What Did Mommy Just Say?

Mommy dreams of a day when she'll stop referring to herself in third person. She dreams of a day when she can once more return to the land of civilized conversation. Until that day those that overhear her must think her amnesiac, or a simpleton at best.
And, how could one not think that given that most of her dialogues consist of any number of the following phrases:
"Mommy said we will not use potty water to brush our teeth and wash our hair!"
"How many times has Mommy told you we DO NOT wipe our boogers on the T.V. screen?"
"Hasn't Mommy asked you not to go through her nightstand? That is a breast pump, not a trumpet."
And, the phrase that would most often leave people scratching their heads,
"What did Mommy just say?"
Because clearly, if Mommy can't remember what she just said, then surely she must be an amnesiac simpleton. Indeed.

Secondborn Treats Me Like A Dog

Secondborn treats me like a dog. No. It's true. And, what's more, she learned it from Firstborn......who I should acknowledge learned it from me.

I guess what comes to mind first is, 'Mommy is as Mommy does'. By now I'm sure I've most of you scratching your heads. So, let me explain.

Before Firstborn and Secondborn came into my life there was another baby. A chubby, wrinkly, black baby, a pug named Lola who was the light of my life for five years before giving birth to my son. And, as so often is the case when your first babies happen to be furry and the real deal arrives, that first baby is sent to the dog house.

Lola has persevered through the years since Firstborn's birth. She has grown older with dignity and many, many pounds. She has lost much of her hearing, but never her faithfulness and devotion. She has endured many jokes regarding having chased one too many parked cars from my father, as well as silly string bombardments from my kids.

My children have closely watched my relationship with Lola just as she has closely watched mine with them. Firstborn quickly picked up on how to call her when needed. Because of her severe deafness one must first clap hands and then slap one's leg loudly while yelling, "C'mon, Lola. C'mon."

Hubby and I both got the biggest giggles when Firstborn began doing this when he was two years old. And, we really never thought much about it until recently.

I would be off somewhere else in the house when Secondborn, now almost two years old, would track me down. She would point down the hall towards her bedroom first clapping her hands, then slapping her leg loudly all the while yelling, "C'mon, Mommy. C'mon."

Somewhat taken aback at first, I tried my best to understand how this came to be. Slowly, it all came to me. This was how I called Lola. This was how Firstborn not only called Lola, but how he called Secondborn as well. And, having learned it from a most reliable source, this was how Secondborn learned to call all those of most importance to her.

Well, I suppose it could be worse. Right?

Big News

I alluded to something in yesterday's post regarding new things unfolding. Well, having never been one who could wait for a finished product I'm going to let you in on the secret.

Remember me mentioning I've been receiving lots of messages, emails, and comments regarding canning and home preserving? My dear, sweet, hubby has been talking to me and has finally convinced me to launch a web site doing just that. He also wants me to begin teaching classes and selling wares, but, baby steps. Baby steps.

The site will give tips, how tos, recipes, as well as my own experiences, failures or successes. I do not claim to be an expert. But, I will gladly share what I do know with those who are interested in learning the noble and satisfying art of food preservation. I will also gladly accept any advice from those willing to help me expand my knowledge.

So, please visit my site at canningconfessions.com. I would greatly appreciate your support. And, comments are always welcome! Let me hear from each and everyone of you.

P.S.

I just launched the site last night. It's in the infant stage and will be undergoing drastic....errr well, it's just going to be growing. So, check back daily to see what's new. You'll be able to follow on Facebook as well. Thanks :)

Pineapple Paradise

Thank the heavens! The natives were not nearly as restless today as they were yesterday. And, since I was not constantly having to play referee I was afforded ample time in the kitchen to make eight quarter pints of pineapple jam that actually set! There was some cause for concern at first. You see, after the great "peach butter scorching"incident of '10 I'm always weary of leaving my product on the flames too long. But, after giving it a good sample this evening I can assure you that is indeed "set".

I also made six half pints of strawberry-pineapple conserves with walnuts and golden raisins. I wanted to add a strawberry liquore to it, but that would have required the great hassle of loading up children and making a run to the store. It's still a decadent dessert topper even without the liquore. I can hardly wait to smother a pound cake or cheesecake in it!

There was also four half pints of pineapple and Chinese five spice marinade that will be perfect on pork. And, since I had more pineapple than I had empty jars on hand I made up a batch of a tropical freezer jam that included strawberries, mandarin oranges, banana, and of course, pineapple.

I'm too pooped to give up recipes at the moment, but check back. There are new things happening that hopefully will be unfolding soon.

On The Road....Again

Has it really been four months since my last post? Wow. That's bad, even for me. But, I've got good reasons.....wait for it....You see, we moved. Again.

I know. I know. It's ridiculous the amount of moving we've done in the past two years. When we were dating Hubby informed me that he was somewhat nomadic. I suppose I should have paid more attention.

So, where are we now, you ask? Texas. That's right. We've landed smack dab in the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. Dallas. Well, Frisco to be more exact. Oh, and get this. My neighbor across my alley is named J.R. Sadly, his last name is not Ewing.

Hubby finally found an "out" from the restaurant world and jumped on it like a duck on a june bug. He's now working for a software company. We see more of him now than I think we have collectively over the past few years. And, he really likes his job.

Firstborn just turned four a few weeks back. And Secondborn will turn two exactly a month from today. They've both had the normal transition issues, but seem to really enjoy it here.

I'm taking longer to adjust, but that's quite normal. Change has never been a great friend of mine, but that's something I'm working at, well, changing.

It helps to have something to keep my mind off my homesickness. And, it just so happens that it's that time of year again when I can focus on my canning and preserving. Last week I canned 10 cans of chicken stock, seven half pints of strawberry-lemon marmalade, five half pints of freezer strawberry-banana jam, and six half pints of strawberry jam. I've also cooked and froze nearly 10 cups of shredded chicken.

I spent a good portion of this morning cleaning, coring, and chopping pineapples to be used in pineapple jam, pineapple-strawberry conserves, and pineapple and Chinese five spice jam/marinade. The natives were fairly restless this morning and not nearly obliging as they were last week when their behavior allowed me so much uninterrupted time for my obsession.

I've had several requests and more than a few emails/Facebook messages to detail what I'm doing and include recipes. So, it seems this blog will be taking an interesting turn over the course of this summer. I hope you don't mind. In fact, I rather hope you like it. And, if you do like it, pass it on!