Sunday Snapshot {Family movie night}

We have a little "thing" we do around here on Friday nights.

It starts with a simple dinner ~ usually frozen pizza and salad or chicken fried rice served with "clean out the produce drawer stir fry."  Then it's a scramble for a "super fast bath" and pajamas for everyone.  While bath time is happening, I get our snack ready.

Yes, it totally matters what type of popcorn.  To us anyway.  We've tried other kinds of kernels, (we only use microwave corn in a pinch around here, guess you can say we are "popcorn snobs") but our tried and true favorite is Baker's Country Time (white, NOT yellow) Popcorn, grown in Darke County, Ohio.  My wonderful aunt was kind enough to supply us with a five pound bag during our last visit in May.

As I pour the corn into the pan, the sound takes me back to listening to my grandmother pop popcorn when I was a kid.  My cousin Rusty even taught me to sniff and then say, "Grandma, do I smell popcorn?" in the evenings during our visit.  It worked every time.  Course mine doesn't taste quite as good as hers.  What I wouldn't give for that big, old, white enamel coated pot she popped hers in...

Popcorn in our house isn't a totally healthy snack.  That silver bowl is about to experience the Friday night trifecta...

Take warm popcorn, drizzle on the butter and then sprinkle on the salt.  I almost get transported back to grandma's kitchen.

But then there are popcorn boxes to fill and thermoses and cups to top off with ice water.

For nostalgia purposes I'm in search of brightly colored aluminum bowls just like Grandma's to hold our popcorn.  Until I luck out and find some at a reasonable price, our dollar spot popcorn boxes will do.
**If you know where I can get a large bowl and at least five little ones for less than $40, please let me know!**

The kids dash by the counter for "pick up" with wet hair and go to claim their seats on the couch.

Careful thought is given to their seating arrangements ~ this week they saved spaces for Mommy and Daddy to sit between them ~ while Daddy gets the movie qued up.

And then the excitement begins.

Some weeks we have made great choices.  Those have included Cars, Finding Nemo, Happy Feet, and Madagascar.

Other weeks we struck out.  Those include Care Bears the Movie ( it did entertain the kids...), Shrek II (the initial scene with Puss in Boots really frightened them all) and the Princess and the Frog (the shadows absolutely freaked them out).

For our kids, movie night has become the way to mark the start of the weekend.  They know that "Daddy day" and then "God's day" will follow.  For Ian and me it's a way to unwind after a long week ~ and the prequel to our double feature movie night.  We stay up for a date night and snuggle while watching a second movie after the kiddos are in bed if we can keep our eyes open long enough. 

Movies can get as high as a ten hands rating.  But it's not the movie, or even the salty, buttery, deliciousness that is in our popcorn box that makes the night.

What makes the night is that it is something we anticipate all week.  As a family.

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If you blog and you haven't joined in on Sunday Snapshots just yet, you should.  After highlighting each kid, it becomes fun to focus on things that make your family special, or things that make you smile, or just things you don't want to slip in the "lost memory abyss..."