I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.

~Pete Townshend

Every morning Big Papa, Baby Bird and I sit down at our kitchen table to eat breakfast together. Nothing fancy: he has a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee; I have a cup of coffee too, and a bowl of yogurt sprinkled with berries, cinnamon and flax seed; Baby Bird typically has a smaller version of mama’s breakfast (minus the coffee). But what really takes it up a notch, is Mr. Eyes Spoon.

Yes, you read that right, a spoon (and a plastic spoon at that) is the star at our table. He is quite the character, Mr. Eyes. One day he’s sprinting across the table like an Olympic athlete, hurdling over candles and bowls, and the next he’s playing hide and seek behind a pitcher filled with flowers. You might find him taking in a whiff of freshly brewed coffee, grunting as he shows his superior strength  hoisting a heap of yogurt topped with a humungous blackberry, or just chillin’ on the sidelines checking out the gummy vitamins.

In addition to his amusing table-side behavior and physical prowess, Mr. Eyes Spoon is an excellent emotions coach. He’ll readily express sadness if his hard-earned efforts to aid in breakfast consumption are ignored. He gets excited when a bowl of yogurt is devoured, so much so that he might skate a few laps around the inside of the empty bowl, whooping and hollering with delight.

At breakfast, Mr. Eyes is usually assisted by his ever-so-lovely, funny and ingenious sidekick….Mama. At dinner time, or when Mama is busy (read: behind the camera), Big Papa steps in. Of course, neither of us can hold a candle to Mr. Eyes whose antics elicit squeals of glee from Baby Bird. She never seems to tire of Mr. Eyes, her honored guest.

I know that one day, garden-variety flatware will take the place of Mr. Eyes Spoon. Baby Bird will learn to feed herself and she’ll lose interest in our table-time silliness. But for now, I revel in the land of make-believe, where spoons can talk and imaginations soar.

Take the road less traveled, Beth

Check out more spoonfuls of deliciousness on Wanderfood Wednesday!

And, if you’d like your own Mr. Eyes Spoon, here he is: