Veggie tale

So my kids like their junk food as much as the next kid. A Happy Meal does indeed, make them happy. They never met a donut they didn't like. And they have been known to complete a 2-mile walk (not a stroller in sight!) motivated solely by the promise of an ice cream cone at trail's end.

And yet.... I kid you not, the following conversation is verbatim:

[the menu tonight was fried rice, with tofu, mushrooms,onions, and steamed squash & zucchini]
C: [inhales squash] shouts Can I have more squash?!?
L: Yeah, I want more squash!!!!
Mother, aka The Voice of Reason, insists that they must at least take one bite of rice before they can gorge on more squash.
C: what's in this? It looks really....brown.
Mom tells them it's tofu & mushrooms
L: mmmm, this tofu's deeeelisssshhhuss!
C: disconsolately I don't like tofu. The only thing I like about this rice is the mushrooms. Can I just eat the mushrooms?
L: Mommy? I don't like mushrooms unless they're cooked.
C: yeah, I really only like cooked mushrooms.
[we ponder the delisshussness of mushrooms]
C: hey, what's for dessert?
M: ummm, I don't think we're having anything for dessert tonight
C: WHAT??? NO DESSERT???? You mean we can't have a huge bowl of blueberries?
L: YEAH, BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBERRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
M: sorry guys, you ate the entire box of blueberries for breakfast.
[heavy sighs, silence....]
C: ooh, I know! We can have oranges, a can of oranges!
L: YEAH, ORAAAAAAANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and thus peace reigned in the Nilsen home as those nutty kids slurped up mandarin oranges in pear juice.