Hello everyone! Our percolator died and so we are currently just using the Keurig. Keurig coffee means Newman’s Own coffee, which is quite tasty. And I definitely need it this morning, it is rainy and chilly!

So much happened in the past week!

So Jeanie at Marmalade Gypsy has told me in the past about a music camp for special needs children at MSU, called RicStar which is an all-inclusive day camp that lasts three days, all about music and musical expression and music therapy for the attendees. Then it all culminates in a StarShow on the last day that family and friends can attend! I have always wanted to sign Wyatt up for it, but the timing was never right. Well, this year it was! I am extremely excited about this adventure my little guy and I will be taking together; it’s a hike from our house but not terrible. My plan is to drive there and back one day, then the next stay up there. Billy will join us after work and stay over as well, and just work from the room until Wyatt’s concert. I have all the reservations made. Kiddo is going to have a blast. Music is his favorite thing in the whole world, besides books and painting, and the one thing that neither Billy nor I are good at (well out of those three). So this will be an awesome experience for him!

This camp was created by Judy Winter, whose son Eric had cerebral palsy just like Wy-guy. Judy and her husband are huge advocates for the special needs community, and Judy is an author and speaker for individuals who are differently abled. Cindy Edgerton , the Director of the CMS Musical Therapy Services, is their partner in this endeavor, and she is the woman I have been corresponding with. She has been extremely helpful and friendly, and has even offered to help me find regular music therapy services for Wyatt closer to home!

We also went visited Greenfield Village for the first time this season! It is one of our favorite places, even when it is chilly and damp (is that our only weather these days?) We have a membership and I try to take it advantage of it as much as possible during the summer, even if we go just to walk around and ride the train and eat frozen custard, and skip the actual historical bits. Although, I do always stop and visit all the gardens.

All my favorite spots! I also made sure we stopped in at the house that George Washington Carver grew up in, since Wyatt studied him a few weeks ago. The walls are made of wood planks from each state tree, which since we talk about different state trees every week, I thought would be mildly interesting to show Wyatt. I took special pains to find South Carolina, since we did SC last week, and Indiana, since we are learning about Indiana this week, to show Wyatt. And as you might imagine, he was not super impressed, or interested. LOL. He did very much enjoy his giant chocolate chip cookie though.

Billy was also excited this past week. His isopod dreams are coming true! I have no idea why he is so enthused about fancy roly-bugs, but..he is. And Wyatt thinks they are pretty neat to watch so I guess this is a new thing at our house. For those of you who have not heard, isopods are a niche little hobby. People keep them as pets and also raise them and sell them for others to either keep as pets or to put into their terrariums as “clean up crews” to help keep the terrarium healthy and clean. Billy plans to add our isopods, once they grow in number, to our lizard tanks and also sell them on the side. But first, the colonies needs to grow. He currently has three different kinds – and let me tell you, there are SO MANY different kinds. It is unbelievable how many! The prices range from very cheap to very expensive (not Billy’s, just in general). There is a type called the Rubber Ducky isopod, which generally costs $200 for 6. 6 roly poly bugs y’all! I guess I don’t have to understand, just accept that Billy is into this and if it makes him happy, it does me as well. Billy’s isopods are Dairy Cows, A. Gestroi, and his new ones, Panda Kings (The Herd, The Horde, and The Sleuth, as Billy refers to them). Frankly, as far as pets or a hobby goes, they are fairly easy to maintain. Just some dirt and wood and leaves and vegetable scraps, and a damp side and dry side. I also think there is a clay ball thing drainage layer too. I am not thrilled that right now they are living in my office, but we are still working on the best spot for them to permanently live.

And, I think I will leave off here! My coffee cup is empty and I should probably get ready to start our school day! Have a good one everyone!