Tag: life

Our Cozy Little Life

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized15 Comments

Hello everyone! We are getting closer and closer to Wyatt’s next follow up appointment and we can’t wait. We go next Friday and we are hoping they ease up on some of his restrictions a bit. Now that he is feeling better he is restless! He won’t be able to jump right back into things, the healing from this surgery is considered a year, but it would be nice to resume a few more activities.

We got out of the house last weekend thank goodness. It was a beautiful sunny, breezy Sunday and we decided to drive to Belle Isle and take a look around since it has been a while. We stumbled upon a cricket game in progress and we thought since that is not something we see here everyday, we would stop and check it out. Wyatt and I lounged in the back of the Subaru and Billy popped open his camp chair and we just hung out for a bit watching and cheering, although we had no clue what was happening. We had so much fun, just being out and taking a slow Sunday.

Last weekend we also celebrated Mermaid Girl’s birthday in the most casual, relaxed, fun party. They came over to our house to make things easier for Wyatt, and brought the cake and ice cream. The kids played, we chatted, we had delicious vintage cherry cake, which was the name from the bakery, and just had a great night. Mermaid Girl immediately started using her gifts from us; she loves drawing and wants to be an illustrator, so we got her some more “serious” art supplies for that, as well as a set of our favorite alcohol markers and a cute coloring book just to keep it young and fun. She drew and colored most of the night, when she wasn’t hanging out with her sister and Wyatt.

The past few days have felt like fall. I know that it is not here to stay, but I am enjoying it while I can. I even posted a fall books post, the first of a few that I have planned. I want to get them posted kind of early in case people are planning their fall TBRs and are looking for seasonal books. I have somehow amassed a huge list so it made more sense to break it up into a few different lists. I am going to however have the full list of all of the books available for people if they want it, once I figure out how to share it.

Our life has been very simple and slow lately. We are restless, but I am trying to make sure that we also have some fun things “during our confinement”, even if they are small. We check out our Little Free Library, to see if anyone has used it, and get excited whenever we notice books gone or new books left behind. We have been enjoying our animals and our books and our creative projects. I bought a new table that is easier for Wyatt to use with his wheelchair and he really loves that he can just roll up to it and use it without any issues. Our old table had the table legs in the middle, it was a fold up table thing, with leaves, is this a drop leaf table? Anyway, there was only so much room for his chair, the front wheels couldn’t fit between the legs, he had to line himself up exactly, and it was just a pain. Now, it is a bit lower, it is narrower so he can reach most of the way across, and the legs are at the far corners so he can use it very easily. I can’t wait to paint that room now, even more! I am thinking October, when the weather is nicer and the paint will dry better. Then I want Billy and our friend Nathan to tackle storage in that room during mid-winter, and build a whole wall of shelves, with areas for school supplies, art supplies, books, games, and the geckos that live in that room. I might be wishing for a lot there, but you never know! Poor Billy. This is what happens when I have too much time to sit and think. I also have some summer plans for our yard percolating, including a small pond area, and… the thing I am super excited about… a tortoise enclosure! I don’t want a big tortoise, like a sulcata (although, those of you in warm climates could do it, just saying) just a smaller one. I have seen the coolest little outside homesteads for tortoises on Instagram and I just think it would be so cool. We have an old playhouse of Wyatt’s we could probably convert over… see? This is a problem! It might not happen next summer, but I am hoping it will. I am going to spend the winter learning all the different things about tortoises, and their care, especially overwintering them, if they need to brumate/hibernate, etc. It’s a big project. But I mean, just look at this. This woman has the coolest setup for this tortoise, and she also has informational reels as well. Like I said, it is something I am going to research very well and make sure that it is something that we can do and something that is humane for the tortoise as well, and that we can care for one appropriately. I am trying to convince my friend Kelly to get one too, then we can have tortoise playdates. I had happened to see that two tortoises were in rescue together, which gave me that idea. I am such a dork.

And I have probably rambled enough for one day. I will talk to you all soon, and I hope that whatever you do today, you do one thing that makes you smile! Wyatt and I are going to the library and our local fish store for a few new aquarium plants, so we will both be doing happy things today!

And just some random photos!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized43 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone!! I seem to be in like a fall deep clean kind of mood lately. I have been reorganizing and straightening and getting rid of stuff like crazy around here. Maybe I am nesting, preparing for fall and winter like all the little animals outside are doing. All I know is that our art cabinet is extremely organized right now, and that somehow in my cleaning frenzy I lost one of my sandals. I can only guess that I accidentally threw it out, which makes me sad because I loved it. Lol. However, all of this has had a side effect – now I want Billy to paint our whatever room. A few years ago, we flip-flopped the rooms in our house. It’s a very small house, and we had a room we barely used, the dining room. I realized that we could have more space if we moved our couches and television into the dining room, which we now call the den, and moved all of our other stuff into the living room. So the old living room area now has our dining room table, art stuff, animals, and just leisure activity paraphernalia. But we never know what to call that space! Anyway I am so sick of that paint color and if Billy isn’t able to paint it, then I am going to. I am not a great painter but I just can’t deal with the darkness in that room anymore. Lol.

Phew! Moving on.

Read Last Week:

Last week I read Monk and Robot books 1 and 2. I was gifted this collection edition of both books from an internet friend and I loved reading them back to back. These are just such wonderful stories and I have my husband listening to them as well.

I also read Pat of Silver Bush, which now that I think of it, was another gift! I was blessed with some book mail this summer! Pat is a mixed bag for me. I loved so much of the book, but then, I didn’t like some of the other parts. Review I hope this week, but if you want a sneak peek of it, check out my Instagram. I almost always review there first. I feel like it is a good place to sort of form my thoughts. I don’t know why it makes a difference but it does for some reason. Maybe because I feel like I need to be more succinct, which inspires me to really think about what I am saying instead of just rambling like I am right this minute. Actually this whole post is sort of a ramble!

I tried reading a romance, Out of the Woods, but there was a heavy topic in there that I was not feeling up to so I put it aside.

Reading This Week:

This week I am reading another in the Campers and Criminals series, Hitches, Hideouts and Homicide. I seem to have developed an addiction to these books. I also am reading The Convenience Store by the Sea, which sounds so good.

Posted Last Week:

Our Cozy Little Life

10 Books of Summer Update

Watching:

Last week Billy and I watched Nautilus. It is not the greatest, in terms of production, but it somehow makes it feel more camp. Like we are watching a sci-fi show from the 50s or 60s, sort of over the top and silly, but despite that, we really like it. Or maybe that is why we like it! I feel like mid-season it really started to gel a bit more and get a bit better, and I love the set of the interiors. It just looks so cool, like old school nautical mixed with Victorian era . I also really like how this series does not shy away from the horrors of colonialism, and denounces it, with many characters in the show being survivors of what they call “the Company”. It makes for a very diverse cast and shines a light on some of these historical events that perhaps today’s students don’t know about. I also really like the main female character, Humility, and her enthusiasm and talent for engineering and science. It had a lot going on at first, but it all started to settle in together nicely. We have one episode left that we are going to try to watch tonight, but we also are watching K-Pop Demon Hunters today, so it might be tomorrow instead.

And that is it from me today my friends! I hope that whatever you do today, 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!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized34 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! It was a pretty good week last week, with a good doctor’s visit for Wyatt. Today I have to mega clean the house, and then later my nieces and brother and SIL are coming over to hang out. I am looking forward to seeing them!

Read Last Week:

I read Seacrow Island, which I absolutely loved, and I also read another in the Campers and Criminals series. Seacrow Island made me want to find an island in the Baltic Sea to summer on with my family. It put me in mind of The Penderwicks and also of Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink in some ways.

Reading This Week:

This week I feel like reading something a bit weird, but also wanting to finish up a few I had started earlier this summer. I will be reading Chlorine, hopefully finishing Otter Country, and then making some headway into Pat of Silver Bush.

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set in Japan

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

What We Are Watching:

We finished up The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, and watched a few episodes of Brokenwood that we have already seen. I would like to start from the very beginning again so I might have to do that on my own. Not sure I can get Billy to commit to that. We also watched The Haunted Mansion, and a movie called Finding You, which was yes, a bit cheeseball, but I absolutely loved it for how Hallmark it felt. Sometimes you just need that, and last night I definitely needed it. Plus it had Saoirse-Monica Jackson in it and I love her. It actually could have had more of her in it honestly. The setting itself was absolutely gorgeous, a small coastal town in Ireland.

Around the Interwebs:

I am planning on catching up on commenting on blogs this week! It’s my big blog goal. I am all about catching up around here. And while I do that, I am also thinking about fall and fall movie watching. And Comfy Cozy Cinema!

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

Hello June!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized16 Comments

Hello everyone!!

Today is sunny and bright, and our deck has plenty of shade, and a brand new grill. We have strawberries in the refrigerator, and ice cream in the freezer. It is definitely getting to be summer here, bit by bit.

So the big thing of our summer – Wyatt’s surgery. Wyatt is having double hip surgery July 9, along with tendon lengthening at the same time. I can feel it hovering over us, as I try to make this June as fun as I can for him. The recovery for it is supposed to be very intense, and he will need to be basically in bed for a month, with a wedge between his legs 24/7. I am extremely nervous about next month, but I keep telling myself what the surgeon told me, that this is short term pain for long term gain. I am just going to have to grit my teeth and push through, and help my son get through this time as easily as I can.

We are trying to pack as much as we can into June for him. I had him make a bucket list for the summer, with a few things we can do during recovery, like ice cream for dinner, but most of them are things we need to do either this month or the end of August. He wants to go see the movie How to Train Your Dragon, have a car picnic, where we drive somewhere and then have a picnic in the back of the Subaru, ride the train at Greenfield Village again (hopefully without barfing this time!), and see the dragon exhibit at the zoo. He has a few others on there too, which I am hoping we can accomplish!

We also have his yearly EEG this week. On Wednesday we head up to the hospital for 24-48 hours, where he will be all hooked up with wires. I am packing his tablet and books and drawing supplies, and hoping we get the go ahead to leave on Thursday morning. I am also taking a book and my headphones for myself, for when he goes to bed that night. TV in the hospital is always the worst! Lol.

This month is RicStar Music Camp too! A million thank yous to Jeanie at Marmalade Gypsy who told me to look into this camp for Wyatt, it has been a blessing and we can’t wait to go back this year. We are starting to feel like we are part of the RicStar family now, as this will be our third year in attendance. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again! I am hoping to get to the Children’s Garden this year after camp lets out for the day. I have said that for two years now, so fingers crossed!

And then we have a birthday party for a friend and fellow scout of Wyatt’s, and our beginning of summer Scout party, where the kids will be able to play and enjoy some pizza and ice cream and I will award them their pins that they earned this year. They have all done so well and I am so happy with how Scouts has turned out for all the kids. They are a little community now and that is what I wanted, for the kids and parents to have fun in scouts together, and to form relationships. I have made new friends and so has Wyatt, and the other mothers and kids are hanging out as well, and it just makes my heart so full. It is everything I hoped for when forming this pack. We have a few other things on the calendar as well, like getting together with my brother Devin and Chrissy and Mermaid Girl and Hurricane whenever we can. I am trying to pack it all in guys!

I have also been planning like a maniac. I have the first four months of our history curriculum planned, and one read aloud for history so far. I am in the process of choosing our language arts books, and think I have a rough list to work from. I am thinking: Secret of the Andes, Bud Not Buddy, Because of Winn Dixie and either Call it Courage or Heart of a Samurai. I would love to hear thoughts on these choices! I have a whole other list for history, but I am solid on two right now, By the Great Horn Spoon, and Rascal. I also want one for the Oregon Trail and one about Harriet Tubman or the Underground Railroad, so any suggestion would be welcomed!

I have also planned out the entire next year for scouts, or at least what we are doing each month. It’s going to be a fun year!

This month is going to be a whirlwind, and I hopefully have lots of iced lattes in my future to keep me going!

And that is where I am at today. How are you?

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

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized34 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good week. Our week was very quietly busy, if that makes sense. Lots of appointments, lots of being at home. We did have a scare on Friday night. My dad was struck on the head by a baseball at a game and knocked unconscious! They transported him to the hospital by ambulance, where thankfully all his tests came back good!

What I have been reading:

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. I was late to the party on this author, which I am thankful for on some level because now there are a ton of books I still haven’t read. Every time I pick up one of his books, I end up reading it compulsively until I finish. I can’t put them down! This one is maybe my favorite of the books I have read by him so far.

Death by Beach Read was also a very good read, but not as riveting as Home Before Dark. However, I don’t read them for that same thrill; I read them because they are just more relaxing and chill.

What I am reading this week:

Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries is a book I started on audiobook and decided I wanted to finish reading with my actual eyeballs. And Anywhere You Go sounds pretty cute so I am giving it a whirl.

Posted Last Week:

Our Cozy Little Life Update…and a Mystery!

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Watching:

Billy and I have been watching a mix of things lately. Brokenwood, Beyond Paradise, Wheel of Time, and last night we started The Essex Serpent, which was excellent!

We finished up our Springtime in Paris, and I miss it! It is fun to have a “Movie of the Week”. Lisa and I love doing our movie themed watches, but with our families dealing with some different things, we probably won’t do another one together here on the blog until fall.

Tonight, I think Billy and I might watch the movie Holland starring Nicole Kidman. It takes place in Western Michigan, and while her accent sounds all off in previews, I am curious about it. I love that area of Michigan. It is one of our favorite areas to visit! And now I need to know if that is how I sound to people?

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

Father’s Day Gift Ideas!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn holiday gift guide5 Comments

When I put this together, I tried to keep in mind all of the different fathers that I know. Billy, my own dad, my brother, my friends, my cousin. This was a fun little post to plan!

Note: I am an Etsy affiliate, and if you purchase something from a link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I sort of divided it into different personas.

For the Adventure Dad, the one who likes long drives, points out different landmarks, and stops for weird roadside attractions and ice cream.

Cryptid Passport Book || Vintage Style National Parks T-Shirt || Kuksa Cup

That Cryptid National Park Passport book is in my wish list. I might just buy it for a certain dad. I also love that tee shirt and can see so many of the guys I know wearing it! And the kuksa… I added that because I bought one for Billy years ago and he uses it all the time. He told me the other day that it is one of the best things I ever gave him. I figured that was quite the endorsement!

The Gamer and Movie Dad, who can be heard late at night shouting intermittently at the screen, is quick to pick up the controller, and teaches your kids the ins and outs of gaming.

Gamer Hoodie || Gamer Mug || Controller and Headphone Stand

A subtle nod with this gamer sweatshirt, making them noticeable to the other gamers around but confusing those who may not have ever picked up a controller. And speaking of not picking up controllers, this organization stand will keep everything together and neat and tidy. Like a little gaming butler.

And of course, a mug. Because mugs and Father’s Day go together.

For the Dad who is a Fan, who knows all the movie trivia, loves the little small details of their favorite shows, who is tuned in every game day. Show him you are his fan with these gifts!

Football Dad Tee || Severance Mug || Star Wars Whiskey Glass || LOTR Tankard

This Football dad tee, makes a statement without overstating it. Then a series of beverage containers – a Severance mug of Petey’s secret map, a Darth Vader whiskey glass, and my favorite, this wooden Prancing Pony tankard.

For the Quirky Dad:

Fancy Candle || Vintage School Poster – Atomic || Vintage School Poster- Carpenter || Woodworking Brand || Old Sport Sweatshirt

I love all of these. I guess I would be a quirky dad, if I were a dad. Does that make me a quirky mom? I will answer that – yes.

I love the Beside a Dying Fire candle, perfect for any dad, but especially that one who likes to sit in his chair and read or write long letters to his farflung friends, via chat. Two vintage posters; one my friend Kelly sent me when I asked her what she would buy her husband from Etsy, and one that I picked out for Billy’s woodworking area. And speaking of woodworking, this personal woodworking brand is actually perfect for your woodworker husband, whether he is a hobbyist or not. Finally, this awesome sweatshirt that says Old Sport. I seriously love it and have included it in my gift guides before. Who doesn’t want a shirt that reminds them of Gatsby?

And if none of these are quite right, Etsy has so much more to choose from. Check out their ideas list here!

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized16 Comments

Hello everyone! Have you ever had those mornings where the coffee just hits perfectly? That is my morning coffee today. I don’t even know what I am drinking today, it is just good.

It was a bit of a week this week! I think our weeks are going to be like this for a while, while we are in the run-up to Wyatt’s surgery. Just a lot of different appointments and phone calls and arranging equipment, and so on. And if any of you have dealt with insurance companies, you know how many hoops you need to jump through first, and the amount of phone calls you need to make! However, it does look like things are starting to all come together, and as a person who needs things prepared and ready, I am starting to at least feel better on that front!

I made a joke yesterday that my whole week has been spent between doctors appointments and the fish store, because it has. Who knew this new fish tank would give me (and Billy) such a headache! It is our first community tank so it is a learning curve. We had a few losses right away, because our parameters were off, but we have been diligently doing 75% water changes almost daily and running up to the store for water tests. We have three lemon Tetra, that we named the Lemon Sisters, two albino African dwarf frogs who have had a few different names, we can’t settle on any, and one Khuli loaches. Once our water is perfect (and we are soooo close!) we are adding two more loaches because they prefer to live in a group. I read that they will actually die of loneliness if they are the only one in a tank! Ours should be ok since it won’t be that long of a wait – I asked Sam at the fish store to make sure! It seems like our little frog likes it though, and they hang out together. So maybe the loach doesn’t feel so lonely. That group needs a name too. If anyone has any name suggestions for the frogs and loaches, I would love to hear them! (and I snuck a photo of Wyatt’s favorite fish, Moon, into the group here, even though he lives on his own)

Wyatt and I also went for a stroll and browse through my favorite nursery the other day. I still haven’t given up on my plan to plant a tree or trees in my yard. I had originally wanted to plant birch trees, but with the new ramp I don’t think it will work. So I am thinking maybe a Japanese Willow now? I also liked the look of the Whipcord Red Cedar, but that might be a bit much too, lol. Wyatt found the name “Crabapple” tree hysterical, and laughed about the whole time we were there. I did buy two little rue plants to put on the deck, as a small offering to the butterflies.

Last night we had Cub Scouts!! It was a very chill, easy meeting this time, with the kids working on windchimes to hang in the yards. I would have said they were for their mother’s as gifts, but in our group, the mothers are there with their children and helped them make them. Our little pack is getting so close and it makes me so happy. Wyatt even allowed one of the other kids to push him in his wheelchair, which is unusual! He usually only lets family do that, so Billy and I were happily surprised at that development! Wyatt was playing, and with someone other than his cousins! He was slightly apprehensive, I could tell by his face, but his desire to play was greater than his apprehension. Progress!!

The kids all seemed to have a good time designing their wind chimes, choosing the best and most “aesthetic” beads as one little girl kept saying, and putting them together. The parents all seemed relaxed (even me!) and it was just a fun night.

Next month we have a few things lined up- a fishing derby, a meeting, and then the kids are helping my church pack bag lunches to hand out free to the community.

I even had an outing, all on my own! The clinic where Wyatt has therapy hosts a Mother’s Day event every year, and it so fun to go too. This year it was Kentucky Derby themed, and we had to dress up a bit and wear hats or fascinators. They had games, good food, prizes, and lots of togetherness. We all shared our wins for the past year, and there were some tears among us moms of special needs kids, feeling the hardships and pain, but also celebrating the wins, big or small.

And then that was our week! It was a week of ups and downs, but I think that is what life is, isn’t it? A series of ups and downs? We enjoy those up moments, and then rally together for the hard ones.

And I will say goodbye for today! I hope that whatever you do today, that you do something that makes you smile!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized35 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! Our week was pretty good. We had some ups and downs but overall, pretty good. Wyatt and I had a nice routine week, we had some fun moments, we refreshed some of our fish tanks, we saw some cousins – those were all good. I had some news about my mom that was not so great, and is causing me some anxiety, but I am hoping and praying for a solution.

What I am Reading:

I didn’t finish anything last week, but I did start reading two books. Then Friday the book I was waiting for came in, so I am going to start that one too. So I guess I am reading a few books this week.

Version 1.0.0

I hope to finish A Prayer for the Crown Shy today at some point. I am also enjoying Budde’s book How We Learn to Be Brave.

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Featuring the word “Night” in the Title

Springtime in Paris: The Intouchables

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

What We Are Watching:

We have been pretty much collapsing into bed after full days over here, so not much television has been happening. We did watch The Brokenwood Mysteries, Beyond Paradise, and The Wheel of Time.

In addition we have been watching our Springtime in Paris movies! Last week was The Intouchables, which was such a feel good movie. If you need a pick me up, watch this one.

This week we will watch our final movie in our six week Springtime in Paris journey. I will be sad to say goodbye! It was such a fun little movie watching challenge. We are ending things with Charade with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, and I am very excited to watch it.

Online Things Happening:

While we are wrapping up Springtime in Paris, Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are still hosting our Drop In Crafternoons once a month. Lisa and I have been hosting crafternoons for fellow bloggers on Zoom since January, and it has been so fun. It is nice to meet the person behind the blog, hear their voices, and share more stories – all while we work on whatever craft we choose! There is no right or wrong activity, you don’t even need to craft if you don’t want to. Just hang out, that is fine too!

I have also started adding downloadable, printable children’s birthday invitations to my Etsy store, Fox and Firth. I have been trying to create three a day and adding them, so keep checking back as the inventory is constantly growing!

And that is about it from me today! I hope that you are all are feeling happy and loved, and do something today that makes you smile!