A Muddled Mom in McDonald's

This is what happens when a tired mom tries to buy her family fast food but can't think fast enough:

"Can I help you?" asked the cashier briskly, obviously eager to turn over customers to cut the lengthening line.
I slid closer to the register, eyeing the menu board, mentally calculating, while questioning my two young sons about their lunch preferences. At least, I thought I asked both of them what they wanted.
"Yes please. Can you get a 4-piece chicken mcnuggets without buying a kids meal?" I fervently hoped so, but it wasn't on the menu.
"Yes," she said to my relief.
I didn't bother asking how much. "We'll take a 4-piece nuggets, a mcdouble, and a hamburger." I was happily thinking, "That hamburger is only 89 cents, even less than the dollar menu! I really saved us some money with that wise choice!"
The clerk rang it up; I swiped my Visa; she left to fill the order. Then remembered I had been falling asleep in the van and wanted a coffee.
I cleared my throat. "Ahem. Ma'am? Can I also get a small mocha? Did my card already go through or do I have to swipe it again?"
"You have to do it again but wait a minute while I fix it so it will let it use the same card twice in a row." Ah, security. I'm glad "it" is protecting my financial assets so that we have more money safely available to spend at McDonald's in the future.
She brought the coffee and scanned my overflowing purse, my tray, my sons and their friends jumping around like a hungry tribe, and my generally disheveled appearance. "There you go. Is that all?"
"Yes, thanks," I mumbled in some embarrassment as I prepared to leave.
Then I glanced at my friend's tray. Three chocolate milks. I set down my tray. Oops.
I flagged down my now harried cashier. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I forgot the drinks. Can we also have two chocolate milks and a cup for water?" Unwilling to subject the security software to a third swipe of my credit card and possibly freeze the whole system, I pulled out five dollars.
She retrieved two milks from two different refrigerators - I guess we were buying them out -and plunked them down on my tray. She fixed her eyes on me and pointed somewhere out of sight. "The water cups are over there. Anything else?"
I looked back at her. Only half joking, I responded, "I don't know. Ask me in 15 minutes."
Finally at our table, I distributed the food. I proudly presented David with his 89-cent hamburger. He did not appreciate it and loudly rejected my offering. "NO! I don't want that! I don't want a hamburger! I want chicken nuggets!"
"You do?" I was taken aback momentarily. "You always get a burger. Well, start eating the burger, and soon I will go get you chicken nuggets. I'm sorry, I guess I forgot to ask you what you wanted."
David, of course, would not start eating his hamburger and started eating Joshua's coveted nuggets. "What should I do?" I lamely wondered. The only way to ward off World War III would be to face that cashier again with my fourth order!
My friend's son unwittingly came to my rescue. "Mom, can I have another cheeseburger?"
"Are you going to eat the WHOLE thing?" Emphatically yes.
"Here Marshall," I said as I fished out some more bills. (I had helplessly noted on my receipt that the 4-piece nuggets cost a whopping $1.99.) "Could you please bring us another 4-piece nuggets too, please?"
He graciously did, and thereafter peace and harmony were restored. Mostly. Now there were some disagreements about whose turn it was to eat of the rejected hamburger, and on top of that, we ran out of apple dipper slices.
As we ran out the door hustling to get to our show on time, I downed the remaining chicken nugget in one bite. No way was that half-dollar going to waste! The hamburger? Well...I confess that I threw away about 35 cents worth.
But, I was very thankful not to have to admit to the cashier that yes, actually, there will be something else.