Back in Michigan, fall was always a time of adventure for us. Our last year there, we took a cruise on the S.S. Badger for my birthday, then went camping for Halloween (and first started discussing living aboard–we thought we would move to Lake Michigan in 2 years!). In Texas, however, daily life has been adventure enough. We’ve been learning our way around Houston, and getting settled into a succession of new homes. Our only trip was visiting the cabin at Canyon Lake for Thanksgiving (which we will do again this year!).
But now that we’re living comfortably on the S/V Morning Mist, the adventure bug is biting us once again. Until recently, it had been 3 years since we’d cruised. We’re all thinking that it’s time to make life interesting again!
And interesting it will be. We have so much planned for October and November, that I’ve had to set up a Google calendar! We’re visiting San Antonio next weekend, and a highlight of our trip will be a special needs amusement park. After that, Rob and I are attending a moped rally in New Orleans. The week after Halloween, Beanie will have her first competitive cheer competition! And then it’s off to Canyon Lake two weeks later!
And all that excitement is in addition to our adventures this weekend and last weekend.
“Rockstars! Rockstars! Rah Rah Rah!”
Living in an urban area has had many advantages for us, and one of these advantages has been the number of “mommies'” groups available to join. I joined Moms of Galveston Country, which lead me to two other special needs groups on Facebook. It was through these groups that I first heard about Rockstar “Special Stars” Cheer.
Beanie has always had kind of a “cheerleader” personality, especially with her pigtails! So a free, special needs competitive cheer group seemed to be right up her ally. The group has kids ranging from age 8 to high school, so the older kids help keep an eye on their younger “buddies.”
From her first rehearsal, Beanie was in love! The parents get to watch the practices on monitors in the waiting room, and it is a delight to watch, as I get to know the other mommies. And don’t let the “special needs” part fool you–there are some talented tumblers in this group!
Beanie’s first performance with the Rockstars was last weekend, at the Down Syndrome walk in our town. They don’t have their uniforms yet, but their t-shirts coordinated.
The fun began with dancing, and of course Beanie attracted attention!
She immediately fell in with some local junior high cheerleaders.
Who let her borrow their pom poms!
Finally, the Rockstars had the stage.
Beanie gains some altitude as a part of their routine!
And this is my favorite picture of her cheering! It’s definitely a fun, low-pressure group, with some talented athletes!
Setting Sail Once Again
Grandma and Grandpa took Beanie home from the cheering event, and Rob and I headed over to the S/V Reprieve, three slips down from us.
My friend, Deanna, greeted me with a birthday bouquet. We piled onto their boat with two other couples.
We rounded Clear Lake Shores island.
And then the reason for my flowers was revealed, as we made our departure, past the Kemah Boardwalk.
The whole “flock” of sailboats was out on Galveston bay!
We were quite well-fed on our journey!
I was a little exhausted…
And while I was getting sunburned, this is what passed us…
Meanwhile, this is why I have blisters on my back…
And then I woke up in Galveston!
We arrived in Galveston in time for dinner (it was a 6-hour nap…I mean sail!). The marina we stayed at was near the Strand, which is the shopping/tourist district. So we walked into town, hit the shops (the three of us ladies bought $10 dresses!) and enjoyed dinner at a shrimp restaurant. Two of us had been wearing our bathing suits under our clothes, so we spontaneously jumped into the marina pool, before retiring to our various beds on the boat.
In the morning, we had some company in the marina.
We headed out at a leisurely pace, stopping for lunch and swimming at Red Fish Island.
Underway once again, there was no wind, so we motored back toward the bridge that led the way home.
It was a fun, wonderful trip, and now we’re eager to get our boat up and running, so that we can cruise next summer!
The Cardboard Challenge
This weekend, it was all about cardboard. Beanie had the opportunity to create something out of garbage, for her school’s “Cardboard Challenge.” She eagerly went to work on a Pokemon stage, which she displayed at school this morning.
Of course, Beanie’s favorite part was exploring the other creations! She spent a lot of time in the Tardis.
October has been a great month so far, and we look forward to sharing our upcoming fall adventures with you!