Anything Better Than Penguins?
Not to Tommy… He loves penguin movies such as - “Happy Feet”, “Mr. Poppers Penguins”, and many others! But this past weekend, he loved the real penguins at Moody Gardens Aquarium!
From Crystal Beach to Galveston Island…
So, lets remember back to previous blogs… Tommy and his love for boats - NOT!!
Surprisingly enough he likes the Ferry! Now, let me clarify. When I say “like”, he likes to not get out of the vehicle! He also likes to roll down the window and watch for dolphins! Of course, I know that they are not dolphins, but is it really that important to convince him to call them a porpoise?!! LOL
So once again, we took a turn down Harbor Drive as Tommy continued to tell me “No” about the cruise ships! Heath and I started referring to them as “ship” instead of “boat”, but Tommy has quickly caught on to that play on words! Too smart for his own britches…
The Aquarium
I realize that many of you have probably visited the Galveston Aquarium or one similar… Visiting with your parents, or maybe you are the parent now and your visiting with your young family. How about as a youth group. However you have visited I would be willing to bet it was not the same as through the eyes of a special needs child. For Tommy, the penguins were the highlight. I know that because we did not see them just once (if you get my drift!!)
I have to say it is worth the money for the trip - Tommy hung on every “window” and that particular view into the ocean. At the same time, he was very cautious as to what was around the next turn. Some of those dark tunels caused him a little hesitation. We went early, which was a plus for him. The crowds were not bad until we were about ready to leave. We didn’t realize the timing but; when we arrived, we not only got to see the penguins but it was their scheduled feeding time. Tommy actually did well when the crowds gathered for this experience. Not really paying attention to what was going on around him, but affixed on what was behind the glass! If he could only tell me what he was thinking. I know he would amaze me with his thoughts!
Finding Nemo?
Yes, this was a mission! We found many Nemo’s and babies. We found Dori and Crush as well. It was a great day in the Ocean! We saw Mr. Ray as well and although Tommy loved looking at the many stingrays, he was not going to pet them.
The aquarium and I am sure many of the other exhibits of Moody Gardens are great family experiences. Thankful for my friend and I having the opportunity to spend some time together as well as watch Tommy through another adventure! Hope you enjoy the rest of the photos!
The secret of East Beach -
Since this was a holiday weekend, to say that the island was busy is an understatement. Our intentions to park on the Seawall and rent some chairs and an umbrella didn’t really pan out…there was “no room in the inn” so to speak! LOL We thought about just heading back to Crystal, but the ferry lines were really backed up at this time. We kept driving and found “East Beach”. It was great! Off the beaten path! Very family friendly. They did their best to accommodate us, finding the next available chairs for renting and they set up our umbrella as well. The sun was beaming, but the breeze and the water were great. We even got to enjoy the “blue water” on this trip. It was not the Caribbean, but for Galveston it was really pretty!
Just the weekends now…
School has started, but I hope that you and your family are able to get out and enjoy your weekends together. If you cant make it to the water, maybe set up the sprinkler or get out the bubbles. Tommy so enjoys completely covering the yard in bubbles. Whatever you do, relax and enjoy.
God Bless -
