Cracker Barrel Redemption & The Park

In past years we have had weekly lunches around town to decide who had the best kid's meals. (I don't remember who won... maybe DQ? Or was it McDonald's? We're very scientific around here.) We decided this year to instead try places around town that we don't normally go to. I gave each kid 2 slips of paper and they each wrote down their picks for places to go, and then we put them in our Goblet of Fire (saved from the last doughnut party) and will pull one out each week to determine where to go.

This week's pick? Cracker Barrel.

My kids have had a sordid history with Cracker Barrel. I don't know why. But each time we've been, since the time Spencer was little until just last year, the experience has been HORRIFIC. At least one child has thrown an epic tantrum or thrown food or just been all around naughty. You get the idea. So why in the world would we put this place on our list? Because I decided it was time to break the curse!

Also, I really like pancakes.

On the way to meet Lance for lunch I lectured the kids about what kind of behavior I expected. No yelling or screaming. No meltdowns. No fighting. NO. PROBLEMS. You'd have thought we were going to a 5 star restaurant; not one that sells rocking chairs from the front porch.

Then I had a mini meltdown/tantrum of my own because I discovered on the way that yet ANOTHER road in town is closed for construction. Seriously, Lafayette and West Lafayette are awash with orange barrels and "road closed" signs. It's driving me batty. I know it'll be better once it's all done - 18 months from now - but still. Between the detours and the traffic produced from these, going anywhere is pretty much a nightmare.

Anywho... we finally made it to Cracker Barrel. And while we had a few minor skirmishes, overall the kids did great!

Tess was her normal, charming self. Sheesh.

Another reason why we aren't judging kid's meals this year: Spencer now orders off of the adult menu 75% of the time! He ordered a BIG meal, and ate a lot of it. I was impressed. That boy is a-growin'! (Josh wants it known that he also ordered and ate a big meal. Now stop reading over my shoulder, Josh.)

Poor Cole had to use his ice water as an ice pack for his head. It still gives him problems sometimes since his surgery. (No medication at all today, though. Woo-hoo!)

Tess ordered mac and cheese, and then claimed "I've changed my mind! Take it back!" when she saw my pancakes. Fortunately, Cracker Barrel meals can easily feed 3 people, so I shared my lunch with her. (And Cole finished her meal for lunch today!)

After lunch we hit Columbian Park, which Cole had been begging to go to for quite a while. The kids had fun running around like crazy lunatics. That park used to be stressful for me because it's so big and spread out, but now that my kids are all older and I'm a more negligent mom, I just let them run free and they always seem to return. Everyone's happier for it.

These two boys fight NON-STOP. Unless they are playing and having fun together. Unfortunately, the former happens much more frequently than the latter.

The water features at the little zoo are always a hit.

Too bad Spencer wasn't standing on the other side of Josh. (What with his shirt and all.) Also, Josh is going through a pink phase. More power to ya, Josh.

I tried to get a good shot of all four for the grandparents, but it was bright and this was the best I could get.

Josh demanded his own picture with the fiberglass caterpillar.

Tess the butterfly.

Spencer and a rooster with an attitude.

Josh and the rooster with an attitude.

A five of my kids. Ha! (Okay, that's probably a grown goat. Still... I'm funny.)

Happy 7th Birthday, Cole!!

It struck me just the other day - Cole is no longer a little kid. See, ever since Tess was born we've kinda categorized the kids as the Big Kids (Spencer and Josh) and the Little Kids (Cole and Tess). But seven? Seven isn't little. And Cole is seven. And that still kinda shocks me, even as I write this.

Perhaps this is because there were times in the not-too-distant past when I wondered if Cole would survive childhood. (Or, rather, if I would survive his childhood.)

Perhaps it's because we started him in school later and he'll only be in first grade this year.

Or perhaps because in my mind he's still a crazy little towheaded thing running through the house like a madman, peeling off clothes along the way. 

Whatever the reason, this is real. Cole is SEVEN.

Cole's actual birthday was on Sunday, but he wanted to celebrate it on Saturday, which I don't blame him for. Don't get me wrong, I love Sundays. But it's hard to really celebrate when you choose to not go out and stuff.

I was a little worried about how he'd do, what with the tonsillectomy and all. But he had been (and still is) doing great. Feeling pretty yucky in the morning, but running around at almost 100% for the rest of the day. (Just as an update, he's still doing about the same. If we do too much in one day he gets pretty worn out.)

Cole had a grand vision for his birthday cake. It had to be white cake with chocolate frosting, and it had to have gummy bears, Skittles, and M&Ms. I know. What a combination! But I figured I could fight it and make some pretty cake that he wasn't all that excited about, or I could just do what he wanted and make him happy. I'm so glad I did. He put all the gummy bears on, while I did the 7 and the M&M border on the top. 

So we made the cake Friday afternoon, because cakes taste better the next day, I think. And that night he reminded me of just how important traditions are to kids. "Are we going to have a birthday breakfast? With a candle? And will the kitchen be decorated? For me? And my presents will be there?" Ummm... yes. Of course, Cole! I had actually almost forgotten about that stuff, what with the tonsils and summer break and all. And even though I had craft group that night, Lance helped me out with the decorating and I was able to get everything else done. Phew.

Cole woke up to presents and decorations and breakfast. And once the meds kicked in he could actually enjoy them! (Poor kiddo!) So I'm pretty proud about the hot wheels garage - our neighbors had a garage sale and I scored that and a pink purse for Tess for $5. Hey big spender.

He was pretty excited about the pancakes. (I'm not sure what's up with that smile. That's his reaction for when I say "smile naturally". Hmm.)

We let him open a few presents throughout the day so he would have something to keep him occupied. He'd gotten pretty tired of being cooped up in the house! As you can tell, the boy LOVES Hot Wheels right now. (And NOT Matchbox. He actually threw out most of the Matchbox cars we had. Which was okay, because most of them had wintered in the sandbox. But still... he has very particular brand loyalties.)

I like this picture because of the bowl of ice cream next to it. That was lunch. (He was still milking the sore throat and I was letting him.)

I was really trying to get stuff done around the house and outside that day, but I was also trying to be a good birthday mom, so I spent a lot of time helping this kid build Hot Wheels tracks. He pretty much loved it.

So quite a while ago I got a great Groupon deal for a trampoline park in town. We decided to save the trip for Cole's birthday, not knowing he'd be recovering from surgery. I broached the subject of perhaps going later in the summer, but Cole would have none of it. So we went.

Since Tess is small she had to stay in a little kid area and have a parent with her at all times. This was fine until Lance and I switched so I could jump for a bit. Then she got mad and pouted for a good 20 minutes. But here, in this picture, she was pretty happy!

It was hard to get decent video or pictures of the boys because they just kept moving!

Cole had lots of fun, but I could tell he lost steam earlier than usual. Spencer skinned his knee early on and complained most of the time. And Josh was in HEAVEN. That kid was born to move. I jumped and ran for close to an hour - what a good work out! Josh and I were racing at one point and I totally biffed it. Oh man, I felt like the biggest dork. My spine felt all compressed and weird, the wind had been knocked out of me, and, worst of all, I skinned both of my elbows. Bad. They STILL hurt, even as I type this! Gah! But I still had fun. And I didn't complain as much as Spencer.

After a very fancy dinner at Wendy's (Cole's choice!) we headed home for cake and ice cream and presents. One more glamour shot of the cake. Whooo boy, what a cake!

And what a boy!

I just love this picture!

He opened a few more gifts, but his favorite was this Rubiks Cube.

It was a fun day. So fun, that I completely forgot that it was his real birthday on Sunday. At least until we sat down at church, when I remembered and gave him a quick hug and whispered "Happy real birthday, Cole!" To which he replied, in perfect Colie form and with perfectly rolled eyes "I KNOW, it's my birthday." Yeah.

That night I let him choose dinner. Boxed mac & cheese and French toast sticks... not exactly what I would've chosen, but not terrible. It was very Colie.

At the age of seven, Cole...

... is definitely the scientist of our family. He still loves the solar system and learning all about the planets, but has also moved on to meteorology. He loves watching the news with me just for the weather reports. (I don't know that he's entirely convinced that the weathermen don't make the weather, they only predict it. I tried to explain this to him, but what do I know?)  He's very interested in tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes. He's also discovered the joy of maps, and has commandeered one of Spencer's old school atlases and reads it often. He likes flags and likes to learn about other countries and has fun learning words in foreign languages. 

The child has a knack for remembering facts and figures, dates and names. And he gets frustrated when we don't remember the same things. He's a little too smart for his own good.

When we go to the library the other three kids search out books to read in juvenile fiction. Cole heads towards the non-fiction and reference sections, and gets mad when I place a limit of 12 books per trip. Just for him. (A mom can only carry so many books!)

Cole loves Hot Wheels cars and building tracks. He likes to look at the bottom of the cars to discover where and when they were made. (There are codes. That he's memorized.) He loves to watch videos on YouTube about Hot Wheels stuff. It bores the rest of us to tears. He eats it up.

Cole does NOT like to be the center of attention. His teacher told me that he didn't like to read out loud in class because he knew he read so much better than the other students. When his classmates were impressed and said so, he refused to read for a while. He does NOT want to stand out.

But Cole also does NOT like to be the forgotten middle child. He wants attention from his older brothers and wants to be a big kid. He tags along and plays the part of Annoying Little Brother quite well. He can be Tess's best friend and bitterest opponent within the space of 30 minutes. He and Josh fight like... well, like brothers. Non-stop and loudly. Omigosh, so much fighting. It's driving me nuts. It's gonna be a long summer.

Cole loves attention from his mom or dad. He loves one-on-one time. But he does not like being told what to do. He craves approval and praise. But not enough to do something he really doesn't want to do. He's quick to anger and tears, but that's probably more to do with having 2 teasing older brothers rather than personality. 

For quite a long while Cole held the position of Hardest Child. But he's been usurped in the last few months, and it's been quite refreshing. (Josh now holds that position. Again. Oy.) Cole is a quirky kid, but not only do I love him, I really quite like him. 

I sure love you, Cole! The happiest of birthdays to my big seven year old!

Adios, Tonsils

As you are probably aware, Cole has had issues with his ears and sinuses pretty much his entire life. Things had gotten worse in the last few months with snoring and mild sleep apnea. So a few weeks ago his ENT and I decided it was time to get rid of his tonsils! And I decided that the first day of summer vacation would be the perfect time. Just get it over and done with - plus, the pools don't even open until Memorial Day, so it's not like he'd be missing much.

I talked the surgery up in the time leading up to it. I didn't lie; I let him know that it would hurt after, but that we'd have lots of medicine and lots of cool, soft things to eat. He had lots of questions, like would he be awake during the surgery? No. How would he go to sleep? (He didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep on his own.) Special gas that he would breath in. Who would give it to him? A special doctor. Why couldn't he eat breakfast on the morning of the surgery? Because that could make him sick when he breathed in the special gas. And so on, you get the idea.

The Saturday before his Monday surgery, Cole and I went on a special shopping trip. I could tell he was nervous about the surgery, so I pretty much let him have free reign at the store. You want the gallon bucket of ice cream? Go for it. Three different kinds of popsicles? Sold. Juice, Gatorade, pudding, Jell-o and more? Of course.

He loved it. And he really didn't take advantage. He's a good kid.

Monday morning came. We had to be at the surgical center by 6:30am, so I got up and ready pretty early. I thought I would have to pull him out of bed, but when I walked into his room he was up and ready to go. (Nerves and excitement, I think.)

We got to the surgical center, filled out and signed a dozen forms, and then did what you do at any sort of medical appointment: wait.

We waited for a good 30 minutes, which made me wonder why we had to be there so early in the first place. Harrumph. Fortunately (in Cole's eyes), Cole had brought a library book about his newest obsession: flags of the world. Yes, it was a book that included every single country flag in the world (plus state flags), and descriptions of each. Yes, it reminded me of Sheldon's "Fun With Flags" YouTube shows on The Big Bang Theory. Yes, I had my Kindle and would have much rather read my latest book on that. But Cole was nervous and this made him calm and happy, so we marched through a ton of country flags, him reading the name of the country (and me often correcting his pronunciation) and then noting the languages spoken in that country. Time flew. (No, it didn't.)

We finally got called back and Cole got changed into his hospital gear. He was not a fan of the gown, but was quite impressed with the hat.

Even more impressed when Puppy got one, too!

Cole was nervous and excited and I think he didn't know what to do with himself, so he talked. Talked and talked and talked the entire time the nurse and I tried to discuss things. It got to be pretty funny, but the nurse was totally used to this and on game. (Read: she had lots of patience.) Cole got to choose what scent his gas mask would have and swabbed it on while we waited; he chose root beer. We watched SpongeBob for a bit. He asked lots of questions.

Dr. Davis, his ENT, came in. Cole didn't recognize him in scrubs and a hat. Then the anesthesiologist came in and explained things. Fun fact: this was the same anesthesiologist Cole had when he got his tubes in 5+ years ago.

And then, all too soon, we parted ways. Cole was rolled off on his bed and I was sent back to the waiting room.

Fun fact: 5+ years ago when he got his tubes out (in the very same place), I forgot to warn the nurses that he was a biter. He bit several. (I heard the first one yelp as she carried him down the hall.) This time I am happy to report there was no biting.

Not-So-Fun-Fact: Even though I knew he would be perfectly fine and that this surgery would make his life so much better, I still felt bad. I felt guilty that he had to go through it, knowing that he would be miserable. Mom guilt. It's a thing.

So I spent the next 30ish minutes in the waiting room, reading and bringing down the median age of other family members waiting by a good 30 years. Soon Dr. Davis came out to let me know that the surgery went great. He also let me know how impressed he was with how gross Cole's adenoids were. They were, and I quote, "full of all sorts of mucous and gross stuff. It was really quite impressive", he said, with great excitement and admiration. Ah, the fancy life of an ENT.

Fun fact: Cole had his tonsils and adenoids removed. He also had his nose roto-rootered. Okay, he had his turbinates reduced, but you get the idea. Hopefully he will now actually be able to breath through his nose!

About 15 minutes later I was taken back to Cole in recovery. The poor child was out of it. Head lolling, eyes glassy, asking incomprehensible questions. I felt so bad! He complained about his throat hurting (even though the doctor had numbed it up pretty good). Then he discovered the IV in his hand; this did not make him happy. Neither did the popsicle the nurses pushed on him. But the ice chips I fed him did!

He gradually woke up more, but I could tell he was just not himself. Until he started to argue with me about how long he was asleep. "How long was I asleep?" "Oh, around 30 or 40 minutes." "No, it was TWO." "Okay then." He was as grumpy/sad as you would expect a Cole fresh out of surgery to be. I rolled with it.

Then he got sick. All over himself. Poor guy. But the nurses were great and we got him all cleaned up. He just kept asking to go home, and about 45 minutes later we did. He actually seemed to perk up and feel more like himself after he was sick. He did NOT like getting the IV removed. (Who does? Those things hurt.) And when asked, he refused to have a wheel chair out to the car. Only behind his back I told the nurses to get one. And I was right because when he stood up for the first time he lurched around like a zombie, and then quite enjoyed the chair ride, even demanding to push the elevator buttons.

We got home and he lounged around for a bit. Lance had set up a laptop by his bed so he could watch videos. He did that for a bit, but after a few hours he was up and wandering around. A few hours after that he was running around! It was really quite amazing. He seemed to be just fine. (Don't worry - I knew this was the honeymoon period.) He happily ate lots of ice cream, yogurt, and popsicles. As did Tess, who followed the boy around. At one point I had to tell him to get off his scooter and get back inside - he was supposed to be taking it easy. Then I caught him eating an apple. What the what?

But alas, the honeymoon ended. He woke me up at 4:45 the next morning needing pain meds. The rest of the day he was kind of out of it and lounged around watching videos and playing on computer. He still ate lots of ice cream and yummy stuff like that. I was at Josh's baseball game that night, but Lance said he just sat on his lap for 30 minutes, glassy eyed and out of it before Lance put him to bed.

He woke me up early on Wednesday complaining that his head hurt. So we drugged him up and he put his head on his lap and slept while I held an ice bag to his temple. Poor, poor kiddo. I felt really bad because I could tell he was just miserable.

He didn't eat as much that day and I could tell his throat was more swollen. But by the evening I could tell he was feeling a bit better.

And this morning? He felt a little gross, but as soon as the meds kicked in he was doing great. He was even super excited to get out of the house and run some errands. He's still not running around like he usually does, but he's getting there. And he's still taking full advantage of the ice cream and such, even though I think he could probably start eating a few other things, but that's okay.

So, we have to wait a few weeks to know for sure, but hopefully this current misery will get rid of the snoring and sleep apnea and all the future misery that would bring. I still feel bad that he had to go through this, but I know it was worth it.

Now I just have to steel myself for the misery that will be the medical bills and imminent insurance issues. (Because there are always issues.) Then it will be time to break out the ice cream for me.

Last Day of School

Oh man. It's kinda hard to believe the kids are already out of school. WHO GETS OUT OF SCHOOL ON MAY 20TH?!?! Hoosiers, that's who. And who goes back to school August 16th? You know who. Ridiculous.

Regardless of my feelings on the matter, the last day of school came. And it was chilly. Because it's May. Growl.

I almost forgot to take last day of school pictures, which is why these are a bit out of order. Oh well.

Here's Mr. Cole - Kindergartener no more! He's completely and totally ready for 1st grade. Heck, if you've talked to him you know he's probably ready for 3rd grade. Just don't tell Josh.

And here's my soon-to-be 4th grader. Yes, he was pulling a Tess. No, it was not to be funny. He was being a SUPER PUNK GROUCH that morning. That child... I am having a time with him lately, that's for sure. He keeps talking about his 10th birthday, but I'm not sure we're both gonna make it that far...

This was the best I could get out of him. And don't ask me about the all red clothes, or the baseball socks with shorts. It's a fashion statement. (What kind of fashion statement, I don't know. I'm not a 3rd grade boy and I don't claim to understand them.)

I went to help one last time in Cole's class with their last day of school party. It was as wild as you would expect. Oh boy, it was wild. Their teacher is a brave soul and let the kids make ice cream sundaes as a treat. Here's Cole and and Carlos enjoying theirs. (Carlos is so super cute. I love that kid!)

Tess got to tag along and be a kindergartener for the day. She was in HEAVEN. Totally in her element. Until she didn't get her way. Then... she showed how young she still is. She lost it when she thought she wasn't getting a birthday cupcake. (Yes, some mother sent birthday cupcakes piled high with florescent frosting on the last day of school. People. Do not do that to our teachers; they deserve better.) Anyways, as we were leaving the party we had a little talk about how none of the other students cried or had tantrums. Tess could not do this next year in Kindergarten - she was too big for that, right? She agreed, but I'm not holding my breath...

Ah, here's Spencer. I can't believe he'll be in 7th grade! I remember feeling so old, so grown up in 7th grade. Good heavens.

I was having a great hair day, but the wind had other ideas. Stupid wind.

Obligatory selfie while waiting for the bus.

This is the last time any of the Madsens will have a younger sibling patiently waiting for them to get off the bus! *sniff*sniff*

We had our annual last day of school treasure hunt. It was mucho fun. The kids had a great time, and I had a good time chatting with our neighbor and giving hints on the harder clues. They especially liked that I had clue hidden inside balloons this year.

They eventually found the treasure! It was quickly divvied up.

Some of the treasure was silly string, which was quickly used in a battle in the back yard. We also had water balloons in the treasure, but it was too cold for those. Stupid weather.

That night we broke out our fire pit for the first time and had hot dogs and s'mores with our neighbors. It was so nice! But the weather had other plans and instead of enjoying a leisurely evening by the fire we had to call it quits by 8pm because of rain. Stupid weather. (But not before I had a s'more, so life wasn't too bad!)

The next day I got rid of all the school junk that got sent home. This is really only about half; the rest had been thrown out during the previous few days. So glad I spent all that money on supplies that got used a few times. Growl.

But, no more complaining! School's out, no more schedules, no more lunches to pack, no more homework! Life is pretty good.

Every. Time.

Me: It's time to go to Josh's game. Everyone needs to go potty.

Tess: But I don't need to!

Cole: Me either!

Me: Just try.

Cole and Tess: Okay.

Me: Cole and Tess, you should change into short sleeved shirts. You're gonna be hot in long sleeves.

Tess: No. I LOVE my shirt! I will be cold!

Me: No you won't, it's warm today.

Cole: No! I don't want to! I like long sleeves.

Me: Whatever. Just go potty, okay?

(They don't and we're running late so I don't force the issue.

Meanwhile, 45 minutes later and at a ballpark 20 miles from home, we trek through all the fields, drop Josh off with his team, and trek again down to some playground equipment. Cole and Tess play for exactly 2 minutes.)

Tess: Mommy! I have to go potty NOW.

Me: What the?! I told you to go at home and we passed by the potties 10 minutes ago. Why didn't you go then?

Tess (doing a serious potty dance): I gotta go NOW.

Me: *angry mom face* Fine. Cole, you STAY HERE.

(Tess and I trek all the way back to the gross public bathrooms. Then trek back to the playground.)

Me: Okay. Play.

Tess: I can't. My shirt is too hot!

Cole: Mine too! It's hot!

Me: *angry mom face* Too. Bad.

(Sensing danger, Cole and Tess run off to play, thus surviving another day.)

Schooled

Cole: Why don't you have to go to school?

Me: I already went to all the school. I'm all done.

Cole: But why don't you have to go anymore?

Me: Because I already know everything.

Cole (totally buying it): Huh. Okay.

Excellent.

(Irony: the older I get the more I realize how very little I know. But as long as I can pronounce words like 'Czechoslavokia', the ruse will stand with this child!)