Life with kids

Child rearing myth #1:

Labor ends when the baby is born.

- Author Unknown




There are two lasting bequests we can give our children:

One is roots,

The other is wings.

- Hodding Carter



You don't really understand Human Nature

unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round

will wave at her parents every time around -

and why her parents will always wave back.

- William D. Tammeus

We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children

that makes the heart too big for the

body.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous.

It is to decide forever to have your heart

go walking around outside your body.

- Elizabeth Stone

Mountain Farm Museum

This is a fun, kid friendly and educational hike. The kids and I enjoyed peeping in windows, smelling the flowers and checking out the farm animals of this rural homestead of the past. You will find this open-air museum full of buildings and gardens from about the 1900's. My family and I came away from our walk with a great understanding and respect for the heritage of our country and this region.

We saw how beautiful a simple, self- sufficient life was and still can be. The property included beegums, where families kept hives and produced honey for their own use and to sell. We also saw a beautiful kitchen garden and crop gardens. It was awe inspiring and gave me insight into my own kitchen garden. A chicken coup and a pig pen inspired awe in my children and we all were mesmerized by the sparkling, crystal clear creek that ran through the property.

Exploring the mountain farm made me wish for simpler times, a simpler life. Work was hard in those days and maybe didn't seem simple to those folks but I can't help but wish for just a bit of that life. I'd like to think that we have recreated a bit of this in our own home by growing and preserving some of our own food and buying local foods and products.

This was a great look into mountain life and life in general for rural families during the turn of the century. I loved it and the kids had a fun time as well. I can't wait to go back and see what it looks like in the fall.

Great Smoky Mountains Association

115 Park Headquarters Road

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

or

http://www.smokiesinformation.org/

for more information

Gatlinburg Tennessee

Last weekend my parents paid us a visit and kidnapped me and the kids and took us to one of my favorite tourist traps - Gatlinburg. I love this little city and all it's shops and attractions. It is a tourist trap to say the least but it is so pretty.

The Smoky Mountains are an oasis to the busy traffic, vendors and rides of this tiny city and usually we would spend our time there instead of down in the bustle of shops but not today.

Our first stop was at a little food vendor for a gyro and a slice of pizza for the kids. I couldn't recommend just one place they all are equally as good. There are food vendors, restaurants and every other type of candy, fudge, ice cream and whatever else you could imagine - fancy, down home, chain, foo foo you name it you can find it.

Our next stop was the sky lift and now my official favorite ride. You can see the whole world it seems from up there. It is a nice break from all the walking too and at the top there is a small gift shop, restroom and a food vendor. We hung out at the top for a while, I bought a nifty magnet for the fridge. The kids drank some water from the handy backpack I carry filled with cold (at the moment) water. We climbed back onto the lift and made our way back down.

The last stop we make before turning around and heading for the car is a local ice cream shop. I highly recommend NOT buying ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's but one of the local parlors there on the strip. They are all good and I can't beg enough to support the local ma and pa's there. There are several and I've been to three different parlors in my years and I can't choose which is better. Find one and choose your favorite - it's fun.

We say our final farewell to the strip by rubbing our hands all over the magically floating, turning ball of rock in front of one (of many, many) Ripley's Believe or Not Museum's or whatever you call em. LOVE IT! We spent the majority of the day walking in and out of shops tasting the food and for my kids and I we only spent about 15.00 - if Brandy had been there - 20.00. Self control is a must when walking down such streets lined with stores and goodies but it is possible to come out of tourist traps without being broke.

I love this one.