where it felt like we were practically alone in the zoo until Dream Night. We pulled up and had our choice of parking spots, which is crazy, even with a handicap tag. There was no line to wait in to enter, and everyone was so pleasant and accommodating right from the get go, greeting us warmly. We strolled through, without having to worry about tons of kids cutting off Wyatt’s wheelchair, which can get a little scary! Kids are kids and will dart, it happens, but I never want to roll over a child’s foot! We could let Wyatt loose without fear! We didn’t though because we didn’t want him rolling away too far!
Our first stop were my favorites, the otters, who were hiding which bummed us out but we will go back and catch them later this summer, and then the reptile house. We were so excited about all of the cool snakes!
Next we wandered over to the tigers, where one of them was cooling off in its pool. It was a hot night, so I didn’t blame it one bit! From the tigers, we headed to Bricklive, which usually is an extra cost on top of the tickets, but was open for Dream Night! It was amazing! We were all blown away by these creations, all created from “bricks” that were very Legolike, but apparently not Legos. The amount of time and bricks that went into these very lifelike animals was mind boggling! The elephant took 25 days (or 600 hours) and 149, 071 bricks, and five people to build. Fascinating!!
We eventually stopped goggling at these animals to go see the real live ones, and continued on to the lions, the rhino, the giraffes, and my favorite, the zebras!! (Wait, did I say the otters were my favorites already? Well, they both are lol)
We moved on to the Kangaroos, which is super cool because you can walk through their exhibit and they get so close, and popped out right by Wyatt’s favorites, the wolves. The male wolf was hanging out right by the front of their huge exhibit, so we got to see him just relaxing and enjoying the evening.
By this point, Wyatt was getting tuckered out. It was 7:30 pm, and he usually likes to be in his pajamas, in bed, and being read to by 8 pm (this kid is an early bird, not a night owl ) and was fading fast on us. He really really wanted to ride the train though, and since it drops us at the front gate, we doubled back to get on it. When we got there though, we had a bit of a situation with his wheelchair. It is a small trainlet, and it can accomodate wheelchairs that fold up like an accordion, or there is a car with a ramp that they tie down the chair. Since Wyatt’s wheelchair folds down from the top, it wasn’t going to be narrow enough to take him out and stick it in with us so we opted for the ramp and tie down. Then we heard the ramp might not be working, but the woman running the train line was determined Wyatt was getting a ride, somehow. She thought if the train came back and the ramp wasn’t working, he could get a personal ride on the huge golf cart. Billy and I had already decided that if the chair couldn’t get on, Wyatt still could – one of us would ride while the other pushed the chair back to the front.
However, the ramp worked and we got all set up and then were told we couldn’t ride in that car with him. I almost passed out for a second when I heard that. I was like, I can’t not ride with him. First, because he will be scared, second because I will be scared, and third, because what fun is it for him to ride all alone?? So I asked if we could leave the chair there by itself, and just let him sit with us, and of course they were ok with it. They were very concerned and wanted to make sure we were happy – the woman who said we couldn’t sit there was just doing her job so we weren’t upset or anything, it just wasn’t going to happen that way. So we left the chair and sat all together and it was perfect. And it was all worth it, as the train was Wyatt’s favorite part of the night. The team of train workers got him to shout “All aboard!” and off we went! He was so ready to go home by the time the ride was over, despite loving every second of the night. Although we did make one more stop, the gift shop, where he picked out an otter t-shirt. (he also loves the otters)
It was a wonderful, magical, fantastically fun night, and I am so grateful that Wyatt was able to experience it! A big thank you to the Detroit Zoo for choosing us and for hosting such an awesome night out for all the families there!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last week was very full – we had Wyatt’s 24 hour EEG (and thank you everyone for all of your supportive comments last week!), Dream Night at the Detroit Zoo, and our Strawberry Full Moon Party with Mermaid Girl. I am wiped out y’all and I am looking forward to a very lazy day today. Although I am sure I will do a few things, I am going to *try* to take it easy!
Read Last Week:
As I suspected, I did not have time to read very much. However, I did a quick read through of a non-fiction book, and also listened to a book, so I am counting those.
Sunflower Houses by Sharon Lovejoy was a really neat book with a ton of cool ideas to do with young children in the garden. I didn’t read every page or word, but I did read the parts that interested me. And there were quite a few! I told Billy we need a bigger yard so I can do everything I want that I read about in this book. However, if I have to settle for one or two, I am choosing the construction of the “sunflower house” from the title, and the flower clock! The flower clock sounded so cool. They have a list of flowers that open for every hour of the day, a full 24 hours of flowers opening, and instructions on how to arrange it. I 100% want to do this!
I read Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland before, but I feel like I got so much more out of listening. Maybe because folk tales are part of oral tradition, that hearing them read out loud just added so much to them. I started listening while we did our overnight in the hospital, and it was so relaxing. I really enjoyed it. (If you have Kindle Unlimited both the book and audio are available as part of your membership!)
Reading This Week:
Lodge looks amazing and I didn’t get a chance to look through it last week – it is in my plans for today though! I did manage to read about 50 pages of The Shop on Royal Street so far, and I am enjoying it greatly. When I was younger I was obsessed with New Orleans and read every book set there (it felt like), watched all the movies, did all the things, even visited from Michigan 5 or 6 times, the last being the week before Katrina. I would love to go back and need to get that planned.
I also picked up At the Bottom of the Garden, which sounds awesome. It is a chunkier book so it will probably take me a while to read but oo, it will be fun!
Last week Lisa, Katja, and I finished up with our Spring of Cary Grant movies, ending on Notorious. However, neither Lisa nor I have posted our thoughts on it yet! Look for it this week. Lisa is planning on doing a Summer of.. but isn’t sure which actor/actress she is going to settle on. I will probably not participate this season (well, I might watch some of them but I won’t be posting) because summer is unpredictable over here and we have a lot planned. I already had a hard time in spring sticking to a schedule and I don’t want to mess up her blog plans with my tardiness all the time! I did enjoy almost all of the Cary Grant movies we watched (with the exception of one) and it is hard to pinpoint my favorite.
Billy and I are also catching up on the American version of Ghosts, watching reruns of Newhart, Full Steam Ahead, which was produced by the BBC, and is hosted by our favorite historians. This is all about the golden age of steam and how trains affected Victorian Britain.
I was listening to the Botanical Folk Tales book and finished it up last night. As for podcasts, I am listening to National Park after Dark, Going West, and Night Owls. Musically, Wyatt and I have been listening to a lot of Tom Petty and the Wildflowers album.
And that is it from our corner of the world! What is going on in your world?
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 