Pop Music

The sun comes out, the days are longer, and the next thing you know our house looks like a pilot episode for the DIY network. We've been taking on a few indoor and outdoor projects and actually finished one of them. Or, at least I think it's finished. Mr. Perfect, er Wonderful, thinks that there's some moulding issues that need to be resolved, but I am very happy with our new pantry cabinet. Biscuit joined, routered, nestled, and not a nail showing. Too bad it's stuck way back in the pantry, because it truly is a thing of beauty.

During the installation phase of the project we cleaned out the depths of our cabinets -- all the way back in the crevices where we rediscovered every paper bag, deflated helium balloon, and a treasure-trove of noise making, sanity-destroying, zen-depriving toys that were driving the mommy craaaaazy so they needed to "go take a nap". And we probably would have never had to hear from them again, had it not been for Mr. Wonderful's resourcefulness in designing and building our new cabinet with side-mounted drawers.

Among the treasures that were retrieved was an air popcorn popper that we received as a wedding gift in 1999. And we've never used it. We've moved it no less than four times, each time asking ourselves if it's worth packing up. And each time I've always answered with the premonition of an oracle (or a pack-rat), "Let's hold on to it. Maybe when we have kids they'll like popcorn."

Duh.

Max discovered the popcorn popper in it's unsealed box as it was retrieved from the depths of the pantry. And immediately he began a love affair with it. He talked to it in a hushed whisper. He dragged it around the house with him. He begged to get it out of the box. To make "popcorn!" He asked daily when we were going to the store to get popcorn "seeds". He even showed me the picture of said "seeds" and explained that we needed to get that exact jar (oh, how quick the mighty do fall for Orville Redenbacher's mad marketing machine).

We rolled into the grocery store yesterday on a visit which involved hauling that mother-feared, back-breaking "butterfly of death" grocery cart around with two wiggly boys who were insistent upon said cart and then refused to remain inside of it. Sam even decided that wearing his shoes wasn't all that necessary and so he tossed them aside at some point, a point not to be discovered by the mama until we were back at the car, groceries loaded and ready to roll. Back into the cart, back into the store, and shy of one green croc later, we were heading out the parking lot.

Thank God we got the popcorn seeds.



Because it truly was magical watching Max make popcorn. As our video demonstrates, we are novices here:



The popcorn popped all over the floor, the counter, the stools and into Max's mouth. And that's when the love affair really began.




And just after finishing our abundant treat, the courtesy clerk from Albertson's called and our missing green croc was located on the canned food aisle.

Thank goodness someone found it. And the popcorn popper.

Now if I could just hide those noisy toys, I'd be a really happy person.