JD's Journey: 17 years.... We could have missed the Rain, but we would have missed the DANCE!

Wow, what a day Saturday was! It took us all day Sunday to recover!

We did have the time of our life and danced in our own sweat!
Boy was it Hot! Hot as Texas!

JD had a wonderful time and enjoyed everything, even the crowds! As much as possible!

He does tend to stare back at people when they stare at him. :-)

(I imagine him saying..."Keep staring I might do a trick")! I really should have let JD wear that shirt, created by our friend MJ "Queen of SMA".

I will not hold back on this blog post and tell you what a wonderfully fun filled day we had for JD's 17th birthday. The storm did rage at times. Don't get me wrong, JD HAD A BLAST and KEPT DANCING! I think the "Sharks 3D" was his favorite! He loved the theater and 3D glasses. I couldn't stand the glasses! But by the time we got to the theater, I was already wanting to kill a piece of equipment. So the glasses didn't stand a chance.

The equipment we carry for JD is his "Life Support". He can not leave home with out it. All in all it is just a couple machines......but do we get to leave the house with just a couple of machines? NO!! I have to make sure we have a minimum TWO machines each and all the other crap that goes with the machines....and boy do we carry some crap!

The Rainforest was where we went first, the crowd was overwhelming for me and all they could do was stare at us. I can not stand having JD in a crowd in such close quarters, it's a distraction from what we are really there to see and do. I think we might have run over a few toes in the Rainforest! Maybe the crowd was overwhelmed with us? I'm sure the look of JD and his entourage must have been overwhelming for them?? (insert sarcasm) The Rainforest was full of activity and JD enjoyed all the animals of course! I knew he would! The Anaconda was his favorite there and maybe the monkeys.

We left the Rainforest and headed to the Aquarium, but by the time we entered the door the pulse/ox battery was already dead, thus the 2nd machine. Randy made his way back to the car for the 2nd machine. uuugh! which was the 2nd time to head back to get that machine because as we headed to Galveston down I-45 I realized I had forgot that machine back home on the charger. sooo Randy made his way back home to grab that machine. oh, double uuugh!!!

The Aquarium was wonderful, sharks are both my kids favorites! I so wanted JD to go thru the tunnel to see all the sharks swimming and he did. But what an experience that was...again I won't hold back.

We waited politely at the entrance of the tunnel while it was filled with people. There is a small bench all thru the tunnel so people can stop and sit. So while waiting to get JD thru, people behind us started to pile up....so we tried to push thru as best as we could without running over anyone's toes. Kids are so wonderful...it's the parents that need a lesson on how to act in public. There happen to be a very nice lady that worked for Moody Gardens and was so happy to explain to JD all the different sharks that were in the tank. But it was hard to really hear her because of all the excited kids in the tunnel with JD. She got down right beside JD and talked to him on his level as a 17 year old. Him and her talked about sharks and not about the distractions all around! And boy did JD talk to her, every time she asked him if he could see the shark she was pointing out those big brown eyes would shoot up with a yes answer and you could just see her heart melting with love. And the look on JD's face was "Wow, I think I would rather look at you then the sharks". I think all the guys were watching the nice lady and not the sharks! I didn't get her name and we didn't get a pic of her, but I do want to thank her for her time she spent with JD. He really enjoyed her company! Our time was cut short with her because someone in the tunnel decided it was a nice place to pass gas! (Yes!, I said someone cut ass in the tunnel!) Some couldn't help but laugh and some were very offended. Needless to say it was time for us to move on.

Off to the theater we go..."Sharks 3D" awaits!
BUT, as soon as we got to our seats the vent 6 hour battery sprint pack dies! which means I have about an hour to find an electrical source or another battery back-up(back in the car). uugh! So we take our chances and hope the battery last that full hour, so we can watch the 45 min show and head back to the car for battery exchange. It's now only 3:15pm and we are loosing battery juice left and right! Mama is needing a good stiff drink by now! Sharks 3D was Awesome and JD loved it! We can't wait to go back for another awesome show!
The trip back to the car was nothing you could ever imagine. The heat was unbearable and some a**hole decided he had to block the handicapped sidewalk so we had to drop JD off the curb to get to the car. I didn't get a pic of the a**holes truck, because I was so so mad, but of course JD was a good sport thru it all. Have you ever wished for someone to have a flat tire? Well, I have. The exchange of batteries was done but the weight on the chair was about 20 pounds extra with the 8 hour battery in place. Why can't they just make a 24 hour battery, it is "life support"! oh, triple uuugh!!!
5pm: next stop Palm Beach!

Palm Beach was wonderful! But by the time we got settled in with a cold beer for mama, JD was exhausted and if we would have sat still he would have went to sleep. So off we go again. Did I mention how smooth that cold beer went down? lol Next stop was the Discovery Pyramid and Bodies Reveled. It was a very small exhibit but was very educational. Amazing things to see, but no pictures allowed. Needless to say, we all were not really up for any educational material to stick with us. Being a homeschooling mommy, I did try to make the best of it. Did you know that if the human body were to use every muscle in the body at the same time, the human body would be capable of lifting 2 Tons!? Wow, I guess that's the only information that stuck with me....lol.
After the Discovery Pyramid we were trying to get to the Colonial Paddle-Boat to sail around Galveston Bay, but at 7:15 they were pulling off. Hated for JD to miss that, but we can't be in two places at once. Back to Palm Beach to enjoy Bands on the Sands for a little while longer and maybe the Fireworks show. Fireworks couldn't start quick enough, JD was done for the day. His chair was getting to him. I made him hold out til after 8 pm so we could light our SMA Candle in honor of all our SMA Warriors and Angels.

By 9pm still no fireworks...and by the look on his face (above), it was time to go! Packing up to get home is much easier then leaving. You throw everything in the car and worry about separating everything later. We were home, unloaded and JD in bed by 11:30pm.
Like I said earlier, it took us all day Sunday to recover. Talk about tired, we were!

What a day Saturday was! I wouldn't change it for world!
I sure hope JD had the time of his life!