Tag: family

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized10 Comments

Hello everyone!! it is actually cold here this week, and temps next week will be cold as well. I think it is safe to say autumn is here for real.

And it seemed to blow in all at once. We were having a warm sunny day the other day, then all of a sudden it was overcast, gray, and a storm and rain moved in. And that was that. Fall was here in a flash.

We have just been moving along over here. We had a few Halloween events last week, where we gave Wyatt’s costume a trial run, and then a family get together with my brother’s family and my cousin’s family. Billy, Wyatt and I also went to the apple orchard, one of my favorite outings of the season, if not my very favorite.

Let’s start there. It was sort of a neat moment – we went on the same day, October 18th, that we went to the very first time we went to this orchard with baby Wyatt. When Wyatt was a baby, I wanted to find an orchard that we could make our tradition, like I had when I was a kid. The one I grew up going to has turned into a circus, with too many bounce houses and people with tables selling things – it’s just too much. I wanted a more simple experience. Pumpkins and cider and doughnuts and apples – we don’t need anything else. I found one online, Bennett’s Orchard, and off we went with tiny Wyatt. And we have been going there ever since. So this past Oct. 18th was our ten year anniversary of sorts, of going, and it was ten years to the day.

They also have this gentle Lab who will sometimes join you in your wanderings. He has to be getting up there in age now, and is such a sweetie. I love when he joins us.

We had such a good morning at the orchard, although I couldn’t talk Wyatt into wearing a pumpkin hat for old times sake.

The next day was the party at my cousin’s house. He and his partner had it all set up for the kids, and it looked so good! They did a great job making a nice party for our kids of all ages, from 16 years down to 2. There were pumpkins to paint and sticker, doughnuts, pizza, and we brought a jug of hard cider from the orchard to share, while my brother brought different chips and dips. It was such a nice time!

I also picked up my new glasses this week, and just in time, because I broke my only pair! I really like my new pair but I got progressives for the first time and I am finding them confusing. I like them when I am doing stuff around the house, because I only need them for reading and I don’t need to take these on and off all the time, but when I am just sitting and reading and not multitasking I am having a difficult time. So I bought a pair of $7 readers from Amazon that work perfectly for that. It however made for a slower week of reading until I figured out I could do that.

It was a week for reading and hanging out with Brian, my cousin this week, because I hung out with him again on Wednesday! We tried out a place in Detroit called Sip N Read, which is like a bookstore bar. It was cold and rainy and really the perfect night to sit somewhere warm and read. Sip N Read is so pretty inside too! I loved the velvety furniture in shades of green and burnt orange, the space itself was so inviting! There is a small bar when you walk in, and then on the opposite wall are bookshelves. The books are there to be perused and read while you enjoy libations, and they offer wine and mocktails to their patrons. You can either choose to buy the book or not, or just read from different books, or whatever you choose. We had so much fun just reading and hanging out with our drinks. It reminded me of an adult version of when we were kids and would go to the library, check out some Stephen King, and head to his house where we would drink Capri Suns and read together. It was pretty empty but I am chalking that up to the night – it was a Wednesday, and it was so cold and rainy! We had a great time, reading and chatting, and then Brian treated me to the book I was reading as an early birthday gift!

I also did some baking this week – I made cinnamon apple scones, and chocolate chip cookies. I think I am going to be baking more since life is so expensive these days, and the groceries I am buying look different now too. I bought a whole chicken yesterday to turn into a few meals, as it was a better cost value than buying anything else. We are also having meals that turn into leftovers, like chili and stew, and Billy is going to start baking his sourdough again this weekend. Every bit helps!

It’s been fun baking again though. I am not great at it, but I have fun bopping around the kitchen to Oingo Boingo, Taylor Swift, Yaelokre (an Icelandic band my brother introduced me to that has really cool story and lore behind it), and also listening to the In the Meadow Podcast.

All in all, it’s been a pretty darn good week! The leaves are finally turning to fire, the weather is fully fall, and things are getting pretty cozy around here!

I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Hello October!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized12 Comments

Hello October!! You had better bring cooler temps because September was confused about what fall means! I am so ready for my hoodies and overalls and sweaters and this weather has not been participating in fall.

October, October. Probably one of my favorite months. I love Halloween! I have always loved Halloween, even the years I got strep throat and had to miss trick or treating. Because for me it wasn’t necessarily about the trick or treating, it was the build up. The fun cartoon movies that we watched. Our family trip to the orchard with all of my cousins, and then following it up with chili at my aunt’s house where we all carved our pumpkins together. Picking my costume and my parents making it. I was a cat once, a Scottish dancer, Scooby Doo (my mom hand sewed the most awesome costume for this), Minnie Mouse. Batgirl, that was another great one. We had so many traditions, and that is something I have tried to form with Wyatt as well. These family traditions. My cousin Brian and Devin (my brother) have this same feeling of nostalgia, and now Brian hosts family get togethers during the school year, and all of our kids play together, or make things together and I love it.

Trick or treating with Devin and Mermaid Girl and now the Hurricane in their neighborhood feels like the 80s. The streets are packed with kids, the homeowners are out in front of their homes passing out candy, and the houses are highly decorated, and the feeling is just so cheerful and full of community. Our own little Stars Hollow moment, I guess! There are fires (contained fires of course, not the Detroit Devil’s Night fires from the 80s and 90s) and the mood is high. I should really change Mermaid Girl’s nickname on here, she is no longer into mermaids and hasn’t been for a long time, she is more KPop girl now and has been for some time, but she is staying Mermaid Girl.

We have so many fun things lined up for the month! We have the Detroit Zoo Boo, an orchard outing (or two), our Blackbirds field trip to Belle Isle, our Blackbirds Spooky Not Spooky party, of course cousin Brian’s get together for the kids, and a Halloween bonfire at the farm with Blackbirds as well.

As for myself, I am looking forward to all the spooky books, apple ciders, bonfires, and doughnuts. Because I do love a doughnut. I am planning a few extra things for the season as well, for our family but I am still in the planning process so hopefully I can get them done! And I am also really looking forward to Lisa at Boondock Rambling and my Comfy Cozy Cinema, and our crafternoons. (I have info linked at the top of my blog if you are interested!) I have picked my embroidery back up and am stitching away now at night while we watch our shows and movies. And my stepmom gave me materials to play with jewelry making, but maybe I am not creative enough or something because I can’t figure it out. However, Cat who attends crafternoons is a jewelry maker so perhaps I will try when we are zooming together and get some tips….

We had a jam packed September. I think we were making up for our lost summer! I feel like October will be the same, and then I can relax into November.

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Saturday Morning Coffee Catch Up – Homeschooling and Other Things

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized7 Comments

** so this was supposed to.post this morning.. it did.not..lol.

Hello everyone!

We have been working hard over here, with school and physical therapy! We have been very productive – and I have been pretty tired by the time I get in bed at night. It’s a good tired though, the kind of tired that you feel when you know that you have worked hard and had a good day. Today though we are going to play, and go to a marsh in Ohio, and hopefully see some pretty leaves and enjoy some time in nature.

Let’s start with school. It is weird how we are running into a theme of people protesting, in so many of areas of Wyatt’s learning. We are reading Hoot for Language Arts, and although we have quite gotten into it yet, the burrowing owls living on a live construction site are going to cause protests although right now, it is just mild tampering on the site with stakes being taken out of there spots. In science, we are talking about swamps and marshes, and Wyatt just learned about Marjorie Stoneman Douglas and all she did to save part of the Everglades – and she continued to do it even into a very advanced age. She died at 108! And finally, in history we are right on the brink of the revolutionary war, and we just covered the Boston tea party and Paul Revere.

Yesterday we had a fun Friday for school – I used to save Fridays for field trips and errands only, but now with physical therapy two days a week, we need to use Friday as an instructional day. I figured we might as well make them fun if we are having school on them now. We did so many cool things yesterday!

First, we started with making a lantern, like the ones of “One if by land, two if by sea” fame. We only made one, so our British came by land unlike the real ones that Revere warned of. And he didn’t ride around yelling “The British are coming!” although that would have been cool. It was more of a quiet version, telling people that the Regulars were coming, and only people who needed to know, knocking on their doors and telling them.

I think this project turned out pretty cute. Wyatt’s Aunt Chrissy came in for the win with the milk carton, finishing up her oat milk so that we could use her container.

After making the lantern and watching a reading of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride by Longfellow, we moved on to our artist of the month, Salvador Dali. We talked a little about surrealism, and looked at Dali’s most famous painting, The Persistence of Memory. Then we started making clay versions of the watches from the painting, which were inspired by melting cheese, of all things. Since we had to wait for the clay to dry (and we are still waiting) we just cut the circles out and moved on for now. When they are dry, Wyatt will paint them.

Next, we made a wetland! We have been talking about the importance of wetlands, swamps and marshes and mangrove swamps, and how they protect the land from flooding and also filter the water, and I thought it would be neat if we could test it out. So, using the directions from a book that I got from the library, we made a wetland out of a paint tray, sponges, and clay. However, we made the unfortunate decision to use a red soap dye to color the water… it looks a little like a crime scene, sorry.

It didn’t filter everything but it did some which was cool!

We also played a reading game but I didn’t get any pictures of that. It was a fun way to learn on a Friday!

I mentioned that Wyatt is doing awesome in physical therapy last week, and he continued working hard this week as well. His therapist was happy with the range of flexibility he is getting, but we need to keep working on strength, so that is what we focus on both at therapy at the center and at his home therapy. Our list of therapy activities for everyday is very long, and I have to be inventive sometimes to work it all in, and combine it with school when I can.

My mom is also starting physical therapy! She got her staples taken out from her cut, and she is getting a physical therapy eval today so that she can start next week. They are coming right to her apartment so that is awesome. I talked to the therapist on the phone, since I am not able to stay, and I discussed her mobility limitations, and what we are hoping for. I would like for them to focus right now on weight bearing on her right leg, and building strength, same as Wyatt. I would also like them to work on getting up off of the floor, and standing easier. I also found a few items online that I want to purchase for her to make things a little more functional for all of us. She has severe osteoarthritis in her hip, which we learned from scans she got last weekend, and that unfortunately, we can’t do much about. So we need to work with it the best that we can. Any suggestions are welcome!

And with that I am off! I hope you guys all have a great day!

Sunday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized15 Comments

Hello everyone! I think we can all agree that last week was a long week, and I hope that you are all taking care of yourselves and guarding your peace.

In the midst of all this upheaval going on around us, I had a mixed bag of a week myself. I will get the yucky over with first here, because I do have lots of good stuff to share as well. So my mom. I had just finally sighed a breath of relief that she was safe and taken care of – but, I guess I exhaled too soon. On Thursday my brother went over to visit our mom and found blood in her apartment and on her pillow. After searching for the source, and asking my mom what the heck, he discovered the source, which was a small cut on the back of her head. It was small but persistent with bleeding, so the two of us whisked her off to the ER for scans and probably a stitch. We were there only about two hours which is record time around here, and her scans came back good and they put two staples in her head. She is doing well but dang, mom! Lol.

Ok now on to the good stuff!!

It’s been a hot minute I think since I updated here like this. Since then, Wyatt has been seriously kicking butt. He has started back to therapy, and this kid is such a hard worker. It blows my mind sometimes how tough he is. At home, he is a little more… wanting me and Billy to do more for him, but now that I have seen what he is capable of, and getting the all clear from the PT, he will not be getting the kid gloves any longer.

We are also all the way back to school and that is going really well too. We were exhausted from a full week of school, two days of PT, a huge list of home therapy activities to do everyday, and then just everyday things (and some emergencies), but we managed. We also had our first Blackbirds meeting on Thursday! We had such a good time, and the kids were all so happy to be back together. We started the meeting explaining the name change from Cub Scouts to Blackbirds, as we decided to just have our own club, and talked about our new mission statement, motto, and learned the sign for Blackbirds from one of our kids. We passed out the new shirts which my MIL and I had made, and had the kids make a banner for us to hang every meeting. It was a great first meeting back. And for me, the icing on the cake was Wyatt saying “Bye Zane!” to his friend. This is huge. Wyatt doesn’t say hi or bye generally, or any names. However, since this one surprise, he has gone on to say the name of one of his cousins, little wild child, and his uncle Devin. It was an amazing moment for Billy and I.

Yesterday we had a great day of time with family. My dad came to visit and we went out for dinner, and after that I had my two little nieces over for a short time while Devin and Chrissy went out for a quick drink to celebrate Chrissy’s birthday. We had a good time with the girls. We painted nails, played with tons of toys, and played a board game all within an hour and some change.

We also did a little shopping at our city wide garage sale yesterday. One of the animal rescues in our city has a mammoth sale and we headed up there to shop their sale. Wyatt got a book, I got a book, and then I also picked up two mugs as well, because they were so cute! They were also apparently made in Spain. I love them but now I really really do need to go through my mug collection and pick some to have in the cupboard and some to put away for a minute.

And that is it from me!!

Let’s move through this week with grace and peace, for ourselves and for others. Be less quick to reply in anger, to be helpers when we can be. And take of your own self as well. As I say, try to do one thing today that makes you smile.

Saturday Afternoon Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized10 Comments

It has been a week! I am sooo ready for a break. It was a week of appointments which always makes for a long week, and coming off of a week where Billy had to work super overtime didn’t make it easier! However, I do feel as if we are finishing up “old business” and moving on in time for autumn.

One thing that finally got accomplished and finished was getting the financials all finished for my mom, and all of the proper care she needs lined up. We had a big meeting on Tuesday that was seriously three and a half hours but at the end I felt such overwhelming relief that my mom was going to be secure and taken care of the way she needs to be. I am not able to be there to do all of the things she needs help with now, and it was very distressing. My brother is not able to either, and both of us had sleepless nights agonizing over her future. I feel like a weight has been lifted and I feel more positive about my mom’s life right now. That was a huge moment.

We also had Wyatt’s follow up appointment with the surgeon this week. It was a mixed bag honestly. He said that Wyatt is doing great, and he is all clear for physical therapy, with no restrictions, which is fantastic news! Onward and upward! However, we do have to keep bracing him and using the wedge pillow until his next appointment, which is in DECEMBER! That was a blow. But, if it needs to be done, it needs to be done and we will get through it. It is certainly not the hardest thing we have done!

We also have an early morning MRI on Tuesday followed by an appointment with his neurosurgeon. He has to have his shunt checked once a year so this is just a regular routine checkup. I hate that he has to have an MRI since he goes feral in them, and it causes him such distress and he just went through a major trauma. But again, we will make it. I feel like at least we are getting everything over and done with. He usually has a freak out for X-rays too, anything he has to lay down for causes him great fear. Children’s Services at Mott has told us that this is because you are so vulnerable when you are laying down, and asked us to think of it like if someone broke into our house: is it scarier when you are awake and on your feet, or laying down in bed? And he has had so many invasive procedures that have caused him pain while laying down already. So it is tough. However, yesterday for his appointment he had no issues at all during his X-ray, and we think it is because he was holding an “emotional support book”. He just held on to that book and was fine. So maybe he can hold a book on Tuesday as well.

Once we finish up at Mott, then we have an evaluation with his physical therapist in the afternoon. It is going to be a long day but at least it will be all out of the way in one day.

There were also some fun moments thrown into the week.

Following Wyatt’s appointment yesterday, instead of heading right home we decided to hang out in Ann Arbor instead for a bit. I had always wanted to go to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Wyatt wanted to go for a walk somewhere, and Billy had the day off so it seemed like perfect timing. It was such a great time, and there was so much to look at. We only did part of it, but it was just what I needed after the stressful week of appointments. We spent a lot of time in the Bonsai garden, and then wandering around outside in the Children’s Garden. There was also an indoor tropical biome area and a desert biome as well, and it was a lightbulb went off in my head – we could visit these areas this year since we are doing biomes in science! I love when I find things like that to tie into our learning!

We also went school shopping with my Dad, and Wyatt picked out some new stuff, including that sweatshirt he is wearing in the photo above. My dad and I were kind of wishing they had one in our sizes. It is oversized and not too thick and seems really comfortable. I also picked up some fall decorations while I was out from the Target dollar spot, a cute mushroom canister, a squirrel, a fox, and a pumpkin. I am slowly putting out my fall stuff, but since it feels like fall out here, I am going with it. I blame my cousin. He recently took a trip out East and brought me quite a few souvenirs back, including a cute little teapot from Salem that says Witches Brew. I had to set it out immediately! It was good to see him, and hear some of the stories from his trip.

We also had a little guest the other day. I happened to glance out the window at the right time to see my neighbor’s elderly beagle just chilling on our front lawn. I turned to Billy and was like “Billy! Luna is on our lawn!” and sent him out to take her home. But she seemed perfectly content to just lay there instead, so I went out and chilled with her, petting her and enjoying her company, while Billy alerted the neighbors. I was happy that it took a little time – I love dogs and miss having one but our life with Wyatt right now doesn’t suit one. So I have to enjoy other people’s dogs, and Luna is a sweetie. She was so happy, just hanging out. I feel like she had a tiny adventure, escaping but only going as far as our house, right next door.

And that is probably enough from me today! I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile!

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized19 Comments

Hello everyone!! I am feeling pretty good this morning – I had an actual whole night of sleep and it was amazing. I feel ready to take on the world! Or maybe just my patch of the world. That works too.

We are still at home, and going a bit stir crazy. Wyatt is feeling pretty much back to normal but still has all of the restrictions, which is a difficult pairing. But we are managing. He has really only felt this good beginning this week, and I am so happy that we have gotten to this stage. I just need to shift gears now a bit and figure out this new conundrum. We will get it though. We are through the worst of it now, thank goodness.

His recovery timed nicely with the completion of his Little Free Library! We had the grand opening on Sunday, and Wyatt was so happy and proud of it. We had goodie bags for the kids who came, and my dad came and brought balloons.

Our first visitors were two of my nieces, Mermaid Girl and Little Bit! They promptly plopped down on the lawn and got busy with their goodie bags, and flipped through books. Then we had some friends stop by with their children, and our little neighbor girl has been flitting back and forth to it all week. I need to find a way to keep the inventory “fresh” for the kids who come a lot, like the neighbor girl. Wyatt even got a super cute card from some friends down the street.

It was a really good day!

I joined a Little Free Library group on Facebook, and posted about our new library, and asked for suggestions on how to keep the momentum going, and they were all so welcoming and had great ideas. Just what I would expect from people who love books! One person suggested that I get a map and have Wyatt mark on the map where everyone who responded to my post has charters, or show him how to use the LFL map, which I didn’t even think about doing. Other suggestions were to post on the NextDoor App, in our city’s Buy Nothing group, and to start a FB page just for his library. So I guess I will be doing all of that pretty soon.

Right now though, I am busy planning the school year, or at least up to December. I need organization to stay on track with life, so I have been working very hard this week on plans. I have a good chunk finished and I am pretty excited about how our fall is shaping up. We do have two days of physical therapy that we will be working around as well, as part of Wyatt’s recovery. I am leaving those days light for now.

And because I am who I am, and don’t have enough projects in my life, we made a big change with Cub Scouts. We ended up deciding as a group to continue meeting and doing all of our fun stuff and community work, basically stay the same as what we were doing, but without the umbrella of Cub Scouts. So we are now starting from scratch, sort of. I am going to register our group as a nonprofit organization with the state, and get a name and motto and oath and all that together, so that the kids can still have the bond of an organization, and then also design some ranks and badges. I have a few ideas percolating..

And then in the midst of all this, my long suffering husband turned 50!! I am unsure how he is 50, it feels like we are still the teenagers we were when we started dating. We didn’t do much to celebrate this week, but we are hoping to go out together this weekend. We are just now feeling comfortable leaving Wyatt with a grandparent for an hour or two without us. It will be nice to go out together, even for a short time. I am thinking a hike and a drink somewhere might be fun.

And I feel like I have prattled on long enough this morning! I hope that whatever you all do today, that you do something that makes you smile!

Hello August!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Hello August!

July was a rough ride – I am hoping that August will be a better month. Wyatt is doing better everyday now, and is back to his normal self, at least every way but physically. We go for his next recheck at the end of the month. The last recheck went very well so I am hopeful the next one will be even better.

The weather so far this August, that one whole full day that we had, was cool and wonderful. No humidity, lower temps. I could tell that autumn is hiding around the corner waiting its turn, with cool breezes allowing me to open the windows most of the day. This morning it was actually cold when I stepped outside, and I did a little dance in the doorway. I would much rather be cold than hot. I am hoping to get outside and enjoy some cold temps this evening, with a cup of tea outside. I love to sit outside at night alone, just listening to the quiet, with the occasional train whistle or boat horn making themselves known.

We had a girls night at my friend Kelly’s the other night and the weather was the same, reminding me of northern Michigan, and nights near a fire, lakeside. It has been way too long since my family has done that and we need to fix that next year. I may not be a daytime beach person, but I am definitely a nighttime beach person.

I was so relaxed at Kelly’s. I would lean back and stare at the sky, listening to my friends talking, feeling calm and safe, their laughter wrapping itself around me. We also spent time fawning over Kelly’s newest addition, Simon. Simon is a sweet little fellow with the most beautiful green eyes. He just showed up one day two weeks ago, hungry and looking for a safe place to land. A few years ago I named Kelly’s house Belle Refuge, a place of beautiful refuge, for she takes in all strays and nurtures them and loves them. Simon is the newest to the bunch, and he recently was neutered and given all of his shots, courtesy of Kelly. Now he comes and goes, living life on her sofas inside and out, and we got to meet him finally last night. He was unprepared for a gaggle of cat lovers as we all vied for his attention. I felt chosen because I got a little cat chirp out of him as he came towards my outstretched hand. He is sweet and adorable and a polydactyl with big old paws. He was definitely soaking up all of the attention.

I am not planning much for August. I want it to play out as it will for the most part. I do have some things on tap though, like Wyatt’s Grand Opening for his Little Free Library, and Billy’s summer work party, Billy’s 50th birthday on Monday, and Mermaid Girl’s 10th birthday later this month.

Usually August we spend soaking up the last of summer, but this year it feels as if we are just starting summer as we enjoy the last of it. We have some of the best of summer ahead of us – and Rebecca over at The Farm Wife Reads has gotten me me very excited to eat more of summer’s bounty. Tomatoes and zucchini, cucumbers, corn, peaches, blueberries, cantaloupe, and of course watermelon. I could eat all the watermelon and cantaloupe, I just love it. I don’t have a garden this year, so I will have to head out to some local farmer’s markets and farm stands to stock up. Isn’t this the time of year for summer sweet corn?

So we are planning on taking it easy this month. Seeing friends, having some backyard dinners on the deck, getting back to the library, taking walks, going on drives and car picnics. Sunsets, iced matcha lattes, daydreaming, reading. It’ll be a nice way to end this crazy summer.

And that is it from me today. I hope that whatever you do today you do something that makes you smile!

Quick Wyatt Update

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized23 Comments

Hi everyone. First, thank you guys for all of your well wishes pre-surgery. They meant a lot to me! I just wanted to post a quick update this morning, and I will probably post a video update from me later on. It’s been rough and sometimes I need to talk through things to process them better. It has definitely been rougher on my kiddo, although he is handling things like a champ.

The first few days were very rough on Wyatt. The first 24 hours he was inconsolable from pain and muscle spasms. Literally screaming in pain for 12 hours. However, things have gotten better. His pain seems to be managed and he is able to sleep when he needs to now. He is pretty unhappy about everything and I don’t blame him. They said the worst days are the first few so we are praying he is feeling better in a day or two. He will still have to wear knee immobilizers and a wedge pillow between his legs 24/7 which will take some getting used to, but Wyatt is a trooper. The staff at the hospital was incredible though and did whatever they needed to take care of him.

We were able to bring him home yesterday afternoon, which was both awesome and scary for us as parents. However, we have all made it through the first night and we all were able to sleep. It sort of reminded me of bringing home a newborn, with lots of middle of the night tasks – instead of feedings we gave meds, but it felt the same, waking up, stumbling around, doing what we needed then collapsing back into bed for a few more hours sleep until the next alarm. He is up and watching cartoons and eating some toast this morning. We are praying and hoping for another good day today, and hope that as time goes on things just keep getting better.

We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and messages about Wyatt.

Our Cozy Little Life

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized12 Comments

The past few weeks have felt more like the summers I had growing up. Slower. Simpler. Small joys. And I am not complaining – and Wyatt wasn’t either.

First though, I want to brag about my little Scouts for a minute. Last Saturday morning we assembled to pack lunches at the church to hand out to people who needed them, and the kids did such a great job. I was proud of my Scouts! Only half of our pack could make it, it is summertime after all, but the three of the kids who did worked so well together and packed 120 lunches! The kids who weren’t able to make it are going to fill some blessing boxes on their own, which is just as important.

Later that evening, we got together for ice cream with friends. Wyatt’s and mine! Just a summer night, scoops of ice cream, stories, and laughter, sitting outside at the tables behind the ice cream parlor.

When the weather cooperates, when it is not too swampy out or extreme heat, we have been enjoying the outdoors. You know, let me amend that. I decided it was a good idea to take Wyatt on a hike through the woods on a very muggy day. It was beautiful out, the water was sparkling, the birds were singing, Wyatt kept telling me how happy he was, and I was sweating profusely while pushing a child and a wheelchair through the woods. It was a good time although I looked like a wet tomato at the end. Wyatt was in charge of holding my phone and recording the birds on Merlin and we would stop occasionally just to record a spot that had lots of bird chatter. I plopped down under a tree at the end and told Wyatt we were going to enjoy the shade and breeze and take a minute. While we were enjoying this moment, a man walking by told me that we were sitting under his favorite tree, with a little smile on his face. I agreed, it was a really great tree, with giant roots all over the ground, wide and strong with lots of shade branches and leaves. And I loved that idea of a favorite tree! Do any of you have a favorite tree? I don’t know if I do, but I might need one.

While we were out sweating in the woods, Billy was at a friend’s house building Wyatt a Little Free Library! I use the term “little” loosely, as it is actually quite big. Like almost as tall as me. Taller than Wyatt for sure. It is awesome and Wyatt is extremely excited to get it set up. Billy is actually working on it right now, putting the final touches on it while I type this.

I have been spending mornings outside on our deck, drinking coffee, reading, working, while Wyatt plays or draws out there with me. I also usually wander about poking at all of our flowers, checking on the caterpillars (who are slowly disappearing, even before full size – I think the birds have spotted them too), and I found a chrysalis! Some silly caterpillar had formed its chrysalis on the grill, and since it was a black swallowtail chrysalis, I gently removed it and relocated it, and also the only remaining caterpillar, to a butterfly enclosure. I decided I would protect the last little baby ‘pillar from the birds.

We haven’t been outside all the time though. It’s been more hot than not. When my dad visited the other day we decided a shopping trip to Target was in order to stay cool yet get out of the house. I also wanted to see if there were any Camp Snoopy notebooks there, since Wyatt loves Camp Snoopy. I had seen a post online that there were, but we didn’t find them. However, we did find a bunch of other things! All three of us had a really good time honestly. We spent some time in the dollar spot, oooing at all the things there we could buy – tiny colorful plates with summer fruits on them, card keepers for flash cards and playing cards, a little metal lunch box with clasps that says “Happy Camper”, fun mugs. My dad and I each picked out a mug – mine is a pastel purpley color with clouds on it, and my dad chose a yellow one with a handle that looks like a banana. Wyatt wanted the Happy Camper tin so we picked that up too, and it now houses his markers. My dad and Wyatt each got some shorts and shirts, I grabbed a new nail polish color. We just wandered around looking at everything and picking stuff up. It was good time!

Also, at the urging of my friend Kelly, who I had drinks with the other night in her yard, I ordered a few new embroidery kits to do during Wyatt’s recovery. I am glad she convinced me, it will probably be the best distraction for me, and the most relaxing too. I have oodles of books to read but I will probably be doing more reading with Wyatt than I will for me. I tend to not be able to read as much when I am anxious, but I can embroider. I picked out a set of three, that are hygge themed and they are really cute!

Then yesterday we got together with my whole extended family for the fourth. It also marked the 100th Independence Day since my grandfather’s family, the Keedys, came to America! My cousin has a big party every year, and it is so nice to just hang out near the pool, chat with family, eat and drink, and listen to the bops in the background. He has a gorgeous house and yard, and the kids go wild in the pool, and so do the dads. It was a typical super muggy day in the midwest, so even if we weren’t swimming we were poolside, legs and feet dangling into the water, getting splashed by children, mostly Wyatt. I was so happy that I decided to take a second dress with me, since I ended up getting soaked at one point when I chased my littlest niece down to give her mom a break for a second. We were a happy, motley crew and I think I smiled and laughed all day. We came home and all crashed hard.

This is my favorite photo from this past week or so…

And with that, I will sign off for now. I hope that whatever you all do today that you do something that makes you smile!

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Hello everyone!! It’s been a whirlwind my friends. Billy and I have spent most of this month so far trying to cram an entire summer into one month to the best of our abilities, and we have done ok. We have hit most of Wyatt’s bucket list at least so that is good.

Hmm. Where did I leave off last time? Ok, so Dream Night, the EEG, and our deck ramp oasis. Lol. Since then we have done a few more things on our quest to fill Wyatt’s June. If you are new here, Wyatt is having surgery in July and will be recovering most of the rest of the summer. So we are trying to make June full of adventure.

Billy and I did take a look at our schedule board though a few weeks and took a deep breath before plunging in.

Wyatt was invited to a birthday party for one of his fellow scouts the other week and it was so much fun. I think the parents at the party had just as much fun as the kids! It was a bowling party, and it was super chill and relaxed. As a little bonus, we all got our own little Nothing Bundt Cake. It was delicious!

We followed that up the next weekend with the Summer Reading Kick Off at the library. We love going to the these kick off parties. The library does such a nice job of having lots of activities and fun things for the kids to do. This year the theme is art related, and they had different craft activities set up around the library, a quiet coloring room, a sticker room, and a caricature artist! Wyatt really enjoyed the coloring room, which is where we spent most of our time. Afterwards we went our for pizza at our favorite pizza place downtown, where we ran into my bestie and her family. They were on their way out but we got to chat for a bit before our pizza came. It was nice way to spend a summery Friday night.

Then Saturday was the day Wyatt had been waiting for! We got up early and went to the movies to see How to Train Your Dragon. Wyatt never would really sit for a movie before this spring, so we had never really taken him to the theater. However, now that is something we can do – and we started with a movie he was really excited about. We bought tickets for a few of the VIP seats, ate hot pretzel bites, and settled in for the movie. And we all absolutely loved it! We all loved the original animated movie, and while Billy and I were a little apprehensive about the live action, it was perfect. It was almost shot for shot just like the original, and the additions they made were thoughtful and made sense. Wyatt absolutely loved it, and later that night we went to Burger King just so that he could get the How to Train Your Dragon kids meal. Wyatt also told us he is no longer our little wolf boy, he is a dragon boy now. I am not sure how I feel about that, after years of him loving wolves more than anything!

The next day was Father’s Day, and we always go to Greenfield Village for their vintage Motor Muster. We try to get there when it starts because it gets so jam packed, and it is always like a million degrees for some reason. We walked around a bit, and then looked for our friend’s dad, who always take his car to show. It is a 1949 Packard. And this year he won for his division so congrats Mr. Gallagher! I am not as excited about the cars as Billy is, but I always appreciate how shiny and colorful they are. I do have some favorites though usually every year. This year I thought the Gremlins were so cute, especially the little Gremlin logo, and I also love old station wagons with the wood paneling. I wouldn’t mind having one of those honestly. They are just so retro cool to me. Billy really likes the Mustangs from the 1960s. I always tell him every year how my mom bought herself a little Mustang in the 60s. I think that is tradition too.

This year they also had reenactors for different decades and eras. They had an area set up for the CCC and the She She Shes, another for hippies, women working a Victory Garden, and it was just so fun. It just added to the vibe! Our favorite reenactors though were the Women’s Baseball league from the 40s, just like in A League of their Own. These ladies were the South Bend Blue Sox, and we loved talking to their manager. She told us about an event in Ohio, that reenacts the Normandy invasion, and they also have old timey baseball games for the women’s league and a USO show. We are totally putting it on the calendar for next summer! I think it will be a great living history event for Wyatt to experience.

Of course, we had to get dinner for Billy on Father’s Day! Nowhere fancy for us though – I thought it would be fun to keep with the theme of the day, and have dinner at A&W! It’s a drive up type restaurant, you eat in your car with a little tray hanging off your window, and the menu is like hamburgers and coney dogs and root beer. It is pretty iconic in this area (in fact one of the cars in the pictures above has a tray displayed), and all of the branches around here look exactly like they did in the 80s, which is also probably how they looked in the 70s. I sort of think they haven’t been upgraded too much since then, but that is beside the point. We went and ordered our root beer and hot dogs and coney dogs and then drove around the Metropark before heading home. And we had to head home, because we still had a lot to do there! We had to pack for music camp and get everything in the house ready for us to leave, including instructions for my poor brother who agreed to watch our menagerie of critters.

And I think I will leave off here, as I want to spend some time talking about music camp, and this is already a lot.

And of course, a few random shots from my camera roll.

I hope that whatever you do today my friends, you do something that makes you smile!