Page 29 of Chef's Kiss

“Why do you say that?”

“You have on a cat mask.”

“Oh,” I say, completely realizing I forgot to properly take off my sleeping mask. It seems like every Sunday I awake to the kids jumping on the bed begging for waffles or French toast or something sweet, fattening, and with way too much sugar at that hour in the morning…but neither Christian or I are strong enough to say no.

We love our kids too much, and life is too perfect. The show’s been renewed for another season as we push towards twenty years on the air. Christian always says the best thing about season number twenty will be at that point we were both the ’star’ of the show for ten years. Equal and perfect, and he reminds me I just need to go twenty or so more so the kids can take over.

It’s a pipe dream, but everything that surrounded him always was…until it became a reality. Our reality, just like our family tradition of Sunday morning breakfasts.

“Ruff!” our spaniel that we named Joe Cocker calls out as he sits obediently next to the table.

“A cup o’ Joe, for Joe,” Christian teases him, before sitting a cookie on a napkin on the floor. Three seconds, and three gulps later, it’s disappeared.

But one thing that will never disappear is our love for each other, and our children.

I take a bite of my cookie and stop, looking up to see Chloe pulling Charlie’s ear, Christian tickling Charlie’s side, and Joe jumping up on Christian’s lap and licking his face, everyone covered with the chocolate from the cookies I made for them. Feeding my family feels so good, and makes me feel like an amazing mom, especially in today’s fast-paced world of go, go, go.

I don’t waste one second, getting in on the action by tickling Chloe’s ribs.

“Make a video, Alexa,” I shout, and the camera we have mounted in the kitchen kicks on and records this amazing family memory, one of many we have…and many more to come. Always.