Just try it, Angelica
It had been a couple of weeks since Angelica's doctors appointment. The doctor gave Drew some advice on how to get Angelica into eating more vegetables.
"Tonight we're having lasagna" he said to Angelica as she sat on the couch reading a magazine.
"Alright" said Angelica "Sounds yummy" she says
"I am sure you will like it" Drew smiles as he goes back into the kitchen.
But what Angelica didn't know was that Drew was going to put spinach in the lasagna as well as broccoli. Both of those vegetables were ones that Angelica didn't like at all but Drew was hoping that she would like them before the night was over with.
"Can Kimi come over?" Angelica asked from the couch.
"Sure" said Drew Now hoping that since Angelica had someone over that she would eat the lasagna even if she didn't like it or not. When Kimi arrived, she arrived with Lil as well which Drew thought would make it more easier for the Angelica to try the vegetable lasagna tonight.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?" said Lil when she came into the kitchen. She was dressed
"Lasagna" said Drew.
"My favorite" said Lil
"with spinach and broccoli" said Drew as whispered in Lil's ear
"Yum" Lil smiled
"Don't tell Angelica wants inside it" Drew told Lil
"I won't" said Lil
Angelica, Kimi and Lil walked to the nearest park to the house. Angelica liked going to the park more than she did when she was younger and she took the book that her Dad bought for her birthday along with her. Something that she had been reading for a few weeks now.
"I have the book" said Lil
"so do I" said Kimi as they walked
Angelica wasn't sure if Lil or Kimi knew anything about periods and bras. They were only 9, well Kimi was almost 10 so maybe she knew something but Angelica knew this wasn't the place to talk about it.
As Angelica climbed the jungle gym she remembered when she was little. Life was so much easier. Now, she had to worry about rather or not she got her homework done and stuff.
"I wish I was 9 again" said Angelica
"Don't you like being 12" said Kimi "You are almost a teenager" she smiles
"I guess" Angelica said
Back at the house Drew was making a plate of chocolate chip cookies for dessert. It had been a couple of weeks since Angelica had any sweets and if she did eat the lasagna tonight then the cookies were for a surprise dessert
"Dinner is ready" Drew called when the girls got home.
"Smells good" said Kimi
As Lil, Kimi and Angelica sat at the table Drew served each of them up a plate and then one for himself. He was anxious to see how Angelica liked the lasagna.
"This is really good" said Lil as she took a bite. "Love the flavors in it" she smiled
"Yeah" said Kimi "I can hardly tell" she began to say before Lil stopped her.
Angelica picked at the lasagna but hadn't taken a bite of it yet, She smiled it and stuck her nose up at it.
"It's really good" said Kimi
"You should try it" said Lil
As Angelica took a bite, she made a face that Dew knew and spit it out. "This" said Angelica almost in tears "is spinach and broccoli" she said "You tricked me, Dad. How could you?" Angelica said as she slammed her fork and knife down. "You know I don't like vegetables"
"I know" said Drew
"So why did you make it this way and not the other way?" Angelica said "I don't want it this way. I will only eat it the other way you make it"
Drew knew that he did wrong by tricking Angelica. But he was worried about her. At 12, she didn't want anything to do with vegetables or even fruit. He knew that within time Angelica will have some health problems which didn't include the diabetes she already had.
"Just try it" said Drew "You can't taste the vegetables in it"
"Yes you can, Dad" said Angelica "I see the green inside" she showed Drew her plate.
Drew knew not to give in to Angelica. She had to start eating what he put on the table. He wasn't going to go to the stove and make Angelica a hotdog or even a grilled cheese sandwich.
"Can I have a hotdog?" Angelica smiled
"Not tonight" said Drew "You eat what I put on the table and that is final" he said as he went into the kitchen.
Back in the kitchen he could hear Kimi, Lil and Angelica talking. He didn't mean to eavesdrop on them.
"Just try it" said Kimi
"No" Angelica said as she shook her head "I won't"
"Come on" said Lil
Drew came back and sat at the table. "Ok" he said "I'll play this little game, Angelica. No one is leaving this table until you finish your plate" he says As the minutes ticked on by Angelica still hadn't touched anything on her plate. 'I am not busy tonight" Angelica "We can sit here on night" he says
After Kimi and Lil went home, Angelica and her dad still sat at the kitchen table. It got to be around 7:30 which is the time Angelica usually was getting ready for bed. As she sat Drew saw her yawn.
Suddenly Drew got a crazy idea that he thought he would never do. He went into the kitchen. And ended up bringing out the plate of cookies and put them in front of himself.
"I guess you don't want a cookie then" said Drew.
"A cookie" said Angelica
"Yes' said Drew
Angelica knew now that she had to try the vegetable lasagna even if she didn't like it.
'Just close your eyes and think of it as a piece of chocolate cake" said Drew
As Angelica closed her eyes, she took another bite and then another. As she opened her eyes. She smiled "That is yummy" Angelica said with a smile with she finished that plate. "Can I have another plate, Daddy" she smiled "Could hardly taste the spinach or the broccoli"
At the end of the day. Drew was happy that Angelica tried some vegetables. And she did earn, not just one cookie but two.
