Friends vs. Opportunity

Another school?
We have been given a tough choice this week. My daughter has the option of switching to the local public school from the one she attends now. The one she attends now is fine, but the local one is great.
Originally, we registered her at our local school. We were surprised when they told us there was no room in the 5th grade for her there. Each of the schools only goes to the 5th grade. No matter where she ends up, she would be funneled into the same middle school. If she moves that will be 4 schools in 2 years.
We received the name of her new school and teacher the night before school started. Since we were disappointed already, we were dubious of this new school. Things have gone better than we thought they might. She is doing very well there. She has made friends and is excelling academically.
The concern is that she is not being challenged.Will she miss opportunities if we don't jump over to the 'better' school. If she switches, and there are benefits, will they outweigh the losses in the switching?
In an attempt to give her some sense of control in the situation I told her she could decide. I am regretting that now. I look at her and I see the stress from the weight of what should be an adult decision.
She is only 10 years old. I think this is too much pressure for her. When the subject comes up, her eyes well up. When I ask her why she says 'I don't know."
I will need to decide this for her. I am the Mother after all.
If it were me, I would move. I like new places and I am not a 10 year old girl trying to build friendships.
I truthfully just don't know what the right thing to do is.

Today's Snack: Popcorn.

I am a popcorn fiend. It has been my favorite snack for as long as I can remember.
As a little kid, I remember watching my Mom make popcorn in an electric oil popper. She would plug it in and I would try and get my face as close the big yellow dome as I could to watch the action.
Sometimes we would get brave and try a Jiffy pop. Those were never as exciting as the commercial.
Later we got an air popper. It was loud as heck. The popcorn was different since there was no oil. It still tasted good, but it would squeak on my teeth like Styrofoam. I loved the little metal butter dish that slid into the side like an easy bake oven.
Then came microwave popcorn. I ate a lot of that. Ultimately though, I am not a fan. It's too salty and just doesn't taste real to me.
When I moved out on my own I decided to learn to make popcorn in the stove top. This is the only to make popcorn. It's so easy! Why doesn't everyone do it this way?
Homemade popcorn, with real butter and the topping of your choice. Throw on a movie and pour your favorite drink over ice. What a great way to spend an afternoon!
If you have a nice heavy pan with a good lid, some cooking oil and a bag of popcorn kernels you are ready to go! The only hard part is deciding what topping to use.
Always start with real butter. I have known some people to skip the butter for health reasons. I am not one of them.
Purists will say real melted butter with just a pinch of salt is the only way to go. During my time in Oregon I learned about nutritional yeast as a topping. I had never heard of it. It was great! Now I keep a shaker of it in my cabinet.
A friend of mine clued me in on her her secret topping. She uses real butter then sprinkles it with ranch dressing mix. Delicious!
What about you? Does your family make popcorn together? Do you wait until you have the place to yourself and make a big bowl that you don't have to share?
Share with me! What is your favorite way to eat popcorn? Post some recipes. :)