[MamaChinch]

Hi All !! Delaney and I just got back from our vacation to Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains! We had a great time visiting with our Russian Families and two other adoptive families I know, also Russia and Kaz.
We stayed with our friend near Nashville for a few days before heading to meet the other families in Gatlinburg. The kids got to swim, go to the Rain Forest Cafe, make a Build a Bear, and then we visited my friend and her little girl from Kaz for a cook-out (as you folks on the east coast say!).
When we got to the Smokeys, we had fun at the resort swimming and visting and going to Dollywood, where nothing went high enough or fast enough for Delaney, who was the youngest of the six kids! She'd be on a ride and ask if this thing went any faster!
We picniced in the mountains and got wet in the streams. And....finally...I got Delaney to pee in the woods! he he! She would not ever do it before, but we finally got her to do it one day, more out of nescessity on a hike, so that pic of her next to the stream is where she peed in the woods for the first time! Who would have thought that was an exciting part of the trip? he he!
We got back to Jane's and the girls had a tea party at a cottage restaurant and then we visited with another family who's kids are from the same BH. I tell you these kids together just pick up where they left off each year! I think they sense that connection and just know it's there...fighting and all! he he!
Well, just wanted to share a few pics, I'll have the rest up on the blog soon with the link to the photo gallery. I now need to go re-programme my child from being around some of those other children.....UGH!

[MamaChinch]

Here's some more, by the way, she had the cutest dress for the plane and a little one that matched for her dolly. Oh, and yes, I do believe my three year old is making some kind of gang sign in that tub photo! Yikes!

[kretzklan]

As always - a CUTIE! My kids are pushing for a Dollywood trip as the travel channel rated some of their water rides and roller coasters in the top ten in the country. We'll see how Disney goes in October.
I'm glad you had fun and it's SO cool that you get to see the others from her BH! Her hair is getting SO long!

[GCS]

Fun fun!!! Glad to hear you guys had a good trip and thanks for the pixs of your cutie!

[Mykidsmom]

I am glad you had a great vacation. I have loved the Great Smokey Mountain, even as a kid before Dollywood and other commercialization.

That is funny about the de-programming, even before kids I would say " You can take a perfectly good kid and put them with other kids and they change." I guess it is all part of the growing up process and figuring out who they are. Delaney is a cutie.

[bmarsicano]

Hi. Where in Gatlinburg did you stay? We're going next summer. I'm hoping you can give me some ideas of where and what to do. I love the pictures, especially in the cable car.

[MamaChinch]

Originally Posted by kretzklan

As always - a CUTIE! My kids are pushing for a Dollywood trip as the travel channel rated some of their water rides and roller coasters in the top ten in the country. We'll see how Disney goes in October.
I'm glad you had fun and it's SO cool that you get to see the others from her BH! Her hair is getting SO long!

Thanks, M. The wooden roller coaster was one of the best I have been on! It was fun! One of the other mom's and I went on it and left the kids with the dads! DeLaney LOVED the water ride she could go on and I have NEVER gotten as wet as I did on the other water ride! It was pretty fun!
I have not cut Delaney's hair since we have been home. And I started letting her bangs grow out earlier this year. But she cries bloody murder every time we brush. I might cut a few inches off soon...I just can't bear to cut off those curls at the ends, those are her baby curls!

[MamaChinch]

Originally Posted by bmarsicano

Hi. Where in Gatlinburg did you stay? We're going next summer. I'm hoping you can give me some ideas of where and what to do. I love the pictures, especially in the cable car.

Barbara ~ we planned to get a cabin, but changed at the last minute because they had said something abotu too many people and we needed to get a bigger one...anyway we stayed in Pigeon Forge, actually, at the River Stone resort. It is porbably one of the nicest places I have ever stayed. We ended up with two condos for the four families, and they had nice amenties. You can look it up one line. We were all very impressed and we got 20% off massages and facials the first day! Dads took the kids swimming and the four of us mom's went!
There is river rafting, horse back riding, hiking, plus all the flasy stuff, like mini golf, Dollywood and some of the game places with little rides in P.F. There's a huge Christmas store and in Gatlinburg ytou canshop, eat and ride the Sky Lift. You can also go tubing. We had a nice picnic one day and got wet in the stream. Watch out for where Little Missy peed! he he!

[MamaChinch]

Originally Posted by Mykidsmom

I am glad you had a great vacation. I have loved the Great Smokey Mountain, even as a kid before Dollywood and other commercialization.

That is funny about the de-programming, even before kids I would say " You can take a perfectly good kid and put them with other kids and they change." I guess it is all part of the growing up process and figuring out who they are. Delaney is a cutie.

OMG!!!! The last few days have been horrid! She has been just terrible since we got back! The other kids we were with were mouthy, whinny, and pouty, unrully, just to put it MILDLY! No one was disciplined for anything and I spent the entire time correcting and disciplining her!!! I felt like the awful Mom for constantly getting on her and I even had to say something to the other kids a few times, tactfully. I feel bad because it's not really her fault, she is three and all the other kids were older, although they acted much more immature than she usually does.
She was just bascially repeating what the other said and did, but it was much worse than I thought! I told my mom before that she was much better behaved than the others and I was afraid of what it would be like once we got home, but I had not idea it would be this bad! I am just beside myself right now and have spent the last few days disciplining her and she is on the verge of not attedning a birthday tomorrow.
How do I handle this? I dont' think she really understands. (sorry , just needed to vent!!!!)

[heikewould]

What a fun time it looks like you all had! How was Dollywood, I'm a huge fan!

[ophelia72]

Mama, it happens all the time! YOU ARE A GREAT MOM! Mind you I only know you through the forum but I have heard it from friends That whenever they are around other families its like the kid who is the best behaved has to be corrupted to fit in and then you are trying to undo it all it and start over. She'll remeber hang tough.
ANyway I wanted to thanks for sharing your pics. I am waiting for trip two with crisis mode in operation and I get my fix by looking at these pics knowing that you too had bumps in the road and yet you have your precious child home with you. I CAN NOT wait and yet I wait.
Thanks agian for sharing

[MamaChinch]

Thanks, T !!! She has actually been better last couple of days, but it sure was tough! More time outs than she's ever had and the other night I put her to bed from the dinner table at 7:15! I think she knows she can't get away with that stuff now although she gave it a good try! he he!
IT WILL HAPPEN SOON!!! I can not wait hear you got your court date!!!

Heike ~ Dollywood was really fun! More than I thought, I have always not been a "country/southern" fan, but we had a blast! Well, I got into a good mood when I found out Delaney was free! Fun rides, nice workers there. Funny, they were all older people, not teenagers like you typically see at a theme park. I also forgot how NICE everyone is in the south and especially to the kids. It was very refreshing!

[angelkisses0102]

What great pictures...she is so adorable. Sounds like a fun trip!

Sorry about the bad behaviors...pretty typical sadly. Hopefully she will be back to herself soon...DD picks up bad behaviors very easily...pair that with being a 'drama mama'...yikes!

[MamaChinch]

Luckily, my baby is back! She is still doing a couple things she wasn't doing before, but it's mostly back to normal. UGH! I was beside myself last week....those other kids got no discipline at all, she gets disclined for less!
Well, I know it's normal, just frustrating!

[Casey677]

Originally Posted by bmarsicano

Hi. Where in Gatlinburg did you stay? We're going next summer. I'm hoping you can give me some ideas of where and what to do. I love the pictures, especially in the cable car.

Not to intrude on the thread, but I cannot recommend the cabins at Jackson Mountain Homes strongly enough! We stayed there in August 06. I have not stayed at a hotel since. We have rented a house everywhere we have gone since because we were just too spoiled by JMH! The cabins were amazing!!!