Power lunch

Aunt Steph had to cancel her normal Monday visit, so I took the day off to hang out with Zoe. I needed to run a few errands, so we stopped for lunch at a diner down the street. I found the food-ordering process to be quite entertaining, so I thought I'd share the conversation here:

SCENE 1
Setting: Corner booth of a diner, Zoe in a high chair at the end of the table.

Daddy: Are you hungry?
Zoe: Yes.
Daddy: What would you like to eat?
Zoe: Wice.
Daddy: I don't know if they have rice here, baby.
Zoe: Wice!
Daddy: How about some chicken nuggets? Or maybe cottage cheese?
Zoe: Wice! Wice! Wice!
Daddy: Can you say please?
Zoe: Pweeeeeeeeeeezze.

Just then, Daddy's eyes come across the heading "Chicken stir-fry." And there, at the end of the description, are the magic words, "served on a bed of rice."

SCENE 2
Setting: Waitress comes over, greets Zoe with a gentle tickle of her tummy and says...

Waitress: Have you two decided?
Daddy: She says she wants rice. I noticed the stir fry is served on rice... any chance I can just get a side order?
Zoe: Wice!
Waitress: Sorry, we don't offer rice as a side dish.
Daddy: Oh, really?
Zoe: Wice! Wice! WICE!
Daddy: Zoe, shhhh. (He turns to waitress with pathetic look on face.) There's nothing you can do?
Zoe: Wice! Wice! WICE!
Waitress: I can check for you. I'm sure it's OK, I just wouldn't know what to charge you.
Zoe: Wice! Wice! WICE!
Daddy: Zoe, shhhh. (He turns back to waitress, more pathetic than before.) Whatever you need to do... you can charge me for the stir fry and just hold everything but the rice if you want.
Zoe: Wice! Wice! Wice!
Waitress: I'm sure we can figure something out.
Daddy: Great. Thanks.

THE END.