Monday, April 20, 2009

A dinner request

I had a meeting this afternoon, so I dropped the girls off to help Daddy teach his ninth-period class. (Sophia had a ball. She manned the light switch while Daddy operated the projector. Gianna wowed everyone with her beautiful smile.)
My meeting got out late, so we decided to pick up dinner. George and I opted to order pizza. Sophia overheard us, and said "No, I want chicken."
Chicken, really?
So I told her we'd order wings. "No, I don't want wings. I want chicken." Followed by an explanation that chicken wings are in fact chicken.
"No, chicken that's big. And looks like this (she makes a circle with her hands.)"
"Fingers?"
"No. Chicken! (and she again makes the apparent symbol for chicken -- a circle with her hands)."
I stare at her.
"Chicken. Like in my fridge. It looks like this. Chicken!"
Chicken, in her play fridge. Hmm. I'm drawing a blank.
"Chicken. I want chicken. Like in my fridge. It looks like this. You eat it like this (she holds it up to her mouth like she's eating a drumstick). It has a bone in it. It's chicken."
Then, a lightbulb goes on. She has a fake drumstick with a fake bite taken out of it. It's in her play kitchen. She has never actually eaten fried chicken.
She's excited that I have some idea of what she's talking about.
After a few seconds of mentally planning our trip home, I remember there's a KFC that I can make on our way.
I pull into the drive-thru. Ask if they take credit and am told that they do but the machine might be down.
I place my order for one drumstick. KFC lady: "One drumstick. Really?"
Me: "Yes. My daughter REALLY wants one."
KFC lady: "$1.81, please pull ahead."
I scrounge through my pockets, the change tray, the floor and find $1.12. I hope that either the credit machine is working or the KFC lady takes pity on me and cuts me a deal on one drumstick. Or I will have a very disappointed little girl.
Good news - the machine is working.
I hand Sophia the bag. She beems and starts cheering, "chicken! chicken!"
I feel like the world's greatest mom.
Then, Sophia opens the bag. She looks at the chicken. "Mom, this chicken has a bone in it! How do I eat it?"

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