Dollywood and Splash Country

So, Friday night, May 25th, we packed up the car and left for East Tennessee. We stopped about halfway to spend the night and break up the drive. Saturday we only had another two hours to go and arrived at Dollywood. Andrew has been looking forward to this trip for weeks! I even had to print out a calendar for the month of May and cross off days as we counted down to departure. Anyway - we got no sleep at the hotel that Friday night and went straight to Dollywood when we arrived in town. We got a few hours of kid-friendly play in. We just stuck to the main kid area and let him ride those as much as he wanted. It was busy and he had to do a lot more waiting than last year.  I ran out of steam around 2:30, we left the park around 3:30 and checked into our resort hotel just after 4. (traffic was a nightmare!) The resort is super nice and we set andrews little tent on the floor in our bedroom. Sunday we got a late start because we actually all slept in!
  We hit up Dollywood again Sunday. We skipped the main kid section first and hit all the little ones that are spread around the park, as well as the boat ride we could all ride together. He also enjoyed a ropes obstacle course while daddy rode a new roller coaster. We did finish up our day at the main kid area before heading to eat and the hotel.

Monday we hit up the water park and it's a pleasant surprise to discover its not over chlorinated like the ones in nashville! woohoo! We started off in a little kiddy area that was very pleasant. Lots to climb on and lots of different ways to get sprayed by water works, and two slides. He went down the slide with daddy once, and then wanted to go by himself. Then when I took him on the second slide, he wanted to go by himself but the lifeguard said he might be too little so I went just a foot behind him. I'm so glad I did! Even though Ted was at the bottom (operating a camera though, not on catch duty), when Andrew went off the end of the slide, it appears as though he didn't put his feet down. It felt like forever before I got there even though it was just a few seconds. He went under and didn't come back up, so I came off the slide and scooped him up. He was fine, told me, "It's okay! in a slightly panicked voice." It was a good cautionary reminder for him to be careful with water - and he was cautious after that in a good way.   I'd say there were two highlights to today:  1) we were walking down a path to see what else the park had to offer and Andrew was just singing a song of his own. we get close to the next kiddy area and you could tell when Andrew noticed it. He stopped singing, big inhale of excitement and yelled, "I want to ride on THAT!!"  It was basically a huge fire-house themed playground with water spraying and squirting everywhere. a little overwhelming actually but he enjoyed it.   2) we introduced him to the wave pool. He did not like the waves as much as I thought he would. His reaction... grabbing every inner-tube he could and bringing it ashore. He tried picking up two at a time and almost started crying panicking "daddy! help me!"  ... he was trying to save the tubes from the waves!  He'd get some up on shore and then yell, "oh no! and run back in to save more."  We decided it might be best to go back to a kiddy land so as not to let him get too stressed out trying to save the tubes.
 We did ride a raft ride together. We had to climb a high tower of steps and wait for a while. There were a couple of teenagers in front of us in line. Andrew often wants to know people's names and my reply lately has been, 'you ask. just say excuse me, what's your name?' This time Andrew grabbed my hand and said, "mommy, can I ask 'excuse me what's your name to her?'" I told him to go ahead but he got too bashful. Not that she'd have heard him anyway, he was soft spoken and it's hard to hear there. Eventually it was our turn. The raft didn't really slosh from side to side much, nor did it spin though the guy who pushed us down made it spin at first, but it did go fast! I ended up facing backwards the entire time so I couldn't really see what was coming, I didn't like it. Ted and Andrew enjoyed it.

Tuesday we went to the water park expecting to only be there for two hours since the storm system was supposed to roll in at 12:30. It didn't roll in until 2:30 and even then it was pretty much just rain - but we were spent by then anyway.  The park wasn't very busy so we didn't have to wait long for things. We started off in the nice kiddy area and I hung out with Andrew while Ted went and did the adult rides. Andrew got cranky so I asked him if he needed to eat and all he wanted was a biscuit. Of course, all that we could find would be hamburgers or chicken tenders. He ate a few fries and a couple of bites of chicken and that did help him perk up a bit. Then he wanted to go to the wave pool. It was hard getting him out of that. I realized there is a section off to the side where the waves aren't overwhelming and he really enjoyed them then. He did try to save a couple of tubes but that was short lived. I sat in one and he tried to drag me out of the water too. He had fun, and one of the onsite photographers was in the pool and got a cute picture of him which of course i had to buy because who knows what we were getting with our camera. He smiled for that lady!  When we finally got him out of the wave pool, we stopped at the bathroom before heading to some rides. There were about ten kids in the bathroom at that time and I got so overwhelmed. We went potty and then he actually for the first time ever wanted to use the hand dryer without being scared of it! I explained how it worked and got his hands dry, and then we started to walk out. I guess he never heard me and stayed in and was using the towel dispenser to get a paper towel. There were kids everywhere, inside and out. I called and called and got no response and finally went back in and yanked his arm and pulled him out of the bathroom. That resulted in a near meltdown and he picked up the stroller and tipped it over which of course made things worse. I apologized and asked if I had scared him. He said yes and I apologized again over and over and explained that I was overwhelmed by all the people in there and it smelled like chemicals.. I just needed out and needed him to listen. He said, "okay."  I felt bad and needed a few minutes to regroup myself.  Ted was seeming to lose it too.
   Anyway, we worked our way over to a raft ride we could do together. We climbed up to the top and waited our turn. This raft ride was longer than the other one in the park, more turns and more sliding up the side of the tube too! I think I screamed twice!  Andrew LOVED it and wanted to ride it again and again.  I was a bit dizzy from the first run, so I let the guys go with other people two more times. Each time Andrew had a big smile on his face. He told me later that was his favorite ride. 
  After the raft ride we went to the overwhelming kiddy area. Andrew was having fun and when Ted needed a break I tried to step in. I followed Andrew up one set of stairs and had so much water dumped on my head by people above operating buckets and hoses that I couldn't even see. So I marched back down and out and hoped Andrew would do okay until Ted could get back.  A few minutes later I ended up with a bloody nose. Obviously that place and I did not mix.  I think after that we went back to the less overwhelming area and let Andrew play until it started to drizzle. He was finally willing to go down the water slides by himself again. Our new system was to have me go a couple of feet before him down the slide so I could just turn around and catch him when he got to the bottom. He loved that. The clouds moved in and it started to sprinkle so we decided to leave.  I'm glad we left when we did because when we got back to the hotel it really started raining with a little thunder and lightning too.
  I got a little too much sun on my tummy on Tuesday. I put some aloe and manuka honey on it and was sitting on the couch in the hotel. Andrew picked up a souvenir plate and asked what it was. Stupidly, we told him it was a frisbee (which it is but they used it as a plate first.) A minute later I was hit in the face with it being thrown as a frisbee. He was only about 4 feet away from me and it hit rather forcefully right across my eyes and nose. My glasses probably saved me from more damage but it definitely caused a lot of pain and days later it still hurts to touch anywhere around my nose, nevermind blow it or wipe it or try to put sunscreen on it. It swelled just a little bit but no major bruising - probably also thanks to the glasses taking the first impact. I just have a red line across it.
   Wednesday we wanted a leisurely day. We tried to find the playground at the hotel and missed the path because Andrew wanted to talk to the guy emptying trash into the bin and we ended up walking around the entire place without finding it. Then we ate breakfast at a local diner, went to a couple of local shops and then came home for a nap. One of the shops we went to was a tool accessory store. Andrew was asking what each tool was. Once he asked what the drill bits were and a man answered him. Then Andrew proceeded to tell the man what you use drill bits for! That they go in a drill and you put a hole in the wall and then you can put  a screw in the wall. It was interesting hearing him tell the man so enthusiastically.     
   Afterward we went to Dollywood. Three hours to closing. We primarily stayed at the kid carnival area where he could ride the busy bees, ducks, pigs, elephants, and a roller coaster, etc. After riding the roller coaster, they got off and Andrew started to follow Ted to the exit. Then Ted looked back around and Andrew was reaching across a ten foot drop to feel the wheels on the roller coaster! Eeks! The guys did get into the spinning tea cups for the first time which he actually enjoyed.  He rode the cars a few times and we rode the river raft.  We were going to get a painting made from all of our handprints but it was 18 minutes before park closing and she was supposed to start cleaning up in two minutes. So we went and finished at the cars. He rode once with Ted and then when I got in line with him... the cars broke down. The got it fixed and went ahead and let us ride, and two thirds of the way through our car stopped again. This time they made everyone get out of the cars and collected us all together and led us out.  Then instead of waiting in the crazy long line for the tram, we decided to walk the mile to the car. I think we still beat the tram. As soon as I buckle Andrew in his seat, though, he announces he needs to pee. Ted said I couldn't let him pee in the parking lot so he had to cork it. He did try.. but by the time we got out of the park he was getting distressed and started crying. That escalated into wailing. I told him as soon as we could get off the main road, he could pee and just to hang on, he was doing a good job. It sounded like he was in pain trying to hold it. The first road we saw we pulled off and I leaped out of the car and unbuckled him and dropped his shorts and he peed and peed and peed and peed and peed out the door into the grass.  He obviously felt so much better and was all calm again. Except now he was asking, "are we going home? are we going to the hotel? are we going to eat? .... " he was so worried about what we were doing next. It didn't matter what we told him he didn't stop asking.  We went to dinner and didn't get him to bed until after 9. (and he still got up at 6!)
  Thursday we had a leisurely morning. He watched Bob the Builder and we hung out in the hotel room. I tried to get some extra sleep. Around 11:30 we got him to go down for a nap so we can have a full afternoon of play. We went to the water park for a while. He stayed in the little kiddy area for a while before asking to "go see the waves."  He hung out there for a few rounds of waves. As soon as I dared get in thigh deep with my camera, the battery died. Then we worked our way over to the big tube ride. I wasn't feeling well so just those two went.. over and over and over again. Andrew LOVED that ride.  Then he saw the slides to other rides and really wanted to ride those but he wasn't near tall enough. We talked him into leaving Splash Country to go to Dollywood where we could do the hand print painting and get something to eat.
  we wait for a while for our turn to do the hand prints, then walk clear to the other side of the park to try out a new pizza place that had good reviews (not sure why - it was disgusting!) we stopped once to go potty, look inside a woodworking shop, and then for daddy to try out a game. It was one of those games where you use a mallet to hit a big button and see how strong you are. He almost made it to the top, 91 out of 100... then the guy saw Andrew and gave andrew a prize anyway. Andrew really wanted a turn so the guy gave him an inflatable hammer and Andrew took it and started hitting the button with it and watching to see if any of the lights light up on the game. So we now have an inflated hammer with scooby doo on it. :-P
  Friday we were beat. The people staying upstairs from us come in late and bang around so much, it's impossible to sleep for a while. Then Andrew has been getting up once a night to go potty. This morning he was up at 2:30 to pee, then woke me up a few  minutes later to tell me he forgot to wash his hands. I couldn't go back to sleep after that - and it's been a whole week with very little sleep. He woke up grouchy too so we just went to breakfast, hit a few shops, and went to the hotel for a nap. He woke up disagreeable from that too. So... we're packing it up to head home. We're done with this vacation.