A zest for life…

I have been waiting in eager anticipation for some inspiration for a funny story…but the muse has been clouded by too many work hours, too little sleep hours and maybe too many glasses of wine to drown my sorrows… (actually I am lying, I am really not drinking much at the moment, as I am so tired that I fall asleep after a single glass. I should be dating, I would be a cheap date!)

Anyway, one of my little pleasures in life recently has been watching a little bit of television with my girls in the evenings. In particular, the second season of Masterchef South Africa is currently underway, and after much trepidation, we are now really getting into it. The previous season was very disappointing (for me) as I thought the quality of the contestants were very weak and I could not believe that someone who are unable to cook a steak properly can actually make it to the top 10. So, I was a bit negative about this season. But so far, I am pleasantly surprised, and the quality of the contestants has generally been a notch or two above the previous season. (At the risk of being stoned for treason, I still think the girl who won season one of Junior Masterchef Australia will give any of the top 10 contestants a run for their money).

So, the other night we were curling up under the blankets in the winter lounge to watch the latest episode of Masterchef, when my youngest, the 11-going-on-14 year old Anya, walks into the lounge, exclaiming: “After a hard day, there is nothing like watching a bit of Masterchef.” Her sister, Bianca retorted “You’re such an adult!” Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was cracking myself up.

This got me thinking about the odd things my kids have said over the years and how it has given me many funny stories to share over the years. And I decided that my favourite Anya story ever will probably put a smile on a few people’s faces (and my own, of course!). She was about six years old at the time, and if you have known me for a while, chances are that I have told you the story…I think it is worth hearing it again!

So here goes…

It was one of THOSE Saturday mornings…we had lots to do and I was driving to and fro with the kids. Bianca had a friend’s birthday party in the afternoon and of course, I left the buying of the gift to the last minute. Buying gifts is something I do not generally like to do in a hurry, especially if it is for a special friend, so we have been debating what to buy (and where) all morning. When we eventually found something, we had to wrap it in a hurry, and I needed to drop Bianca at the friend’s house, as they were all leaving from there to go to the Ice Rink for the actual birthday celebration. Thank goodness, I didn’t need to go with.

By the time I finally dropped Bianca at her friend’s house, it was already past one o’clock and Anya and I were both starving. I decided to take her for a mother and daughter lunch and asked her where she would like to go. She said that she would like to go to Mugg and Bean, a local coffee shop that serves a pretty wide variety of meals, as well as delicious cakes, and not to mention the best Eggs Benedict. I was favourably impressed and we set off to the closest one, which opened shortly before in Woodmead.

When we were finally seated, she ordered a hot chocolate and started perusing the menu. She couldn’t actually read at the time, so I explained all the kiddies meals to her. She decided on the ‘Soccer balls and shoe laces’, which was essentially spaghetti and meatballs. We placed our orders and very soon she finished her hot chocolate and ordered another.

Anya, around the same time

Well, when we finally got our food, she was a sight to behold. For a child who normally is quite a picky eater, she literally devoured the meal. She was making these “mmm” and “aah” and “yum” sounds while she was eating her spaghetti as if it was the last meal she would ever get to eat. I cannot for the life of me remember what I ordered, as I was fixated by this child eating to an actual sound track of enjoyment. During the meal, the manager walked over to our table and said that he personally had never seen a child enjoy their meal that much, which obviously only encouraged her further.

Finally, she slurped up the last piece of spaghetti and with a face that reminded me a bit of Winnie the Pooh after he finished a pot of honey, she sat back in her chair and sighed “Aah, life doesn’t get better than this!”

I choked on my cool drink and struggled to keep a straight face, as I was cracking myself up. Nope, there was no doubt this is a child of mine. And yes, she is definitely a bit of a drama queen, but I think she does it with flair!

At least there is one thing that you cannot say of my mothering abilities, and that is that I have not taught my kids appreciation for the good things in life!

A little reminder for all of us to start enjoying the little things in life, like a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs!