Pasta through a straw

At breakfast I have to break the news to Big Brother and Little Brother that I will be leaving for the hospital soon. I didn't even get the chance to tuck them in last night and I hate to go already.
"I need to talk to the doctors because they have to take better care of papa."
"Why?" - the most common answer nowadays.
"Because papa needs to get stronger."
"Sure, then he can play 'Car Town' with us again. And exercise again!"
'Car Town' is the boys' favorite game with papa. Sit on your knees on the carpet, display the fleet of cars meticulously and subsequently drive them around the four sides of the carpet, one by one - with a lot of "wroo-hoom" noises like only papa can wroom of course (according to the boys I utterly fail to deliver a proper wroom). Kenji hasn't been able to come off the couch for weeks, let alone sit down and play with his sons, who beg him for 'Car Town' every single day.

At dinner I fill the boys in on my diplomatic mission of the day. I love how they are getting older which enables us to have real family meetings like this.
"I'm sorry I was gone so long today, but it took the doctors a lot of time to come up with a plan for papa. You know how papa is having difficulty eating right?"
"Right."
"Papa will be getting his food through a tiny tube. Then he won't have to do his best so much when it comes to eating real food. Something like the 'shakies' [Kenji's additional feeding, bottles with a straw] papa drinks, but then áll the time. Because, what do you think, can you squeeze pasta through a straw? Or rice? Or potatoes?" - that leaves Big Brother and Little Brother puzzled for a while.
"Noooo!"
"See, that's why the doctors have come up with food that runs through a tube and makes you stronger."

Explaining total parenteral nutrition to toddlers is a piece of cake.