Hello March!

On March 1, 2025March 1, 2025 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized16 Comments

Today it is sunny and snowing – and this is so like March here in Michigan. It doesn’t know whether it is winter or spring and just throws everything at us at once.

I love March. Do I love it more than I love October? Probably, because something very special happened ten years ago in March. And as you probably have guessed, that something (someone) is Wyatt! Wyatt turns ten tomorrow! I can’t believe my tiny little peanut baby is now going to be double digits. He is growing up! I will probably be all weepy and emotional tomorrow; in fact, I guarantee it. We are going to the zoo to celebrate, because that is where we went on his first birthday together. Of course then he was in one of those babywearing carriers and in a cozy little full body bear coat thing that you tuck little kids in and he looked super adorable. He also shares a birthday with Dr. Seuss, which I think is perfect for a boy who loves books. We took him there for his birthday too, and look how giant Billy’s hand looks next to him!

March is also the birthday of three other very special children in my life – I have two cousins who had children in March, and then my brother’s youngest daughter, Hurricane, was born two years ago in March as well! Her birthday party is in a few weeks. We don’t usually do a big party for Wyatt, and after age like five I think, didn’t have a real party at all, preferring to go away for the weekend somewhere nature-ish. Last year we went to a dark sky park; the year before that we went to the wolf sanctuary. But we decided for number ten we would give the big old party. So Wyatt is having a wolf themed party at the nature center next weekend with most of his family in attendance, along with some friends as well. I am extremely nervous about getting everything perfect because I am a weirdo, and I am trying to remind myself that is not the important part.

I think March is so full of magic and wonder, don’t you? Here in Michigan, it is the turning point month usually. We have wild weather to start the month, cold and snowy somedays, warm other days. The day Wyatt was born it was the coldest day of the year, in the negative temps, and this year it is going to be 30 degrees. Other years it has been warmer – I think last year we were wearing sweatshirts and no coats up north on our trip. Spring bulbs might be starting to wiggle their way up to the surface. (and for other nature nerds, worms are as well) Birds are returning. Soon we will hear the spring peepers going crazy in the marshes and ponds, one of my favorite sounds of spring. On warmer days we might see a bee lazily bumbling around, maybe a bit confused about why she is awake. Spring ephemerals will soon be able to be spotted in the woods, adding a tiny bit of color. In short, the world here is waking up, and it always seems so magical. We are starting to emerge from our cozy winter cocoon as well.

It would be hard to ignore St. Patrick’s Day, with its leprechauns and rainbows. I love to visit the fairy tales and mythical creatures of Irish lore in March, and this year Wyatt and I are going to do a little study on them. I have books and stories lined up, from real life people like St. Patrick and Brigid, to people of myth and legend like Finn MacCool, and then scary little creatures such as pookas and water horses and banshees. I think it will be a fun little shake up for school.

It is funny because the book Wyatt and I are reading for school is a more fun book than anything else. We were supposed to be reading Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter for language arts but neither of us could get into it so I switched to one of Wyatt’s books, The Wolves of Greycoat Hall. Well anyway, this book takes place in Scotland so we are going to be learning a bit about Scotland as well.

Last year Billy and our friends and family built a ramp for Wyatt, so he can go outside into the yard and play. One of our friends convinced us to make it a little bit wider, so that he can also go outside and play on the deck itself, which we did. I am so grateful for this suggestion because Billy and I realized that without it, he would only have been able to play on the driveway as wheelchairs are not good on grass. We were so focused on the getting outside part that we neglected to think about what would happen next! Billy finished it up right as the weather was turning, so we didn’t get to get outside with him too much before it was too cold. But now with the weather turning, I am excited to get outside with him more. We have been coming up with different activities and items for him to do out there, from a basketball hoop to a mounted bow and arrow (for kids, not like real arrows, he would kill a neighbor accidentally) to a raised garden bed on legs that he can roll up to and plant things. I am excited, and I know he will be too.

I could go on and on today I think! I should probably wrap this up before it becomes a novel!

So, that being said, that is it from me today. Whatever you do today, try to do something that makes you smile!

In Our Homeschool: September/October

On November 4, 2024November 4, 2024 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn homeschooling10 Comments

Hello everyone!! Wyatt and I have been keeping busy the past two months! I am extremely excited about the year I have planned for him, and so far we have really enjoyed it.

We kicked off the school year with a field trip to the Henry Ford Museum to see their dinosaur exhibit that they had. It was all created with metal and steel and welding, and I loved the industrial feel of it. The dinosaurs were all interactive, with different ways to manipulate them into motion, whether by a pulley system or through controls on a computer system. It was a great way to start the school year and introduce our first science unit, which is all about prehistory.

We have slogged our way through all those single celled organisms that just keep evolving. They are not super interesting right away, are they? I did like learning that the first trees were giant mushroom trees! I didn’t learn that in school so that was a new thing for me too! We are starting with dinosaurs this very week, thank goodness! Wyatt is very excited. The Detroit Science Center just opened an exhibit with dinosaurs as well so we will be taking a field trip there soon too.

In history, but not prehistory, we have been studying the Anishinabe tribe of Michigan. We are focusing on Michigan history this year and the curriculum I bought is very open, with eras and prompts to guide me but the actual material is up to me. I decided we were going to read The Birchbark House and focus on the Anishinabe in particular. I tried to do this in as culturally sensitive a manner as I could. We spent time learning about what they ate, about their beliefs, what resources they used, what their homes were like, and so on. We spent about a week or so on each different aspect of their life. We built a wigwam, painted a winter cabin, and filled out a tissue box information cube, which Wyatt loved adding to every week. Every side covered a different topic, like a very short report in cube form. I also loved adding to the area of our table where we displayed his History materials. I added a pretend black crow that we named Andeg after the crow in Birchbark House, a bit of birchbark, his cabin and wigwam that he made. It started to take over! We are starting the fur trade next and we won’t linger long on that topic – and we aren’t going to keep trap or skin or keep pelts around either. Lol.

We both enjoyed The Birchbark House, but dang, I cried so much near the end! Poor Wyatt felt so bad that I was crying. It dealt with very real challenges and issues that Native Americans in that time would have faced, and Wyatt and I had some good discussions about these things, even though they made me cry.

In literature, we read Alice in Wonderland, which I have to tell you guys, I really didn’t enjoy it. I don’t think I am into absurdist lit very much! Wyatt however really enjoyed it, all the nonsensical of it, so maybe it is a hit with kids and that is why it is in the curriculum. I was happy when we were done. We started The Phantom Tollbooth next, which fits into that same sort of absurdist genre, but I am liking it so much better than Alice. Wyatt loves it too. We just started it this past week and had fun with the first project, which was creating a peg doll Milo and a clay Tock. I ended up making Tock since Wyatt had a challenging time manipulating the clay. He has limited use of his right hand and arm so sometimes things like that are a stretch. I usually make him try but it was so small that I ended up doing it. He painted Milo though, and I helped with the hair and face.

Wyatt is still working really hard on practicing and learning reading. We had two years where he was really heavily medicated, overmedicated actually, and it really slowed down his progress. Now that he is appropriately medicated for his seizures, things are so different and have returned to the way he was acting and learning before taking that particular medication. The past year it has been so great to see him really get back to the Wyatt he was, to be curious and energetic and lively again. He never really lost that but it was sort of cushioned by the sedative they gave him for his seizures. So we are going over basics again and he is on fire with it. We are using a program called Prenda Treasure Hunt Learning in addition to The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts. We really spend a good chunk of our day working on these skills. He will get there in his own time – he loves reading and books and picks it up so quickly now, plus he is so motivated.

In art, we studied Charley Harper! We had so much fun. We studied him in September and then I let October be a more Halloween crafty month for art. Harper is a modernist who painted nature. He called his art minimal realism and I just love it. I am not usually into that style but I really like his version – perhaps because of the subjects of his work. Wyatt really enjoyed it as well, all the shapes and lines and colors. We did two projects, and had a third that never developed – which bothers me so we might have to revisit it so we can do it. I wanted us to construct an owl mobile inspired by his piece Hexit. I need Billy’s help though with construction as my brain couldn’t quite fashion the wings correctly for my design. The two we did complete turned out very nicely! We started out with Wyatt’s version of a woodpecker based on Harper’s Baffling Belly, and then I bought a unit study for Fall at the Pond from TPT and it was fantastic. Wyatt had so much fun with it!! It took a few days because there was a lot of time for painting and then waiting for it to dry, so that made it fun too, the waiting.

Next up we are learning about Canadian artist Emily Carr, and we will continue on with Michigan history, dinosaurs and math and reading! Wyatt has had a great two months and I am looking forward to the upcoming months and all of the various things we will be doing.

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On August 16, 2024August 16, 2024 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP24 Comments

Hello everyone!! I am so grateful for coffee this week. I am running on coffee and peanut butter toast this week – I have just been so busy! I am trying to prep for school and for Cub Scouts while also making sure Wyatt enjoys the last few weeks of summer.

One thing that happened – Wyatt got a hair cut!!

Our neighbor works at a barber shop and she did such a great job! I absolutely love it, and Wyatt does too. The barbershop is very swanky and Wyatt felt like a big shot in there among the adults.

He got it just in time for his cousin Mermaid Girl’s birthday party too. She had a cosmic bowling party and it was a blast. I had to laugh – it’s like no matter what, you can count on bowling shoes to always look exactly the same as they did decades ago.

I also got to bowl – and it was pretty sad. Lol. I came in last, tying with Chrissy’s mom. (Chrissy is my SIL) We were both not wonderful at bowling. I even took bowling in college as one of one PE credits! I remember Billy and I would have to practice bowling every week so that I could show improvement in class. We didn’t have to be good, just show that we got better. It was a stretch but I did it. Our practice sessions became just an excuse to get together with all of our friends every week, who also joined us at the bowling alley.

We also had our second Cub Scout committee meeting. The committee is made up of family and friends but it is still nerve wracking to me because I am the person who needs to run it and do like 90% of the talking. Right now we are still getting everything made all official, collecting applications and dues and signatures and learning the ropes of the big fundraiser that is starting, the popcorn sale, as well as planning the first meeting which is at the beginning of September, and the first outing, which is a few days after. It will be so fun once we get through all of this red tape, and can really get started.

We have our council meetings at the rowing club in our town, and it is such a great spot, right on the river and bonus, adult beverages that are very inexpensive.

I’m really cramming because of course all of this starts at the same time – school, Scouts, and then to throw a big wrench in there, Wyatt has a three day EEG at the hospital right in that same week. At least I guess we will get it all out of the way at once!

Of course we went to the library and got ice cream this week! Our favorite ice cream place closed for the season on Thursday so we had to make sure to get in before they shut down. So one day we went to the library, checked out a mass of books, and hung out on the giant porch reading for a bit before going to get ice cream. Then we went the very next day and got ice cream with my dad as well!

Wyatt and I both loved sitting on the big porch. It is so high up and set so far back from the road that it felt like we were just in our own bubble or our own little world. Wyatt really enjoyed people watching and wheeling around out there too. Can I just move into the library? Wyatt and I decided that would be a super cool place to live.

Looking forward to fall, which is right around the corner, I am busy making plans for field trips and little mini-vacations, for Halloween and scouts. I am also planning out my fall TBR (we will see how I do – I am not great at sticking to the plan), and all the comfy cozy bloggy stuff that Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I do together. This year we are even having a little giveaway in October and I am really excited about it!! And speaking of comfy cozy fall things, this is our fall movie line up and dates, if you want to watch or post along with us! The dates listed are the dates that our posts will go up! I think we have a fantastic list and I am really looking forward to just slowing down this fall.

And now just some randoms from the camera roll!

Have a great weekend everyone, and I hope you do something that makes you smile!

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On August 7, 2024 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP16 Comments

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is doing well! I was in a bit of a mood yesterday, and looking back it seems really common for me to be in a bit of a funk in August. In my blog last year I even quoted Sylvia Plath, and her reference to August as the “odd uneven time”. And who am I to argue with that, it feels so true. Today though, the sun is shining and I am feeling a bit more me, and less like the algae at the bottom of a pool during a long humid summer. (last night I was texting my friend Lisa and I was being super emo on purpose and referred to myself as the algae and she told me to write a poem, and I added on some worn out and dirty flip flop imagery. Just being silly. Lol)

We have been having a lot of fun though lately. We went to a Parisian-inspired brasserie for Billy’s birthday, and then the next day, which was way too hot and humid to actually be outside, we went for a drive to see what we could see.

Everyone was enjoying the lily pads, including that adorable young buck there. We hung out riverside for a bit, the breeze just idling past us as we sat in the back of the Subaru until we just could not do it any longer. Look at my poor little guy! He shows heat immediately!

Afterwards we were feeling peckish so we pulled in to an A&W. Are these just a Michigan thing, or are they all over? It’s just a drive up restaurant, like you see in all those 1950s movies, where you eat in your car. Billy ordered a root beer float for us all to share which was the perfect idea on such a hot day.

We also had a sad moment Saturday morning. Our beautiful Betta, Moon, had passed away in the night. Wyatt was upset over this, as was I. I could not figure out why either, which was more troubling. We took a sample of our water in to the aquarium store we go to, which only deals with fish and they are very knowledgeable, and the nice lady who always helps us, Sam, checked our water parameters and said our water was perfect. I showed her a picture of our set up to make sure I didn’t have to many plants, and nope that wasn’t it either. So we talked about some different things, trying to brainstorm what happened to our poor Moon – is the filter too fast, creating a current? No. Anything obviously wrong, like discoloration of the fins, etc? Nope. Then we got to feeding. I only fed him 3-4 pellets once a day, with a fasting day, which is what you are supposed to do. However, I do feed the snail in there as well, and we came to the conclusion that he was snacking on Sunny’s food too, and Betta’s will eat themselves to death. We decided as well that since I do have so many plants that I don’t need to give Sunny a wafer to supplement his food. We did end up getting another fish for Wyatt, which he has named New Moon. This one is a female Betta, and has the shorter fins. She is very pretty, petite, and very zippy. As a mother I am obsessed with keeping this fish alive for my kid; I told my Dad, of all the pets we have Wyatt decides he most loves the two fish, who are the most fragile. I am happy he loves them though.

We also went to a good old-fashioned block party on Saturday! The next block down was having a block party, with the street closed off and everything, and one of the families who we talk to here and there invited us down. We didn’t stay super long since it was so humid and hot, but we did go and hang out for a bit. It was nice to chat with them more than just the hi here and there small talk. And Wyatt had a blast!!! They had a ramp for bikes and of course, Billy took Wyatt up and down it. And his face! He also tried to go up it by himself when were chatting which gave me a heart attack. That kid, I swear. Lol.

Overall, it has been a fun few days!

And here are just some random photos..

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

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On August 1, 2024August 1, 2024 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized16 Comments

Hello everyone!! Last week when I wrote this post I didn’t have any coffee – only instant packs that Billy had taken camping! Now thankfully we have a full pot brewing in the kitchen, and I have a steaming cup next to me.

It’s been hot and muggy out there this week. Disgustingly humid. Wyatt and I have been hanging out at home most of the time, but we have ventured out a few times.

Saturday we hung out with my brother and his family for a small fire, which was nice. It was before the really gross weather moved in and it was a nice preview of fall and fires. I can’t wait. The kiddos were all just doing their thing, and my littlest niece Wild Child was having fun playing with the portable fan I had bought Wyatt. (Thanks for the suggestion Captain, we take it everywhere!) It was just a nice relaxing evening, hanging out.

Sunday we spent in our shady spot at the park, under the trees. Wyatt absolutely loves this so we try to do it whenever we can. On the way there though we passed a local rotary club having a little to-do at the fire station. They had demonstrations shooting off the fire hose, and also had some free ice cream from the Good Humor woman. We spent a nice time at the park afterwards, full of ice cream, just drawing, enjoying the breeze under the trees, the singing of birds, and reading. (me lol)

Later that evening, we had game night, which is Wyatt’s favorite. This time we played a game we had checked out from the library called What’s Next. It was really fun! It is sort of a choose your own adventure/rpg type game. There are three stories you can choose from, and each card has either an event or a choice you need to make or do. There are little side challenges as well, and a tower of peril! It really was a lot of fun, and we are definitely adding it to the wish list!

The rest of the week we have been home, with one journey to the library to check out more books, and to collect Wyatt’s summer reading National Parks Card and cryptid card that he earned. Next week he gets to shop the library “shop” with the book bucks he earned with all the reading we have been doing.

I have been working on getting our school plans together for next year. I absolutely love doing it honestly, putting together the plans and then finding fun tie-ins. Fall looks like it is going to be a lot of fun, with reading adventures like Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth, Indigenous history of Michigan, dinosaurs, and artists like Charley Harper! I am just starting to construct my Charley Harper art study for Wyatt, and I am having to taper things down because there is just so much we can do – too many ideas and not enough time. I think Harper will be a really fun artist to start off the year!

And just some randoms from the camera roll!

Have a great week everyone, and stay safe!

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On June 27, 2024June 27, 2024 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP22 Comments

Hello everyone! The sun is shining and the temps aren’t predicted to be as intense today so I am excited. We have a busy day of just errands etc, since Billy is leaving us for the weekend for a guys camping trip. I am not sure how Billy going on a trip translates to more errands for me but..somehow it did. Hmmph. Lol.

It’s been a topsy-turvy week! Nothing bad, but not what I expected. Wyatt was supposed to have a 48 hour EEG this week, and I had been mentally preparing for this for a few weeks, as well as getting our things ready for the hospital stay. However, the point of the EEG was to attempt to treat Wyatt’s nighttime DEE-SWAS. DEE-SWAS is a rare form of epilepsy that creates spike-waves in his brain as he sleeps. There is not a lot known about it, and it is not usually an urgent matter unless the person is having developmental regressions, which Wyatt is thankfully not (and pray that he never does!) However, we had the option to try valium with him at night to see if it changed anything in a positive manner in Wyatt’s life, and at first we were all for it. Right now though, after the 6 weeks this kid has had adjusting to his new medicine dose of his normal medication, we wanted to give him a break from trying anything new. So when Billy called the EEG Monitoring Unit they said if we weren’t feeling like attempting the valium now, we could wait a few months and try then. So, we go now in September. I think it is the best decision for Wyatt although it threw me off a bit. I can be flexible and pivot, I really can! Lol.

Last weekend Billy and I actually had a date night! We just went out to dinner together, but it was so nice to just get out the two of us. It has been a very long time! We went to one of our favorite local burger places. It has a great vibe, lively, filled with music, and the walls are just covered in nostalgic photos and memorabilia from the owner’s life and from the area. He named the restaurant after his grandfather, and you can spot old family photos mixed in with the Detroit area posters and tchotchke. There are also nods to pop culture a well, like the Thriller album cover near the door, movie posters and so on. It is just a neat place. While we were there reruns from the original Scooby-Doo cartoon was playing, which was my favorite growing up! So I enjoyed that as well.

I had just a regular Joe slider, and Billy and I split fries. Billy also had a slider – and then let me eat most of this dessert, a brownie sundae. I can’t resist a brownie sundae.

I also splurged on some new things for myself this week, which frankly is not like me. But sometimes you just have to. I bought myself two new plants, an Alocasia Jacklyn and a new mini-Monstera. I also bought Applejack some new plants for her tank, which she loves. I am slowly redoing all of the lizard tanks and Applejack was first up. She loves it.

I also bought myself a few new tops, a pair of shorts, and a pair of loose comfy pants for summer. I wore the pants the other day and they are so comfy and cute that I am going to get another pair soon. I feel like I needed some summer clothes that are not just rough and tumble – you know, for instance if we go out for another date night, or have an appointment. They reminded me of Martha’s clothes a bit from Beyond Paradise, and I really like how she dresses, although it is impractical for me and my everyday (well except overalls, I do wear those). I don’t have a photo of me in them, but maybe next time I wear them I will have Billy take one. I also got the shirt in white as well as the green, and I plan on styling the pants and shorts with looser more casual tees, and the shirts with more casual shorts for the most part, because I like the juxtaposition of casual and more fitted together. I wore the pants the other day with a thrifted tee I bought a few years ago, that was blue and white striped and had my hair in braids, and Billy said I looked ready for the seashore.

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Shorts || Shirt || Pants

Wyatt and I also spent some time doing arts and crafts this week. We painted a collage of his favorite moments at music camp, and then designed little fairy homes that we want Billy to build to put outside. I also had some time to work on my corgi while Wyatt took his after- medicine naps.

All in all, it was a different week than I had planned for, but it was a very good week with lots of family time and down time. I think we probably really needed that after the go go go chaos of music camp! We also have had some disgusting weather, super high temps or severe storms or high humidity, so it was kind of an inside week anyway. Remind me, how many more weeks before cooler weather?

Just a few more random photos, including a crazy one of me. That is my snail headband to hold my hair back when getting ready lol. Billy says I am a goof, and I probably am.

And that is it from me this week! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile! (even if it is wearing a snail headband while you wash your face)

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On January 5, 2024January 5, 2024 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Coffee Catch UP23 Comments

Good morning (or afternoon, or evening) everyone! It has been a crazy long week for a short week! I am so thankful for a lazy day hopefully today. One with a cup of coffee at the beginning of the day, and a cup of herbal tea later tonight.

Soo what have we been up to? Well, we had a very quiet New Years, just the three of us. We were planning on getting together with my brother and his family, but then my brother got sick so it ended up just being the three of us, which was fine. I always feel holidayed out by New Years Eve so sometimes I like the quietness of welcoming a new year snug in bed after a calm night.

I spent the day of New Years Eve taking down Christmas. I love having the decorations up but then I am ready to have my house all back to normal soon after the holiday. I have mentioned before that we live in a very small house, which I don’t mind at all, I just need to be mindful and creative with how we use our space, and while the decorations are so cheery and festive it’s nice to have our space back.

This year when I took the tree down, I decided to carve out a little “nook” for Wyatt. A few years ago we flip-flopped our space – we moved our couches and television into our dining room and made it our “den” and then the living room space we moved in the table, books, whatever else we wanted and use it as a sort of do it all room. It was a good decision and we are still very happy that we did it. Please excuse the mess in the photos, I was still cleaning up and clearing out after Christmas when these photos were taken. But little man is super pleased with his little nook. We also bought new couches for our den, one of which is here and the other arrives today, so I moved this old beat up tiny loveseat into our all purpose room, threw an old comfy quilt and some pillows on it. It created another comfy little spot to sit in, right next to Applejack our crested gecko. Lol.

New Year’s Day we went for a ride, Billy made us a delicious dinner, and then we watched our annual watch, The Big Year, which we watch every New Year’s Day and have for at least ten years – maybe more! It is just such a feel good movie.

Then Tuesday we hit the ground running. Wyatt started a brand new, very exciting therapy this week! It is very intense, for both him and me honestly. It is an hour away, twice a week, and each session is 75 minutes. But it is amazing. It is called Lokomat, and basically it is a way to build new neural pathways for walking and build up endurance while also providing more physical support. He looks like he is a robot or training to walk on the moon! He is doing very well so far. Each time they build up a little more time and speed, and random weight bearing, and he is very tired afterwards but he is a trooper.

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So we have both been finding our bearings, with schedules and routines and recovery days and trying to figure this out for now. He has this therapy for 7 more weeks. Please if you can send good vibes and prayers as we begin this new journey in the new year!

I also want to add that Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are launching Jane Austen January this month – in fact, it has already begun! Feel free to post any Jane Austen related posts between now and the 3rd of February! I have a permanent linky page up top in my little header bar but here it is as well.

And…that is where I am today! I hope you are faring well, and I hope to be chatting with you all a bit more very soon!

Up North Trip – Part 2

On August 30, 2023August 29, 2023 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn family, Michigan, mom life12 Comments

Days 2 and 3 were filled with perfect weather. Sunny, warm but not too warm, the kind of weather you want on your vacation, you know? I loved sitting outside in the morning, drinking my coffee and listening to the birds. I have another app – the Merlin app. My little family of three gets up hours before every else, so the first two days we would get our breakfast and head outside. I would put on the Merlin app and watch it light up with all the bird names that were in the area. It picks up and identifies the bird calls and if you pay attention, it helps you learn the different calls yourself. It is really neat. I think we wound up with 19 different species of bird?

Being early birds worked out well! By the time we had our breakfast and had hung out, everyone else was tumbling out of bed and getting their coffee and food. So of course to be helpful, Billy and I volunteered to hold the Peanut so that her parents could eat more easily. Such a hardship I know, right? She is the happiest little morning baby! All smiles and giggles. We also had a morning of painting in pajamas, which was super fun too. I had Peanut “hold” a crayon and scribble so her art could be displayed as well.

Once we were all ready, we would head out for our daily excursions! The first full day we opted for nearby Petosky, which was a lot of fun, and the second day we explored Indian River itself (that was painting day, so we had less time).

However, Indian River has another attraction I have always seen advertised, but never actually had visited, called The Cross in the Woods. We spent a lot of time wandering the grounds, which were beautiful. I can’t imagine attending church there, it would be amazing honestly, out in the woods like that. Very different from the small Chapel in the Pines, but just as lovely. The Peanut slept very peacefully while we were there.

While we were there we saw this statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a Native American from the Algonquin-Mohawk nation, who was known as the Lily of the Mohawks. She became a Catholic saint. I am not Catholic but I did find her story very interesting. St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Her statue was lovely and the base was covered in turtles, which I found to be such a wonderful recognition of her native heritage of Haudenosaunee.

After visiting The Cross in the Woods, we just putzed around some more in town and at the cabin. I always liked winding down in the evening too, with this crew. We actually didn’t get to have many fires, thanks to the weather that developed, but we did have one, and it was pretty awesome.

The next three days though all, were cold and rainy. It did interrupt some of our plans but we let those plans go and just had fun together however we could. We explored nearby small towns, Wyatt got his beautiful hair cut because no one liked not being able to see his eyes (which I will admit, his bangs were way too long) by a barber in Cheboygan. This barber was so nice guys, his name is Brad and his shop is right there on the main street. He cut Wyatt’s hair for free because we didn’t have cash, and he knew that up front. We did discover my brother had cash though and ran it in after, so we did pay him. We visited Mackinaw City, which to my dismay is very different than I remember. A lot of the stores, like the Island Bookstore which I loved, are gone, replaced by souvenir t-shirt shops. Like most of Mackinaw City is t-shirt shops. I am guessing the economy and the pandemic hit the area hard, or maybe just tourism sunk its teeth in years ago. It’s been a long time since I was up there so I am not sure. I was also disappointed to read that the Forts in both the City and on the Island were not super accessible for wheelchairs. I mean, I understand on some level as they are historical buildings, but the one in town is not super accessible because you have to cross 500 feet of sand to get to it – that can be changed somehow, I would think. Wheelchairs and sand just doesn’t happen. It was pretty cold and foggy and we opted to skip the island, at least during those days. My brother was considering it for Friday, when we were all sort of splitting up for the day. The kids did go to the local Build Your Bear (like Build a Bear) and each got a stuffie. Wyatt got a wolf, and Mermaid Girl picked a cat. They were both enamored with their choices. We also spent a quick chilly hour at the beach gathering rocks, and stopped in at Chillermania where the kids got tons of books and met the author Jonathan Rand, who signed their books. So the days were not a total loss. We also had our best meal during those days, at the Noggin Room in Petosky. Delicious!

And while we had some gray skies and rainy days, our friends and family back home were going through the worst weather – those tornadoes that hit. Five of seven of the tornadoes were within 10-20 miles of our home. My brother and I were watching the weather and texting friends to see if we needed to alert our mother. No tornadoes hit our actual city, but everyone says it was the scariest round of storms they have ever been through, even family and friends who are not normally afraid of storms.

The most important thing was that we were together, just hanging out with no agenda or schedule or somewhere we needed to rush off too. We made memories that these kids will remember forever, being with family, especially grandpa.

I have one more day to cover guys, and that is it. I promise! But it was a really good one, so it gets its own post.

Northern Michigan Trip – Part One

On August 29, 2023August 29, 2023 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Michigan13 Comments

Day one of course, was our journey to the cabin we rented in Indian River. A four hour drive sure feels like forever when you are in a hurry to get somewhere! We opted to stop in Hartwick Pines for a break, which is no hardship for us because it is one of our favorite places. The beauty of the Old Growth Forest is majestic, with trees soaring high above, so high you have to lean your head all the way back to get a glimpse of the tops. And the smell! So fresh and evergreen.

Before we stopped here though, we saw a sign for the CCC Museum, and decided to pull in and see what that was all about. We were glad that we did, it was a neat little quick stop, and we learned quite a bit!

This is a self-guided tour of the grounds and buildings, and it was really neat (and wheelchair accessible). This site depicted the work done by the CCC to regrow the forests that were lost due to forest fires. The interior pictures above are from inside the cone building, referring to pinecone, of course! They would roll the seeds out of the pinecones, overwinter them in mold and damp proof containers that looked like those giant milk canisters you see on dairy farms, and then start the seedlings off and turn them into “Happy Little Trees”. Wyatt was excited about the Bob Ross sign, as you can see.

It was a neat little stop before we got to our next one, Hartwick Pines.

When we got there, we headed straight for the visitor’s center first. We weren’t sure where exactly we were going, but I had found a wheelchair accessible trail on my AllTrails app, so I did know I wanted to do that with Wyatt. First though, we poked around the visitor’s center, and even picked up a few souvenirs. T-shirts for Billy and I, and a book for Wyatt – they didn’t have shirts in his size (or any kids size), which was a bummer. The book we got was really cool though, and since he loves books it was fine that he didn’t get a t-shirt. Then we walked back outside onto the boardwalk to look at the big map, and met the cutest little Llewellin Setter! She was so darn sweet! Some of you may have been around long enough that you remember my Penny, an English Setter and this little girl reminded me so much of my Penny, even though Penny was copper colored.

We opted to start out at the lumberjack camp, which was smart since that is where the trail was that we wanted. We were having a tough time with the map for some reason and were pleased to find the trail right where we ended up. LOL.

There was a little chapel tucked back, high on a hill among the trees, that was so serene and peaceful, and so just beautiful in its simplicity. There is a prayer inside that is so perfect for the surroundings, and for the people that visit, called Nature’s Prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all that is nature,
We humbly come to you in the midst of nature’s splendor,
To thank you that as Americans we are free
To worship as we please, work as we please,
And move about as we please to enjoy all that is nature:
Its mountains, its hills, its valleys, its lakes,
Its streams, and the living things that dwell therein;
We pray unto You that someday the world may be at peace
And all men be free to enjoy nature’s abundance.
We ask you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
That we be guided to protect this priceless heritage
Which we, in America, are privileged to enjoy. Amen

It was a wonderful walk through the woods and Wyatt was SO happy to be back outside under a canopy of trees. We have been having a hard time lately finding a place to go with him in his chair! The AllTrails app I used is perfect though, you can use a filter for wheelchair friendly trails which is awesome.

After exploring we knew we had to get back in the car. We were so close to the cabin and had one stop left – a store for food supplies for the cabin. We were all bringing stuff and just sort of sharing food around, as we were sharing the cabin with my dad, my brother Devin, SIL Chrissy, and my nieces Mermaid Girl and Tiny Peanut. My stepmom was supposed to be there too but actually had some medical issues of the non-contagious sort and had to stay home, which was a bummer – and we really missed her!

Anyway, we finally got to the cabin. My brother was already there, and my dad got in just behind us. We spent the rest of the evening figuring out who was sleeping where, unloading the cars, and just settling in. Billy worked as a short order cook in the kitchen making either eggs and toast or grilled cheese for dinner since it was late, and a pizza order was going to take 90 minutes! We all hit the hay pretty early that night.

It was a good day!!

Northern Michigan Memories

On August 16, 2023August 16, 2023 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn family, Michigan22 Comments

If you live in Michigan, chances are you have gone “up north” at least once in your life. Some of us travel about, stay in different areas, while others have had permanent homes that have housed decades of memories, or even rentals that their families have stayed at for decades as well. Some people camp, some stay in hotels, but regardless, you are up north.

We went a few times when I was a kid, sometimes all the way up to Traverse City, sometimes a little bit south of the TC for my grandma’s birthday which was in July. I remember swimming in the lake with my cousins at a rental on Houghton, endless video games in the game room at the Holiday Inn in whatever city that was we stayed in, walking up really hot sand dunes with my mom and dad when my legs were only 4 years old long. (Not the big dune!)

Billy and I always used to head toward Mackinaw or the UP on our trips. We camped, we stayed in a hotel that was really little tiny cabins, we stayed in a big hotel. We walked on beaches, hiked through the woods, visited the Sawmill at Mackinaw at least a dozen times.

We’ve eaten fudge like the fudgies we are, visited historic Fishtown, shopped in Glen Arbor. Spent days in Traverse City, sampled the wines at Mission Point, and visited the lighthouse. Just so much. So many memories that I can’t do them all justice in this post. My dad took me and the family all the way up to the Upper Peninsula in high school when I was considering Northern for college. We saw Copper Harbor, mighty storms on Superior, waterfalls, Paradise, the shipwreck museum, and ate in a restaurant that was the living room of a home. Billy and I have ventured to the UP as well, to Germfask renting a tiny cottage and visiting Pictured Rocks. Thomas Dambo just built a troll up there in Germfask, so we will have to go back!

It’s been fun watching these two through the years. They are so big now it seems! And now our pictures will have tiny Bebe too!

We may never get anywhere like Disney together, but to me these days up north are precious and full of fun. Of game nights, crafting, sitting around the fire. Kayaking, swimming, stories, and laughter. Looking for Petoskey stones (and now I want to find a Yooper Stone!), cedar forests, the scent of conifers, one of my favorite things in the whole world. I always know when we have reached “up north” – when the road at the side of the highway is just lined with all the big evergreens, reaching toward the sky, pointing our way ever north.