Reagan's 1st concert

We took Reagan to her first rock children's concert last weekend.  Can you guess who we saw?  Yep, the Imagination Movers, complete with a "backstage" pass to meet them in person and have her picture taken!  I wish I could tell you that she had a great time and was completely in awe of seeing her favorite peeps in person.  But, that's just not the way things work.  I could go through my usual list of excuses for her, like she was having stomach pain, there was too much sensory with the loud music and light show, or that she was tired from the cold she has been fighting for a week.  Or I could just sum it all up with two simple words, Rett Syndrome.

We got there right as the opening act (Cho Cho Soul) started playing.  Reagan looked really excited and was smiling.  They played for about 15 minutes and then there was a set change.  The Movers came on and she looked excited again but started to become visibly upset after about ten minutes.  We were able to keep the breakdown at bay for about another ten minutes before she lost it.  I really don't blame her, it was REALLY loud and bright.  We took her out of the concert and tried everything to calm her down.  Ironically the only thing that worked (and our last resort) was putting on her dvd of...the Imagination Movers.  She is too funny.  After the concert we went to the backstage gathering and the staff were great and understanding.  We explained that she has a disability and that she wasn't feeling well.  They put us in a special spot away from the crowd and we were up close when the Movers came out for their special performance.  Then they got us in the front of the line for pictures.  The Movers were so friendly and genuinely seemed appreciative of their fans.  These are good guys!

With all that being said, I am still *very* happy that we went to the show.  Of course I wish that Reagan's experience would have been more positive but we can only put those opportunities there for our children and make the best of the situation.  I am working hard on making my expectations more realistic and to be happy with the 20 minutes that she did enjoy herself.  Those 20 minutes makes it all worth it!

Reagan enjoying the show

This is towards the end of the final meltdown.  You can see completely misery all over her face (poor baby girl!).  You can also see the DVD playing the Movers for her while the guys are performing on stage in the background.

Private concert afterwards