Tears on the Treadmill

In early March, I entered into a weight loss challenge with my father, brother and husband. At week 4, I was down 11.4 pounds and I hit a couple of personal goals in the process. But, I feel like I still have a long way to go.

I would like to lose another 30 pounds to reach my goal, and yes I have 30 pounds to lose, which leads me to the theme of this post. I believe that throughout my life I was never fully confident about how my body or face looked. Yea, I act like I am super awesome and most of the time I believe that, but sometimes I feel less than awesome and unsatisfied with how my body looks or how I feel.

So, this is where the sappy stuff comes in ...

Today, I went to the local Y for my lunch break. I went on the treadmill to run/walk for a half hour. I just got back to the gym after a few years off, so it is more of a jog than a sprint. By the time 28 minutes had ticked down and the sweat was dripping from my forehead, the song switched to Lady Gaga's "Born this Way." I raised the speed of the treadmill to run and started to listen to the lyrics ...

"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are,
She said, 'Cause He made you perfect, babe,'
So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say ..."

As I mouthed along to the words, I felt myself starting to well up. I was running and crying, but not because I was in pain; it was because of the lyrics. The words were really resonating with me. I actually felt like Gaga was talking to me, which I think is the real point of her song. Weight loss isn't just a physical journey, it is an emotional one too. Ask anyone whose image in the mirror has been seriously altered. I've been there a few times in my life.

"I'm beautiful in my way,
'Cause God makes no mistakes,
I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way ..."

Since day one of the challenge, I've been trying hard to get healthy and lose weight. I've lost a chunk so far, but no matter how heavy I think I am or what size my jeans are, there are still people who love me and depend on me. And, I am still proud of myself for putting this initial effort forth. I can be my biggest champ or my biggest enemy. It's my choice.

"Don't hide yourself in regret,
Just love yourself and you're set,
I'm on the right track, baby,
I was born this way (Born this way) ..."

It's OK if I work my butt off and only lose 20 pounds. It's OK if I only go down one dress size. It is OK if I don't win the weight loss competition, but I won't stop trying, no matter my shape or size, this is me. Like it or not, I was born this way. 

Splashing Around at Great Wolf Lodge

We planned a family trip for January to drive up to the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Pennsylvania. Since the kids like splashing around, I thought they would love it. At the time of the trip, my kids were 4 1/2 and 1 1/2. Great Wolf was only two and a half hours away and the drive was rather easy. I remembered it well because it was also how I traveled to and from college.

On the way up, we stopped at the Red Robin that was about 10 minutes away for lunch. We met Carrie, Dan and Christian there. After the kids smacked us around with their free balloons that I unfortunately gave them before lunch instead of after, TK, the kids and I stopped at Giant for some groceries. I needed to get milk, bananas and frozen pancakes for the kids. I knew we would end up eating breakfast in the room, so I wanted to make sure I had something for them that could be microwaved and stored in the small refrigerator.

When we got to the resort, TK dropped me off to check in. There was no line, so I walked right up, got our bracelets and headed back out to get the bags. Luckily, they have little carts that you can pile your bags on to get them to your room much easier and quicker. The receptionist even gave us little wolf ears for the kids, so they put them on immediately and started howling.

Our room was a standard room with two double beds and a pull-out couch. We also asked for a pack-n-play for my daughter. I brought her sheets and a blanket from home. We knew our son would just sleep with one of us every night, so I only brought a blanket from home for him. Carrie and Dan got the Wolf Den room with a king bed and bunk beds in a little cove in the room. It even had a little television for Christian. The kids had a great time jumping around in there. It was really cute, but I didn't reserve that type of room because my children are daredevils and I didn't want to spend the weekend in the hospital.

When we unpacked, we took a quick walk to see the water park and amenities. It was wonderful to have our room on the same floor as the water park. It did get a little loud at night with kids running back and forth, but my kids sleep through almost anything, so I wasn't worried. Kids were playing a game with magic wands that had certain interactive stations around the resort. We didn't let Jackson play because he was still too little to run around the resort and it could get really expensive.

The water park had a section for little ones, another section for not-so-little ones, an indoor pool and big slides for big kids like us. We spent most of our time in the toddler section because Jackson and Christian loved going down the slides by themselves and Addison just liked standing in the water and pointing at the woodland characters that decorated the water park. I brought Jackson his life vest from home, so he was able to go from slide to slide with no issues. When we went in the pool, he did a great job floating and trying to swim. He pretty much loved every minute of Great Wolf.

At certain times of the day, the adults would break off into groups of two so we could enjoy the big slides. I screamed my head off and loved how fast some of them were. There was a nice variety of slides and we rode them in groups, so it was a great bonding experience. By Sunday, Paul, Kerri, PJ and Jenna arrived and we had more folks to ride the slides with.

For lunch, we brought food from the room to the tables that surrounded the water park. I ended up buying macaroni and cheese from the for my kids because they were inhaling the mac & cheese microwavable cups that I brought from home. I also had to buy a refillable cup and a soft pretzel. If there is a pretzel on the menu, I have to try it.

Our trip was for four days, so by day three, TK got bored watching Jackson go down the slides a million times, so we hit The Crossings Premium Outlets. We shopped at Under Armour, Converse, The North Face and Nike, but not before we hit Sonic for lunch. We find a Sonic during every road trip because who doesn't like shakes and burgers? I mean, there are no diets on vacation. The outlets were pretty empty too because it was a rainy Monday afternoon when we went shopping.

After Carrie, Dan and Christian left, we looked for some stuff to do that didn't include the water park. So, we went mini bowling and I took the kids to the souvenir shop to pick out one item each. We also had dinner at the buffet, which was completely empty. The food was OK, but there wasn't anything I especially liked. At the end of the night, we changed the kids into their pajamas for the dance party in the lobby. Jackson hated that, but Addison loved it. After Addison got bored, we headed back to the room. We were leaving the next day, so I went down to the pizza place to buy a bottle of wine to relax with and they even gave me a corkscrew to open it ... that I could keep.

We had a great time at Great Wolf Lodge and the surrounding area. We hope to make this an annual trip or a biannual trip because the kids had so much fun. Next time, I am bringing my own wine.

Things to know:

• The refrigerator is a good size, so you should bring food with you.
• The food on site is not great, so consider the surrounding restaurants for meals. 
• Pack n Plays are available for the little ones. 
• If your kid needs one, bring a life vest because they were abundantly available at some points and at some points folks had to search for the size they needed.  
• Laundry rooms are available and to use a dryer, it's a quarter. The washing machines cost more.
• There are no clotheslines in the bathrooms, so bring quarters.
• The staff is very accommodating, so if you need something, just ask.
• The Crossings Premium Outlets are close, so are Red Robin, Sonic, Longhorn Steakhouse, Chili's, Wendy's, Moe's and DQ.
• There is a Starbucks on site, but they don't have the same menu as other locations, so there are no breakfast sandwiches. 

Childless in Baltimore

Crab Dip Pretzel

In April, my husband and I took a road trip to Baltimore, Maryland to spend a long weekend together, and we left the kids with my parents. We left on a Thursday morning and I drove the entire time until we got to the hotel, and I sang 90s hip hop the whole way.

Our trip began at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor. When we checked in, our room was ready because we upgraded to a room with a better view. We could see all of Inner Harbor and the water out our window. We were starving, so we headed out toward Camden Yards. We stopped at Pratt Street Ale House and checked out their menu. We each tried a beer from their Oliver Brewery craft beer menu and then we shared a PSA Pretzel. I had the Cherry Blossom Ale and he had a Dark Horse and a Creator/Destroyer. The PSA Pretzel was covered in crab dip, and I thought this was unique, but it seemed as if every restaurant we visited had a pretzel with crab dip on their menu. I was not complaining because I love Old Bay seasoning and soft pretzels, but it was a staple and it was yummy.

Camden Yards

Since we had tickets for a 1 p.m. tour at Camden Yards, we had to go. We took the nice, short walk down the street. The stadium is built down into the city and has Eutaw Street running adjacent to it. The area was so clean and the tour was great. We learned a lot about Camden Yards and ballparks in general, like the fact that home plate has to face away from the sun so that the sun is never in the batter's eyes. I did not know that prior to the tour.

Bucket of Mussels at Phillips

After the tour, we stopped into Dempsey's which is a bar/restaurant within the stadium. I tried the Dempsey's Old Bay Summer Ale and it did have the taste of Old Bay, but it wasn't bad. We also tried their Camden Tenders with honey mustard for dipping. That was a good and quick bite. After our short meal, we looked around their team shop and headed back to the hotel to change for a night out.

We freshened up and headed over to the water taxi. The walk to the taxi stop was short and it was only $8 to travel on the water. We were able to watch the sun start to set as we traveled along the water to Fells Point. Fells Point is a historical area that has a lot of bars, cafes and cobblestone streets. We started out at The Wharf Rat and chatted up the friendly bartender. Blue Point was actually on tap and we were pretty surprised to see that. We had one beer and then moved on to the next bar, Max's. We heard good things about Max's. Their list of beers is extensive, so we sat at the bar for a while. First we ordered a couple pints and then we moved on to tasting glasses after we met some folks who told us that the mini glasses were a better way to get through the menu. I ordered sliders to get some food in my belly, and we headed out to The Horse You Came in On, a bar dedicated to whiskey. I am not a whiskey drinker, so I had a Hard Root Beer. Then, we stopped at one more bar, hopped in a cab and called it a night.

Beer Menu at Max's

The next day, we started out with lunch at Phillips Seafood. I had a New England Clam Chowder and a bucket of mussels. Since the aquarium was $40 per person and we don't go to the movies that often together and we don't go to the movies that often, we walked down to Harbor East and found the Landmark Harbor East Cinema. I knew we were getting close when I smelled the popcorn. Harbor East is a really nice area to shop and walk around too. There were several small cafes and shops, like J. Crew and White House Black Market. After seeing Batman vs. Superman, I would have liked to shop and walk around a little, but we had to head back for our reservation.

We had a reservation to take the B'More TGIF Cruise around the Harbor. We purchased a couple of beers for each of us beforehand, so we had tickets to hand in for them when we got onboard. It was a very relaxing cruise and we learned a little bit about the area as we floated along. When we got off the boat, we were starving, so we headed over to M&S Grill, a McCormick & Schmick's restaurant, which we love. I had Maryland Crab Soup and TK had Lobster Bisque. They were very good. Then, I had the Baked Stuffed Shrimp and he had the Sirloin. We were both very happy, and full.

Harbor East

Saturday started with us going for a drive to Target to get some things for our trip back on Sunday and lunch at Canton Dockside. My meal started with the Crab Bisque En Croute. It looked like a French Onion Soup, but instead of cheese, it was bread dough with Crab Bisque underneath. It was good and interesting, but by the time my Crab Cake Sandwich came, I was stuffed. On our way back to the hotel, we hit a lot of traffic. The light system is awful in Baltimore.

When we finally got back to the room, we dropped all of our stuff off, changed our clothes and headed out to the many bars that lined the water. We started at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. and had apps and drinks. We then moved on to Hard Rock Cafe and Dick's Last Resort. Everything was in walking distance of our hotel, so we enjoyed our last hurrah in Baltimore. When we returned to the hotel, I went up to the top floor to check out the pool area. There was a fire pit up there and a family had purchase the s'mores kit from the front desk and were enjoying their treat.

Crab Bisque En Croute

On Sunday, we drove home until we came upon a Cracker Barrel that wasn't completely packed and enjoyed breakfast, and a little shopping, of course. Cracker Barrel is always a must on a road trip. We had to make sure to buy my mom a Cracker Barrel gift card because we share a LOVE for that place.

Our weekend in Baltimore was great, but we have to get back and try all of the places that we missed, including Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, the Rusty Scupper, Potbelly Sandwiches and Bo Brooks. Next time, we may even take the kids. Maybe ...

Food Trucks in Inner Harbor

2016 Trip Report: Day 7 - Savannah

Friday, July 29

When we awoke, Dad had to work, so we had to wait for him to finish before we could leave. So, after I showered, I went down to the car to pack it up with my cousin Georgie, TK and my brother.

All of our duffel bags had to go on top of the car and all of the stuff we needed for the ride had to go in the trunk and in between the seats. Aunt Rosie and Uncle George were staying later than us, so they came out to say goodbye and we tried to go to IHOP to eat breakfast, but the wait was too long. We got on the road and stopped at Wendy's a few minutes down the road.

When we got to Savannah, we checked into Homewood Suites and it was a gorgeous hotel. The lobby was modern and the staff were all very kind. We had a suite, so we were all in the same room. I called down for a pack n play for Addison and they came right up with it. All I had on me was one single dollar bill, so that's what I gave the guy and I still feel guilty about it. He probably cursed me in the elevator.

My dad had to finish working, so we left without him and headed down to walk around the riverfront. We walked down River Street and stopped at a few stores. I bought one of those metal wind chimes, that don't actually chime, so I don't know what it is really called. I also bought a boat ornament because I always buy an ornament for our tree in each place we go and write the year on it before hanging it on the tree. It's better than buying a mug or a pint glass; we lost the room for those long ago.

The cobblestone streets were busy and there were boats drifting by as we walked. We went into The Peanut Shop and Savannah Candy Kitchen where they were passing out free samples of pecan pralines and salt water taffy. The pralines were delicious and so buttery. The pralines were made famous at this shop, but that was the first time I tasted them. You can watch them make the candy right in front of you. And, after the salt water taffy is wrapped, it goes onto a conveyor belt and falls right into the shelf where it will be sold. It was a very cool system to watch.

My brother and TK were trying to find a place where they could get a beer, so they kept disappearing. They found out that all of the bars and restaurants on River Street closed at 11 p.m. I thought that was pretty interesting.

After walking to a certain point and turning back around to take pictures on the other side of the street, we met up with Dad and then headed into Boar's Head Grill & Tavern for our dinner reservation. We were early, but they said they could accommodate us and they definitely did. They even found a place for our double stroller and offered to rinse out Addison's sippy cup when they saw me on the way to the bathroom with it. I had a Terrapin Watermelon Gose, a She Crab Soup and Low Country Shrimp and Grits. All of it was delicious, including the Barbecued Shrimp that TK ordered as an appetizer.

Aunt Janice told us about a famous ice cream place called Leopold's when we saw her at the beginning of our trip, so we went there after dinner. When we arrived, the line was out the door, so we got on it. It didn't take long to get in the door, but it did take a little bit to get our order. Everyone loved their ice cream and I got a shake. We ate our dessert as we walked back to the hotel because we knew that we had to get up and go in the morning after our free breakfast.

I will spare you from the details of our extended ride home and hospital visit upon walking in the door, but our vacation was great up until then and there were many great memories made and wonderful photographs taken. We can't wait until our next family trip. 

2016 Trip Report: Day 6 - Swimming and Puerto Rican Food

Thursday, July 28

We went to Shipwreck Island again and Jackson put on his life jacket and went right in to spend most of the day on the slides. Again, his only break was for lunch and it was because we forced him out to eat grilled cheese. 

I went down all three water slides. One was enclosed, one was open and the other was steep. They were all great, and my brother and Uncle George joined me on two of the three. The steep one made my bathing suit go up into my body cavity, but I was able to regroup before I stood up. Addison enjoyed herself in the water and took a nap on my mom at one point. We left at 3 p.m. to go back to the room and said goodbye to Aunt Marie, Aunt Annie, Jelly and Bianca. They were driving back to Spring Hill, Florida. 

Aunt Rosie wasn't feeling well, so we waited for Georgie to come out after work. When he did, we headed out to Puerto Rico's Cafe without Aunt Rosie and Uncle George, but we made sure to bring them back food. Puerto Rico's Cafe isn't in the best area, but the food is great and the service is just as good. We enjoyed our delicious dinner and Jackson ate his first Cheese Empanada. TK and I both had Mofungo.

When we got back to the room, Addison had fallen asleep in the car, so TK, my brother and I went to Target for road trip supplies and some dessert. We picked up cupcakes with Star Wars rings on them, Magnum ice cream bars and eclairs. One of the eclairs was a Peanut Butter Eclair ... from Target. What?

We ate our desserts and made sure all of our clothes were packed before finally going to bed.

2016 Trip Report: Day 5 - Let's Go See Some Animals

Wednesday, July 27

We got up nice and early to go get breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Of course, I bought some little things for Addison in the store. I cannot resist. Cracker Barrel's store always has the best stuff. It ranges from old timey candy to ruffly Easter dresses for little girls. I love it and it runs in the family because my mom always spends some money there too. We have been buying her Cracker Barrel gift cards so she doesn't have to spend her own money there anymore. 

After eating, we all piled back into the car to head out to Melbourne to go to the Brevard Zoo. It took about an hour to get there, so I sat in the trunk and read Inferno on the way. When we got there, it was HOT. I know you're like, "It's Florida in the middle of July, so yea it's hot." But, honestly, it was 93 degrees up in New York, where we came from, and I've been to Vegas in July, so I know hot. This was humid and we were at a zoo so the vegetation just emits heat.

I was able to use my AAA card to get a discount on tickets and we got a map of where to go. The whole zoo was a big loop, so we started to the right and eventually got to the giraffe feeding. Uncle George bought a few leaves of lettuce and Jackson took one and turned right around to feed it to the giraffe whose big head was resting on the fence right next to him. He wasn't the least bit afraid, but Addison wouldn't even hold the lettuce, so Jax got to feed the giraffe a second piece. 

We walked around and saw rhinoceros, lemurs, crocodiles, fish, macaws, monkeys, kangaroos, jaguars and a bunch of other animals. At the halfway point, there was a little restaurant and I got myself a watermelon slushie and got TK a root beer float. On the way out, we found the splash park for kids and I let Jackson go in with his shorts on and Addison went in with her romper on. I just changed them before they got in the car. Jackson had fun with the other little kids and Addison crawled around in the warm water. I am sure it wasn't very refreshing, but they had a good time. 

After we took the hour-long ride back to the hotel, we all got dressed and headed out to dinner at Cici's Pizza. We had BOGO coupons, so that was the cheapest dinner all week, by far. They had a lot of different pizzas and those hot cinnamon rolls never disappoint. 

We decided to go back to Disney Springs so we could shop again and see more of the new area, including The Landing which was a new series of shops and restaurants. My brother came with TK, the kids and me over to what was the West Side. We hit the Star Wars store, the Marvel store and then Sunglass Hut so TK could get his sunglasses tightened. Then, we made a pit stop at Raglan Road for a beer to go. While we waited for our beer, we got to see some Irish step dancers perform and that is always pretty cool. We walked back to the Lego store to meet the rest of our family and Jackson and Addison were able to get a couple of things. On the way out, we stopped in Uniqlo and Under Armour. I didn't buy anything again, but TK got some UA items. 

When we got back to the room, TK, my brother and Uncle George headed out to the sports bar, Drafts. I waited for my dad and then we walked over. We had a couple of beers and talked until 11:30. We all walked back to the room and I tried to move Jackson to our room, but he refused to sleep with anyone but Nonna, so we let him so he wouldn't wake his sister. TK and I had our beds to ourselves and fell asleep rather quickly. 

2016 Trip Report: Day 4 - Water and Food (What's Better?)

Tuesday, July 26
On what was probably the most relaxing day of our trip, we headed down to the Shipwreck Island again, but this time, we decided to stay on the bottom deck where there was a zero entry pool with spraying palm trees and slides for the kids. The deepest the water got was like four feet.

Jackson wasn't interested in going in, but I put his life jacket on, picked him up and took him in with me to force the issue. I knew he liked to splash around and that he would love it after he actually loosened up a little. Well, I was right because I could not get him off those slides. He said he wanted to go down them a million times. He only got out to eat lunch and by the end of our time there, he was jumping in to TK off the side. He was even doggy paddling by himself. Addison was also having a great time in the shallow end and then swimming from one of us to the other.

The bottom deck also had a quick service restaurant and a bar. We had lunch there and the portions were huge, and our order was also huge. I had a giant cheeseburger and got myself a refillable mug of beer from the bar. I was able to refill my cup anywhere in the resort for $6. Addison was napping while we ate.

Back at the room, we got ready and Jackson and TK took a nap so they both could be in a good mood. I took a walk with my parents and Uncle George with Addison in her carrier on me. We saw the market, the bar and the ice cream/coffee shop. They sold Hershey's Ice Cream and Starbucks Coffee. Addison ended up falling asleep when we sat down to drink the beverages we bought.

When we got back to the room, we waited for everyone to get ready and I went out to the balcony to read my book, Inferno by Dan Brown. I think I ended up closing my eyes and dozing off.

For dinner, we headed out to Texas Roadhouse because we heard it was good and a lot of fun. We heard right. The wait staff was line dancing and they played country music the whole time. They had peanuts on the table and they served warm rolls with cinnamon butter. I had a 6 oz. steak, rice, shrimp and two $4 margaritas. It was a lot of fun.

When we got back to the room, we went down to my aunt and uncle's room because we had desserts left over from two nights before. I was able to see the fireworks again from the balcony. At that point, my dad and uncle left to go get my brother at the airport. The rest of us went to bed.

2016 Trip Report:Day 3 - Water and Disney Springs

Monday, July 25
We woke up and headed over to the resort's water park, Shipwreck Island. We got there before the park opened, so we had to wait outside for a few minutes.

When we finally got in, we headed up the stairs to the second level. There was a huge splash pad with a pirate ship and slides. The whole area was surrounded by a lazy river. Addison liked the little sprayers and Jackson wasn't interested in all of the water going every which way, including into his face. We nudged him down a slide and he hated every minute of it. We decided to try again another day with him. All of the tubes for the lazy river were gone, so I walked around the river. Lazy, my butt. 

After splashing around for a while, we headed back to the room to eat the leftovers from the night before's Italian feast. Then, we showered and changed, and headed to Disney Springs. I was so excited to finally see the new area. First, we approached the parking garage and there was a sign that told us how many spots were open on each level. Amazing. When we parked and took the elevators to the entrance, the doors opened up and I was impressed, but I usually am when Disney is creating something new.

There was a beautiful fountain, Spanish-style architecture and a fantastic array of stores and restaurants. We walked around a little before dinner. There are a lot of new restaurants and shops, including Melissa, a shoe store that sells some Disney-themed merchandise. (What a beautiful name, right?) Of course, we had to visit the Lego store for Jackson. He used some of his Disney gift cards to buy Legos for himself. It was getting late, so we decided that we would come back at another time to shop.

Our dinner reservation was at 4:15 p.m. at T-REX so I checked us in at the booth and waited in the gift shop for our name to be called. It only took five minutes before they ushered us in the restaurant and over to the Ice Age Room. All of the rooms that we walked by looked really cool, like the Ocean Room with a huge octopus covering half of the room. From our room, we could see fossils, an animatronic Triceratops and a Pterodactyl. At first, Bianca was afraid of the dinosaurs, but she warmed up. Jackson loved all of it and was making faces and noises the whole time. Addison was afraid here and there, but mostly, she seemed a little confused and annoyed. I had the Tuna Tataki because I knew I would be getting dessert elsewhere a little later on.

When we were all stuffed, we went shopping in World of Disney, but I didn't find anything that I wanted. We went for ice cream at Ghirardelli and I ordered a sundae that I knew about, but wasn't on the menu. It was vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and a warm chocolate chip cookie at the bottom. They discontinued all of their peanut butter items, or I would have gotten the Gold Rush. Jackson was going to town on Dad's Cherry Vanilla cone. He was shoving his face in it and making a total mess, but he loved it, so I didn't care.

We hit Once Upon a Toy on the way out and TK and Jackson found the light sabers and Star Wars items. Soon, Jackson started to act out and we headed back to the room.

2016 Trip Report: Day 2 - Downtown Orlando

Sunday, July 24
We woke up and had breakfast in the room. After we got ready, we headed to downtown Orlando for the Orlando Farmers Market. All these years of traveling to Florida and we have never been to the actual city of Orlando. I've been to Orlando almost 20 times in my life, but my Orlando is either Kissimmee or Walt Disney World. It was nice to see more of the area and get an idea of where the locals hang out because they probably avoid the touristy areas as much as they can.

The Orlando Farmers Market was next to Lake Eola. We found a parking spot in a real estate agency's parking lot and walked a couple of blocks to the market. There were booths for baked goods, fresh fish, kale chips, Cuban food, lemonade, cake pops, cookies and many other offerings.

The first thing I bought was Sugar Cane Juice with Pineapple. It was sweet, refreshing and perfect on a hot day. Then, we bought cookies and took a look at the lake and the fountain in the center. It was a very nice area. We were told it was expensive to live in this region, but we decided that it couldn't be worse than some areas of Long Island. Jackson went to the playground and played for a little bit while Addison swung in the infant swing for a good 30 seconds. TK kept getting nervous that she was going to fall out.


We finished walking around the rest of the Farmers Market and bought snow cones, lemonade and pierogies. I told Paige that I was confused about boiled peanuts and wondered what the big deal was. Well, she bought a cup of them and let me taste one. It was kind of odd to eat a mushy peanut, but it really just tasted like a bean. It didn't taste anything like a nut, especially with the spices they add to them.

Everything we purchased was either really delicious or pretty good. We were satisfied with everything we tried. I love festivals, fairs and farmers markets, so I was perfectly happy walking around and discovering what everyone was selling. Even the fresh fish folks sold their wares out of a big wood boat. That was pretty cool!

After the Farmers Market, we decided to stay in downtown Orlando while everyone else went back to the hotel. Mom, Dad, TK, the kids and I walked around a little bit and then we ate a snack at Wildside Bar & Grill. I ordered shrimp, but they ran out of it, so I got Gator Bites. The waitress felt bad, so the restaurant comped my meal. I was surprised, but it was so nice of them. I don't think that had ever happened to me before.

We got back in the car and drove around a little bit to see more of the area. We drove aimlessly and didn't see much of the city, but we did see a lot of signs that said #OrlandoUnited or #OrlandoStrong. It was heartwarming to see the city really display their support in any way they could. 

While driving, we stumbled upon a neighborhood called Baldwin Point and it had gorgeous homes and parks. There was a big park called Blue Jacket Park that had everything a family would need in their neighborhood. I checked Zillow to see how much the homes were worth and they were a bit out of our budget. 

Our dinner reservation was at the Florida Mall, so we headed over there to do a little shopping before it was time for our meal. We walked around the entire mall and all I bought were two Funko Pops and then TK and I shared an iced tea from Teavana. Luckily, there was a snack place in the center of the mall that only sold children's snacks, so I bought Addison milk and got Jackson some juice boxes. The kids started to get grumpy, so we got back in the car. We bribed Jackson into taking a nap by telling him he would have Legos when he woke up. When he fell asleep, we went into Toys R Us and bought him Legos. (We were able to mention those Legos all throughout dinner too in order to control his behavior. )

When we got to our dinner reservation at Buca di Beppo, they showed us to the Pope room because our party was so large. In there, we met Aunt Annie, Aunt Marie, Jelly and Bianca. We had a party of 15 and that room was an elaborate production. In the center of the table was a bust of the Pope and it was mounted on a large, wood lazy Susan. The waiter used the lazy Susan all night to get beverages, food and plates to our party. I found it amusing. The food was served family-style and it was delicious. 

After dinner, Georgie, Paige and Garrett went home, and we headed to the hotel. We could see Epcot, Everest and Tower of Terror from the front door at the hotel. At around 9:35 p.m., we noticed that fireworks had started close to where we thought was Hollywood Studios. It went on for a little over 10 minutes and the fireworks were not like the fireworks we were used to seeing during Wishes or Illuminations. These were really cool and pretty new. I surmised that we were actually watching the new Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular and I love fireworks, so it was great to see them without the price of admission. I continued to watch them every night when I was at the hotel for 9:35 p.m.

2016 Trip Report: Day 1ish - Road Trippin'

Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23

This trip was meant to be a nice, long, relaxing vacation with an emphasis on family. No theme parks. No craziness, just fun and quality time.

As soon as my dad and TK got out of work, we were ready to get on the road. Addison (14-months-old) was already sleeping before we were even finished packing the car with our duffle bags. When we were all filed in, we stopped at Wendy's for a to-go dinner and hit the open road.

Mom started the driving and didn't stop until Virginia. In VA, TK, Jackson (4-years-old) and I got out to use the bathroom at some random diner that was open 24 hours. I got my dad some coffee and it was $3.20. My mom bought the same size coffee and they charged her $2.80. Huh?

TK drove from there and I guess I was asleep when they switched a second time from him to my dad. When we got into Georgia, I started to communicate with TK's cousin who we planned on meeting for breakfast in Savannah. When we got to Savannah, we met up at a Cracker Barrel with Aunt Janice, Dona, Matthew, Lauren and Nicholas. It was really nice to finally meet TK's cousin Dona and her children. We already love Aunt Janice and now I get to know more of our family and so do my children. We were so glad that the time was right.

From Savannah, TK drove and I sat in front with him until we reached our destination - Westgate Town Center in Kissimmee. We arrived at 3:30 p.m. and met Uncle George, Aunt Rosie, Georgie, Paige and Garrett in the lobby. Our rooms weren't ready yet, so we had to wait. When one of the rooms was ready, we all went there to wait instead. One of the staff members brought our room keys to us. Our room was two floors above my aunt and uncle's. We unpacked a little, which means I put my clothes in a drawer and threw the kids' Ziplocs in a drawer. Then, we headed out for dinner.

We chose Steak n Shake and that was a big mistake. It was messier than I remember and the food took for-ev-er. I am going to cross that one off the list for future trips. After dinner, Dad, Uncle George and I went to Super Target for food and supplies. When we got back it was super late, so everyone was either asleep or almost there and watching Zootopia. I took a shower and called it a day. 

A Disney Tragedy

When you pass through those arches, a strange feeling comes over you and you are excited and eager. If you've never been there, you don't know what I am talking about. But, if you have, you feel like for the next week, or however long you'll visit, all will be happy and wonderful and fun. You get there and you are in this happiness fog that comes with being in Walt Disney World. I know because I've been there 14 times. Disney is my happy place.

Image from the day that Walt Disney died.

If a lesson comes out of this awful tragedy, let it be this: Watch your kids. Keep them within arm's reach. It is wonderful Walt Disney World, but danger does lurk at every corner because that's a fact of life. 

I am not saying that these parents weren't being responsible because they were. They were close by and watching their children. I am just saying to still be careful with your kids, even at Disney. This tragedy could happen to anyone anywhere, which is why this blog post by Pebbles Thompson is completely relatable. She's so right in saying, "I am you." Tragic accidents happen every day and that is the true discomfort of parenthood. You worry about your children until the day you die. 

Cinderella Castle

When I took my son to Disney at 16-months-old, it was the first time I bought and made him wear a child harness. It was a little stuffed elephant backpack with a leash. I always looked down at them, but then my kid was a runner. He had two speeds, asleep and running. I couldn't explain stranger danger to a one year old. I couldn't even demand for him to stay near mommy and daddy. I first bought the wrist leash, but he cried and was annoyed by it. So, that night, I sent my husband and my cousin to Walmart to buy the harness. I gave in, and I was so relieved and happy that I did. I used it at Disney with crowds at their highest and my son was walking freely, but with a little blue elephant attached to him and attached to me. We traveled with my aunt, uncle and cousins, who were not used to caring for a toddler, so when my son was with them, he wore the harness. I felt much more comfortable and they kept him near and secure. It was Walt Disney World, but kids get lost, kidnapped or hurt every day in the real world, and I had to make sure it was not my kid. Yea, I got looks and laughs, but those people were not going to help me if I had to search for a missing toddler, would they? 

To this day, I still defend my decision to harness my kid at Disney, but I now have another child and if we go to a theme park, I will break out the harness for her too. It is a tool that I use to help me keep my kids under control and safe, especially at Walt Disney World. 

After this horrific tragedy, I read in all of my Disney groups how people were apprehensive about bringing their children to Disney. Don't be. It was a freak accident. Yea, it could happen to anyone, but as long as you learn from this incident, and I believe Disney also should, your child will stay safe and you will have the magical time you were promised as a guest. 

I am heartbroken for the family because I cannot fathom what they are going through and pray I never have to. They are in my family's thoughts and prayers, even though that is all we can offer. We never met them, but we hope they can find happiness again. 

What I Learned While on Vacation with a Wild Toddler and a Precious Infant

In December, we took a family vacation to Walt Disney World with both of our children (Jackson, 3 1/2; Addison, 7 months), my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin, his girlfriend and her son. This was Jackson's second trip and Addison's first.

One might think, "You brought an infant to Walt Disney World? Are you nuts?" The answer is no. But, I was nuts to bring my son. He was scared on the plane, so he had a tantrum and he had tantrums when he was tired at the end of the day. That was nightmarish.

So, I learned a few things:

1. Last time and this time, I shipped all of the baby/toddler supplies to the resort two weeks before via UPS. They held onto the box for us until we checked in. I had a bigger box of stuff this time because I added a child since last time, but it was still only $26. 
2. Use the carseat in the airplane if your child is afraid of flying or if you think they will be too rambunctious. The child will be strapped into their car seat safely and they are used to it. We were "that family" on the plane and that was pretty nerve wracking. They both ended up falling asleep 20 minutes in, but the first 10 minutes were the worst and I wish my son would have been restrained, safely of course. 
3. Fly on the first trip of the day. My children were so tired by the time they got on the plane that they slept for almost the entire flight. 
4. Let your children fly in pajamas. They will be comfortable and so will you. 
5. Go back to the resort in the middle of the day to take naps or just relax. You and your children will be refreshed and a lot less cranky.
6. Be careful what you charge on your Magic Band. I charged souvenirs and food, and when I got my bill, I was SHOCKED. How did I spend that much? Easy. 
7. Don't plan a park for each day. It's too much for everyone. Schedule some downtime between parks. 
8. If you have a double stroller, bring it. My son and my daughter enjoyed their time in the stroller and sometimes my son wanted to run around and would climb back in when he was tired. 
9. If you are dining at a Disney restaurant and don't see something on the kids menu that your kid will eat, ask for something they will eat. They will probably make it for you, if it's not something crazy. 
10. If you need to warm a bottle, ask the Disney wait staff for a cup of hot water. 
11. We had a lot of stuff in our stroller, so we made sure everything was in a backpack and a bag before we got on the bus. We were able to grab the bags and fold the stroller before inconveniencing anyone else at the bus stop. 
12. A carrier is great to have for when your baby falls asleep and you have to get on a ride or see a show. Your back will thank you. My cousin even had a turn wearing my daughter around Epcot. 
13. Our stroller was one that the rental companies have in their inventory, so we made sure to put our pirate bandana on the handlebar. We were able to notice it in a sea of other black double strollers. 
14. Travel with more people than just you and your husband. The more helpers the better. My mother is my children's caretaker, so Nonna is great to have on vacation. She knows my children's schedules like the back of her hand and they ABSOLUTELY love her. 
15. Bring an extra bag for all of the souvenirs you are going to bring home. We spent a lot of money on souvenirs and it showed. My husband and I shared a shoe bag, so we were able to bring another bag for all of the extras.

If you have any tips for traveling with your kids, let me know in the comments, even if your tip is to bring a bottle of wine for every day you are away. Whatever works. 

Trip Report Day 7: Knoxville Zoo and Mel's

Unfortunately, TK felt off from the feeding frenzy the night before, so he stayed at the resort and rested. The rest of us ate breakfast and headed out to the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, obviously. It was about 30 minutes away from Gatlinburg.

The price was very reasonable considering the price for admission to the Bronx Zoo and some theme parks. I believe I paid $20 for myself and another $17 for Jackson. Addison was free.

We started out the day in the children's section. Jackson tried to talk to a baby goat as he tapped it with a brush instead of brushing it. After I cleaned his hands of livestock bacteria, we entered the area with the little birds in it. My dad bought a few seed sticks for us to feed the birds. None of them were interested in the seed stick I was holding and Jackson hit one of the birds with his seed stick. I was actually surprised that we were not attacked by 60 miniature birds. I had to get out of there. They were pretty, but there were a lot of them and they outnumbered us.

When we all exited the little bird area, Jackson ran around a little area that allowed children to splash around, but he wasn't interested in getting wet. At the snack stand, we were able to buy him juice boxes. We thought it was wonderful that they made juice boxes so available for kids. Even the big theme parks mostly have milk jugs, apple juice in bottles or the worst option, soda. Juice boxes are so much more convenient for toddlers and their parents.

Next, we headed to look at turtles, snakes and lizards, and then inside the exhibit that enclosed spiders, mice and owls. I didn't love the animals in that enclosure (except the owls), but it was air-conditioned and I had to change my daughter's diaper, so we hung out with the rodents for a little bit. Afterward, we went over to the Red Panda exhibit and we could actually enter the habitat where they climbed above us. I figured they had really great insurance for that area. I had never been so close to an actual panda, red or otherwise.

Finally, we saw some elephants as we were walking over to eat lunch. They were also very close to us and we were able to see them in full view. Not many zoos allow for that. We ate lunch at a place called the Safari Grill and the burgers were pretty good, but the drink deal was a little odd. There was a huge drink for almost $6 and a very small one for $2. The huge one was refillable, but it resembled a bucket. I guess it's a great deal if you go to the zoo all the time, but we were heading back to New York the next day.

After lunch, we went over to their giraffe section. Jackson was able to feed leaves to one of them and I loved that he wasn't afraid at all. He stuck his hand right out and almost into the giraffe's mouth. The kind woman who was in charge of the feedings warned us that a giraffe's big head was more dangerous than its tongue or mouth.

The final stop of our day at the zoo was its splash park area. I changed Jackson into his bathing suit and followed him around as he ran through the sprayers and sprinklers. He was having a blast and I don't think he stopped moving the entire time. I took a break from watching him run in circles to change a poop diaper, but when I got back, we told him that we had to leave. He shockingly agreed and changed his clothes with no problem. What?

My mother and I agreed, the Knoxville Zoo was a great place to bring children. Every exhibit and attraction was geared toward children and there was something they could do to keep them busy all day. If I lived in Knoxville, I would have a membership and visit a few times a month.

We packed up the car and headed back to Gatlinburg. The kids were asleep in 10 minutes. Ahhh, silence. We stopped at the Tanger Outlets on our way and TK met us because he was feeling better. I did a little shopping at The North Face Outlet and purchased matching fleeces for Addison and me. At the Disney Store Outlet, we purchased Jackson's Ironman Halloween costume and some clothes and toys for Addison. We also stopped at Lil Dolly's to see if they had any christening dresses for Addison. No dice, but if she wanted an outfit for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue to play the washboard, she would be all set.

For the final night in Tennessee, we ate at Mel's Diner. My dad loves it and the menu has reasonably priced comfort food. I had a wonderful Chocolate Shake with my meal and I love that. It was a great, casual family meal to end the vacation.

Trip Report Day 6: Mom's 60th Birthday and the OGO

I woke up and gave my mother her gift because it was her 60th birthday. We bought her a necklace that says Nonna in the center and has a ring around it that says Jackson and Addison, and their birthstones hang from the chain as well. She said she loved it. Score!

Mom and Dad inside the OGO

This day was all about what Mom wanted to do for her big day. We started at the Outdoor Gravity Park, which we previously knew as Zorb five years ago. Five of us changed into bathing suits and took the van up to the top of the hill. TK and I hopped in the first ball, so we could get down first and I could start taking pictures. We took a video inside the ball and I laughed the entire time, and swallowed a little water. When we got to the bottom, we were soaked and I grabbed my camera to take photos of my parents as they made their way down. When they got out, the smile on my mom's face was priceless. She had a blast. Uncle George was the next to come down and he made his way down zigzag course. He had a great time too.

After our great trip down the hill, we went back to the room so my dad could change. He only decided to participate last minute. We headed over to downtown Gatlinburg so we could stroll around. Our first stop was the Sugarlands Distillery so we could pick up the moonshine my cousin requested. We ended up sampling some and this time, I was smart and skipped all the ones that would burn my esophagus. After some miniature cups of , we went to get lunch at Dick's Last Resort and had a ton of laughs because the wait staff made fun of us the whole time. I thought they would be rude and I would get annoyed, but they were pretty funny.

We walked off our lunch afterward and headed over to Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine to purchase the moonshine and t-shirts we had seen earlier in the week. I got a red shirt and made sure we bought Shine Nog, which I am saving it until Christmas because it will be a good replacement for my beloved egg nog. There was a bluegrass band playing in the courtyard, so we sat and listened to them for a little while. My dad even bought their CDs. They were very good and my kids love bluegrass.

Of course, our walk in downtown Gatlinburg led to The Donut Friar. Five years ago, we were introduced to the fresh and delicious donuts that they craft in their ovens. We each ate a donut of our choice and then made sure to take some back to the hotel. The Village Shops, where the Donut Friar is located, are adorable and sell some pretty great things, like neck pads with cherry pits in them, educational toys, German beer and hot sauce.

With delicious donuts in tow, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. We were having a celebratory dinner for my mother's birthday at Paula Deen's Family Kitchen at The Island. The food was family-style, so we all shared in the southern goodness of Fried Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie, Macaroni and Cheese and Butter Cake, among others. When we headed out of the restaurant, the fountain was dancing again, and so was Jackson. We did a little laughing and then headed back to the hotel.

Trip Report Day 5: Whitewater Rafting and Harpoon Harry's

We woke up, ate breakfast and got our gear on for whitewater rafting. The location was 45 minutes away, so we had to get on the road. Our reservation was for 11:30 a.m. We drove for a while and past some not so touristy spots in Tennessee until we got to the Smoky Mountain Outdoors headquarters.

When we got there, we checked in and were told to wait in an area with a lot of picnic tables. While we were waiting, my dad said, "I want a guide with a beard." So, when they tried to call our name (they could not pronounce it), we got assigned to Birdman and sure enough, he had a serious beard.

Birdman gave us our life jackets and helmets. Of course, my dad and Uncle George put the life jackets on wrong, so we had a quick laugh. We were given a brief overview of the paddle and how we should keep our hand over the T-grip or we could knock our neighbor's teeth out. I made sure my hand never left the handle of the paddle.

We all hopped on the bus and headed up the Pigeon River to where we would get our raft in the water. TK and my dad were assigned to the front of the boat because they were the strongest of us and I sat behind TK. We asked our guide why they called him Birdman. He told us that he has an African Gray and he used to take the bird to a lot of events. Eventually, people would say, "Hey, did you see that bird, man?" And, eventually Birdman stuck.

When we finally got in the water, I shoved my foot so far under the center and side of the raft, that they got numb at one point. I did NOT want to fall out of the boat and I didn't want to get yelled at for doing something wrong. I listened to Birdman instruct us on how to paddle and the directives he might shout out during our trip. During the ride down the river, there would be up to Class 4 rapids. I believe Class 6 is the highest.

As we traveled down the river, Birdman told us what each area was called. There was Microwave, Razor Blade, Tombstone, Rollercoaster, Accelerator and Powerhouse, to name a few. We also learned about some of the ecology and history of the River. Birdman said that after the whole life jacket debacle, he was nervous, but we all did great paddling and he didn't have to do much work at all or yell at us to keep our hands on our T-grips. We kicked butt!

At the end, we were able to jump in the water when it was calm and we were just drifting, so I did. The water was very refreshing. When Birdman pulled me back in the boat, I got really embarrassed because I flew right on top of him. Something embarrassing happens to me every time I do something adventurous. When I went ziplining in Hawaii, I almost knocked the guide off the platform with my butt and when we went zorbing, I tried to jump in the ball and my hips got stuck. That's just my way. I made sure to ask Birdman if that happens every time he pulls someone in the boat and he reassured me that it does. PHEW!

The trip lasted around two hours and we had a great time. I was able to check another item off of my life list. The only complaint I had was that Birdman never asked us our names ... I found that odd. I guess he didn't want to get to know us. That's too bad because we are pretty cool.

While we were driving back to the resort, we passed by the Bell Mason Jar factory and the Bush's Beans headquarters, factory and visitors' center in Dandridge, Tennessee. Too bad we didn't stop. I want to go there next time we visit because, honestly, I like beans. When we got to Pigeon Forge, we stopped at Arby's because we were all starving and we don't have one close to home. Also, my mother was not with us. She doesn't like Arby's.

When we got back to the resort, we showered and got ready to head out to Harpoon Harry's for dinner. It was pretty empty and the food was delicious. We had a nice quiet dinner with a few televisions to entertain us. I had a very refreshing beer and felt very relaxed afterward. We headed back to the resort and called it a night. 

Trip Report Day 4: Dollywood

We got up, got ready and headed over to breakfast at Shoney's. The waitress was not as smiley as we are accustomed to in Tennessee, but it was a hearty breakfast as we prepared for a full day at Dollywood. Unfortunately, I found a splinter in my finger and tried my hardest to get it out, but failed miserably and it was hurting a little. Everyone yelled at me to leave it alone, so I finally did.

After breakfast we made it over to Dollywood. We drove through the parking lot and saw no cars, so we were wondering if it was even open. Well, it was and it had the perfect amount of people ... practically none. I had bought the tickets online before we arrived in Tennessee, so I was all set with ours. Fortunately, Jackson and Addison were free.

Immediately after passing through the turnstiles, a sweet Dollywood employee overheard me asking about their baby care center and gave me directions to it. I headed right over to it and was able to change Addison quickly, quietly and cleanly. It was lovely. I love theme parks that care about moms with young children (Disney has them too). It really makes my life easier.

My mom took Addison and got directions to the first aid station, so I could get my splinter out. It was the first time I had ever visited a first aid station in a theme park. It was quick and painless, almost enjoyable.

Eventually, after caring for Addison and me, we finally were able to get on a ride and we chose Smoky Mountain River Rampage. Jackson was actually able to ride, but he was seriously afraid and only started to ease up after my mother and I got soaked. He didn't love the ride, but he visited the family clothing dryer with us to see if it could dry us up a little bit. It failed and we just looked like a group of idiots standing in a box. Unfortunately, a lot of attractions were closed because of the light crowd.

We decided to keep the ride action going and went over to the Rockin' Roadway. Jackson was able to ride on this too and he shared a car with TK. He kept reminding him to, "Go easy, Daddy. Go easy!" I rode in a car with my mom and tried to wave at them the whole time, but Jackson was too focused on having a calm ride that he didn't notice. He was done with rides after that and walked right by all of the children's rides. The adults rode Demolition Derby and gave each other whiplash, but we had a great time laughing. My dad and I got Jackson on the carousel and he cried the ENTIRE TIME. That was about as much fun as a root canal. After that, we gave up on rides for Jackson. Instead, my family spent $100 on all of the carnival games. They came out with a very expensive stuffed Minion and a giraffe, and a Florida Gators football.

For lunch, we went to Miss Lillian's Chicken House because we went to Aunt Granny's the last time we were there. The food was pretty tasty and I really do love that macaroni salad is a side dish in a lot of Tennessee restaurants. By this time, Addison was getting pretty cranky, so I walked her around until she fell asleep. Then, TK, Uncle George and I rode Blazing Fury, which wasn't all that exciting. It needs an upgrade. TK and I rode Firechaser Express and that was a lot of fun. It went forward and backward. As we walked out from Firechaser, TK tried his best to convince me to ride Wild Eagle. I watched it go around and it looked intense. I finally said yes and we got right on with no wait. I screamed the entire time and it was kind of cathartic to be able to scream at the top of my lungs. TK loved it and convinced Uncle George to ride it with him. It was one of the best rollercoasters that I've ever experienced.

When we were done with the rides, we looked for some snacks and headed toward the front of the park. I picked up some Peach Amaretto Pecan Honey Butter because the salesman was really good at his job and the honey butter was delicious. My aunt got her funnel cake, my dad got a float and TK got a sundae. There was an apple pie there that was 25 pounds and once slice was $18.99. It was monstrous. We made one last loop through the souvenir shop and then we were out. We had a long, tiring, yet really fun day.

Trip Report Day 3: Indoor Water Park and The Island

When we woke up, we all got our bathing suits on and headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and a little shopping since we bought my mother a gift card for her 60th birthday. They always have such cute baby items and seasonal decor. It is a fun place to shop and eat.

Afterward, we took a quick drive through downtown Gatlinburg and then headed to Wild Bear Falls within our resort. Wild Bear Falls is an indoor water park that we weren't able to visit the last time. We received passes for the entire week because my parents are Westgate timeshare owners. 

We had a great time splashing around. Jackson loved the kiddie area where he could run through sprinklers and splash down slides. In the kiddie area, the water was only ankle high and it was pretty warm, so it was really nice for the little ones. I was able to sit in the water with Addison and it barely covered her legs. Jackson went through the lazy river with us, after a little bit of a struggle. When Jackson needed to rest and Addison had to eat, TK and I went down the slide on a double tube and I laughed hysterically the whole time. One time, I went underwater and TK and the tube ended up on top of my head. It was a lot of fun and I swallowed a lot of water.

When Jackson was ready to play again, I took him over to the hot tub with my parents and uncle. He just sat at the edge and put his feet in. After we had our fill of the hot water, we went back to where we were set up and TK and I went up to the snack bar for drinks and a bite. Oddly, everything cost $5.49 each. Drinks? Pretzel Bites? Wine? $5.49. We left shortly after and headed back to the room to shower off. 

After we all were dressed and ready, we headed over to The Island in Pigeon Forge. There, we ate at Margaritaville. Most of us ordered margaritas and my mother even had a Bahama Mama. As we were leaving and I was getting Addison situated back in her stroller, I banged my head really hard on the staircase overhead. I saw stars and my teeth hurt; that's how hard I hit it. I had a bump for a few days. 

We walked around and visited a few shops throughout The Island. There were a variety of stores and we didn't actually buy anything, but we did buy Spaghetti Ice Cream from Poynor's Pommes Frites. It was so cool looking, but essentially, a tasty ice cream sundae. 

Included with the shops was Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine and we met Uncle George and Aunt Rosie for a tasting. Some of the flavors were brutal, but others were pretty smooth, especially the Shine Nog. We made sure to buy a bottle later in the week. 

Afterward, we watched the dancing fountains and went over to get a drink at Dick's Last Resort. The servers are supposed to belittle you, but we had a nice conversation with the bartender and a couple by the bar. We told my parents that we would meet them at 7:15 p.m. at the Margaritaville coffee shop, so we had to leave after one drink. We played cards again before bed.