Damn You Cracker Barrel

The plan for our drive to Pensacola Beach, FL for vacation was broken into two drives. The first leg to New Iberia, LA to stay the night with family before making the final leg to the beach.

Halfway on the first leg is a Cracker Barrel we frequently stop at when making the drive to Louisiana. We timed it perfectly, just before the lunch rush, headed into the bathrooms and then out to get a table. But to get to anything at Cracker Barrel you have to maneuver through the “country store.” The evil, toddler tantalizing “country store” that required the twins to touch everything they could get their hands on and burst into tears when we headed to our table for lunch. Although I hate being one of those parents that buys naughty children toys when they cry, I understand it reinforces a negative behavior, but frankly I just wanted some iced tea, a chicken sandwich and a little piece and quiet while we tried to eat. So I left bawling children at the table and dashed back to the country store for two light up airplane fans. Only $5 bucks each. A bargain to keep other tables from staring at us like we were torturing our children and ruining their lunch.

All was well, until it was time to leave and we had to brave the country store again. Connor made it, completely distracted by his light up plane, but that toy had lost it’s charm for Chloe. She started to cry and insisted she wanted a Scooby Doo toy instead. This time there was some really serious, outrageous crying. I didn’t buy her the Scooby Doo, but I did make the twin parent mistake of exchanging one of the airplanes for the Scooby Doo instead, meaning we had two different toys.

Nightmare. Now, not only did we have to listen to the cartoon voice repeating, “Scooby, Scooby, Doo” and the obnoxious Scooby laugh every time Chloe shook the toy, which was about every three seconds for an hour. We also has to listen to Connor cry that he wanted a Scooby Doo too.

They finally traded for a little bit, but not until Chloe took wicked pleasure in shaking Scooby Doo and taunting her brother while he cried and reached toward her for the toy.

We have all vowed never to go to Cracker Barrel again!