You know those polarizing Facebook posts where you inevitably see comments like: “Pass the Popcorn!” or “I’m just here for the comments” with the corresponding emojis? Well, it turns out that March 9th is Popcorn Lover’s Day. This silly holiday prompted me to reflect on some of my own “popcorn moments” as related to motherhood- specifically those charged with emotion and tipping the scales of pure ridiculousness!
In the early years, those poppin’ moments were characterized by toddler tantrums over cutting sandwiches the wrong way, diaper blowouts at just the WRONG time where you need about three extra pairs of hands to manage the mess, arguments over the same toy only to find it abandoned minutes later, and endless meltdowns over their opinions on what was fair. I can still hear the echoes of “That’s not fair! He went first the last time! She interrupted me! Mom, you aren’t listening to me!”
Silent phrases on repeat in my brain most definitely included, “you’ve got to be kidding!” and “what’s next?!” And inevitably, I would pinch myself because there was always a next!
I vividly remember one afternoon where I had to wake up Ryan early from his nap to go pick-up Olivia from a summer camp. You know where this is heading, right mamas?! That’s right, go grab your popcorn with extra butter sauce- it was that epic. He refused to get out of his crib to the point where I needed to climb in to get adequate leverage to lift him! I’m pretty sure that he would have won an Academy award for his agile moves while in a sleep sack! Can you also picture the surround sound of cries mixed in with wailing “Nooooo’s!?” Cue the next scene: getting him strapped into his car seat! Under the best circumstances, my sweet boy was a wiggle worm with definite opinions about his dislike of getting buckled. I just remember standing there thinking to myself, “How am I going to do this?! We are going to be late! Olivia is going to think we forgot her!”
Our kids are a little bit older now, but my husband and I will still frequently glance at each other from across the room with slightly raised eyebrows as we try not to burst out laughing because {insert whatever situation} is just so incredibly important to them but also … illogical … maddening … and just darn right silly from our point of view!
Mamas, I think I’ve figured one thing out about the secret magic sauce of thriving in motherhood- it’s all about the pause.
… Pausing long enough to remember you can, in fact, handle whatever circumstances are popping up wildly around you … Pausing to see both the humor and the humanness of every situation … Pausing to truly listen to what is being said and what is missing from the conversation … Pausing to remind yourself that you are the leading star of your own beautiful movie and epic plot twists are just part your evolving story …
In honor of both the sweet and salty moments of motherhood, I wanted to share a new favorite recipe in our house: popcorn crunch! I’ve seen about a million and one variations of these recipes floating on Pinterest throughout the years. We finally took the time to make some, and they are worth the hype! Aside from needing a little help melting the chocolate, my kids put this fun dessert together by themselves! Here’s what you need to do:
In a big bowl, combine several cups of popped popcorn with a few handfuls of pretzels. Spread this mixture onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle about ½ cup of M&M candies across the top. Microwave about 12-16oz of white chocolate (either chips or melting wafers) on 50% power, stirring frequently until the consistency is smooth. Drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn/pretzel/M&M layer. Mix it up so all the ingredients are coated. Last step: before the chocolate dries, add rainbow sprinkles. According to my kids, this is by far the most important step! Eat it warm with a spoon or wait until the chocolate hardens to avoid messy hands.
As a quick scroll through Pinterest will reveal, you can adapt this recipe for any Holiday by substituting festive candies. My kids are already planning another batch using little marshmallow charms in honor of St. Patrick’s Day OR jellybeans to mark the arrival of spring. You will find me enjoying a little popcorn on the side as these intense “negotiations” play out.
A popcorn confession: we just used a microwaveable bag of popcorn that we had on hand! Shhhh! If you won’t tell it wasn’t homemade, I won’t either!
