This is Owen's new catch phrase.
"Habe you eber noticed?"
He prefaces many tidbits of information and wisdom with this phrase.
Tonight, as we were eating Kev's delicious pork roast dinner, Owen pipes up with baby carrot in hand.... "Dad. Dad. Habe you eber noticed that I can chew like a beaver?" Chomp chomp chomp on the baby carrot. Three minutes later, he chimes in with "Habe you eber noticed.... that you have to brush your teeth all the way until you die?"
Owen's observations on life color our family dinner conversations with so much fun.
I just love that O.
Have you ever noticed?
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
My Hyena
Earlier this month, Owen was infected with this unctrollable laughter. He started it in the car on the drive home from dinner one night. This deep, guttural, incessant giggle.
And he had the rest of us cracking up. As usual.
So, when we got home, I captured some of the hilarity on video.
What in the sam hades was he hopped up on?
Who knows. But this video barely captures even a fraction of his hyena impersonation that evening. Oh Owen.
And he had the rest of us cracking up. As usual.
So, when we got home, I captured some of the hilarity on video.
What in the sam hades was he hopped up on?
Who knows. But this video barely captures even a fraction of his hyena impersonation that evening. Oh Owen.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Interview with my kids
This was seriously so much fun to do. I love how their little personalities shine through in all of their replies. I interviewed each kid separately and typed their responses pretty much verbatim. I should have videoed this instead of transcribed it. Maybe next time!! Items in parentheses are comments that I either said, did, or thought during the interview.
Enjoy.
1. What is something Mom always says to you?
Owen (4) - I love you
Liam (7) - You yell at me
Jordyn (13) - Clean your room.
2. What makes Mom happy?
Owen (4) - Kisses
Liam (7) - When I do nice things to my brother
Jordyn (13) - Wine
3. What makes Mom sad?
Owen (4) - No kisses
Liam (7) - When I don't give you hugs or kisses
Jordyn (13) - What makes you sad? Umm, when we're sad? Or troubled or whatever you want to say.
4. How does your Mom make you laugh?
Owen (4) - Talking Funny
Liam (7) - Pretty much nothing. You don't make me laugh at all.
Jordyn (13) - You make me laugh, I don't know, you just do. Like when you sing. Or when you laugh at me when I do something stupid, because when someone laughs, it's like a disease and I laugh, too.
5. What was your Mom like as a child?
Owen (4) - I don't know you haven't told me.
Liam (7) - Smart and talented? I'm just guessing that.
Jordyn (13) - MMMmmm, POPULAR. At least when she got to highschool. Stubborn and said "vaccum's too heavy" and got away with it. How come I can't say that??!!
6. How old is your Mom?
Owen (4) - 16
Liam (7) - 36
Jordyn (13) - 36
7. How tall is your Mom?
Owen (4) - Forty Feet Tall
Liam (7) - Can we get that lizard thingy majiggy. I'd say about 5 feet.
Jordyn (13) - 5'5", 5'4", I don't know, how tall are you? (I'm 5'4") OOOHHH I called it!
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Owen (4) - Work
Liam (7) - Go drinking with your friends. (Um, Excuse meeee…as I motion to the scrapbook layouts hanging on the wall.) Oh, wait, scrapbooking.
Jordyn (13) - Scrapbook. That one was easy.
9. What does your Mom do when you're not around?
Owen (4) - I don't know
Liam (7) - Watch movies with Dad and Owen. Or scrapbook.
Jordyn (13) - Clean, probably. No, she probably does that when I'm here. Clean. Or Scrapbook. Or go to your little theatre things. Who's Edgar Allen Poe?
10. If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Owen (4) - Loving People
Liam (7) - The best scrapbooker
Jordyn (13) - Probably, like a famous scrapbooker person who makes those books and stuff like that. Be on the Style and TLC channel.
11. What is your Mom really good at?
Owen (4) - Cleaning
Liam (7) - Scrapbooking
Jordyn (13) - You're really good at being nice to people, I think. (Are you just kissing my butt?) No, I mean, like Scrapbooking. And helping me match.
12. What is your Mom not very good at?
Owen (4) - Balance Beaming (seriously, you could not make this stuff up)
Liam (7) - Fishing
Jordyn (13) - You are not very good at, like, I don't know how to explain it. You are not very good at being calm when you get mad. You can get scary sometimes. (BIG LAUGHTER) You are, you can get REALLY scary.
13. What does your Mom do for her job?
Owen (4) - Work
Liam (7) - You work and like help them and stuff.
Jordyn (13) - (She should know this, because I came to her career day at school last year.) You work with computers, and you make car parts, and like sell them to companies. I think that's what you still do. (not quite)
14. What is your Mom's favorite food?
Owen (4) - Brats
Liam (7) - Steak
Jordyn (13) - Is something with cheese. And wine. And all that stuff that you say I should like, but I don't so you say I'm not related.
15. What makes you proud of your Mom?
Owen (4) - Plant Flowers
Liam (7) - When you make a scrapbook page about me.
Jordyn (13) - That we have a nice house and that we have a nice family and you have a job, sorry dad, and that you're just very successful. (Kevin was not around during the interview, so I'm not sure why Jordyn apologized to him.)
16. If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Owen (4) - A mom one
Liam (7) - The Pokemon trainer named May
Jordyn (13) - You would probably be….that's a hard one. I don’t know, there's a lot of cartoons. Why are you writing down everything I say? Daisy Duck, I don't know, or Minnie Mouse. One of those.
17. What do you and your Mom do together?
Owen (4) - Plant Flowers
Liam (7) - Scrapbook sometimes.
Jordyn (13) - Clean and sometimes shop. Or we watch shows together. Jon & Kate plus Eight and stuff.
18. How are you and your Mom the same?
Owen (4) - I don't know. We plant flowers the same
Liam (7) - We both like asking questions. Or we both like making stuff.
Jordyn (13) - We probably, um, I sometimes get mad like you do sometimes. Do you laugh at a lot of things that are stupid, or is that just me? Because I laugh at anything, unless it's REALLY stupid. OOOOHHH! We both like being with our friends. And that's all I know.
19. How are you and your Mom different?
Owen (4) - Play and Work
Liam (7) - You're not that into sports, and I am.
Jordyn (13) - You like to clean and I don't.
20. How do you know your Mom loves you?
Owen (4) - Cause I love you
Liam (7) - Because you say it all the time.
Jordyn (13) - Because you do. You just do. You're my mom.
21. What does your Mom like most about your Dad?
Owen (4) - Kisses
Liam (7) - That he's convenient. What does that mean? Or you could just put that he's funny, smart, aaaaand............he likes sports.
Jordyn (13) - Uuuummm. His sense of humor? Even though it's pretty cheesy, but that's OK.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Owen (4) - Italia Gardens
Liam (7) - I would be guessing Papa Joe's.
Jordyn (13) - On our beach.
Enjoy.
1. What is something Mom always says to you?
Owen (4) - I love you
Liam (7) - You yell at me
Jordyn (13) - Clean your room.
2. What makes Mom happy?
Owen (4) - Kisses
Liam (7) - When I do nice things to my brother
Jordyn (13) - Wine
3. What makes Mom sad?
Owen (4) - No kisses
Liam (7) - When I don't give you hugs or kisses
Jordyn (13) - What makes you sad? Umm, when we're sad? Or troubled or whatever you want to say.
4. How does your Mom make you laugh?
Owen (4) - Talking Funny
Liam (7) - Pretty much nothing. You don't make me laugh at all.
Jordyn (13) - You make me laugh, I don't know, you just do. Like when you sing. Or when you laugh at me when I do something stupid, because when someone laughs, it's like a disease and I laugh, too.
5. What was your Mom like as a child?
Owen (4) - I don't know you haven't told me.
Liam (7) - Smart and talented? I'm just guessing that.
Jordyn (13) - MMMmmm, POPULAR. At least when she got to highschool. Stubborn and said "vaccum's too heavy" and got away with it. How come I can't say that??!!
6. How old is your Mom?
Owen (4) - 16
Liam (7) - 36
Jordyn (13) - 36
7. How tall is your Mom?
Owen (4) - Forty Feet Tall
Liam (7) - Can we get that lizard thingy majiggy. I'd say about 5 feet.
Jordyn (13) - 5'5", 5'4", I don't know, how tall are you? (I'm 5'4") OOOHHH I called it!
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Owen (4) - Work
Liam (7) - Go drinking with your friends. (Um, Excuse meeee…as I motion to the scrapbook layouts hanging on the wall.) Oh, wait, scrapbooking.
Jordyn (13) - Scrapbook. That one was easy.
9. What does your Mom do when you're not around?
Owen (4) - I don't know
Liam (7) - Watch movies with Dad and Owen. Or scrapbook.
Jordyn (13) - Clean, probably. No, she probably does that when I'm here. Clean. Or Scrapbook. Or go to your little theatre things. Who's Edgar Allen Poe?
10. If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Owen (4) - Loving People
Liam (7) - The best scrapbooker
Jordyn (13) - Probably, like a famous scrapbooker person who makes those books and stuff like that. Be on the Style and TLC channel.
11. What is your Mom really good at?
Owen (4) - Cleaning
Liam (7) - Scrapbooking
Jordyn (13) - You're really good at being nice to people, I think. (Are you just kissing my butt?) No, I mean, like Scrapbooking. And helping me match.
12. What is your Mom not very good at?
Owen (4) - Balance Beaming (seriously, you could not make this stuff up)
Liam (7) - Fishing
Jordyn (13) - You are not very good at, like, I don't know how to explain it. You are not very good at being calm when you get mad. You can get scary sometimes. (BIG LAUGHTER) You are, you can get REALLY scary.
13. What does your Mom do for her job?
Owen (4) - Work
Liam (7) - You work and like help them and stuff.
Jordyn (13) - (She should know this, because I came to her career day at school last year.) You work with computers, and you make car parts, and like sell them to companies. I think that's what you still do. (not quite)
14. What is your Mom's favorite food?
Owen (4) - Brats
Liam (7) - Steak
Jordyn (13) - Is something with cheese. And wine. And all that stuff that you say I should like, but I don't so you say I'm not related.
15. What makes you proud of your Mom?
Owen (4) - Plant Flowers
Liam (7) - When you make a scrapbook page about me.
Jordyn (13) - That we have a nice house and that we have a nice family and you have a job, sorry dad, and that you're just very successful. (Kevin was not around during the interview, so I'm not sure why Jordyn apologized to him.)
16. If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Owen (4) - A mom one
Liam (7) - The Pokemon trainer named May
Jordyn (13) - You would probably be….that's a hard one. I don’t know, there's a lot of cartoons. Why are you writing down everything I say? Daisy Duck, I don't know, or Minnie Mouse. One of those.
17. What do you and your Mom do together?
Owen (4) - Plant Flowers
Liam (7) - Scrapbook sometimes.
Jordyn (13) - Clean and sometimes shop. Or we watch shows together. Jon & Kate plus Eight and stuff.
18. How are you and your Mom the same?
Owen (4) - I don't know. We plant flowers the same
Liam (7) - We both like asking questions. Or we both like making stuff.
Jordyn (13) - We probably, um, I sometimes get mad like you do sometimes. Do you laugh at a lot of things that are stupid, or is that just me? Because I laugh at anything, unless it's REALLY stupid. OOOOHHH! We both like being with our friends. And that's all I know.
19. How are you and your Mom different?
Owen (4) - Play and Work
Liam (7) - You're not that into sports, and I am.
Jordyn (13) - You like to clean and I don't.
20. How do you know your Mom loves you?
Owen (4) - Cause I love you
Liam (7) - Because you say it all the time.
Jordyn (13) - Because you do. You just do. You're my mom.
21. What does your Mom like most about your Dad?
Owen (4) - Kisses
Liam (7) - That he's convenient. What does that mean? Or you could just put that he's funny, smart, aaaaand............he likes sports.
Jordyn (13) - Uuuummm. His sense of humor? Even though it's pretty cheesy, but that's OK.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Owen (4) - Italia Gardens
Liam (7) - I would be guessing Papa Joe's.
Jordyn (13) - On our beach.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Love Me Sexy Chili Master
For the second year in a row, Kevin's chili won at our friends chili cook off.
Yes, he is the undefeated Kick Ass Chili Cook Off Champion.
Last year, I believe his win was totally warranted.
He looked and looked for weeks to find a particular chili recipe he had seen in a previous issue of Maxim. Scouring old issues of Maxim to find the recipe. Calling his brother Brian (also a Maxim subscriber) to ask him if he remembered seeing the recipe and could find it. Brian couldn't find it either.
He gave up looking for THIS recipe and had resigned to finding another one, and wouldn't you know, just when he had given up looking for the recipe? He stumbled upon it during one of his visits to the "library" during which his Maxim magazines help him pass the time.
The recipe called for tenderloin (or sirloin, I forget - but it was chunks of meat instead of ground something or other). And some special Ancho chiles and sea salt...and a whole lot of other stuff that I have no idea what all of the ingredients were because I don't really cook and don't pay that close attention.
But I do remember that he even did a "test run" of this recipe the weekend before the big cook off so that he could tweak if needed. And tweaking was needed (I think he said he used too much sea salt....whatever, it wasn't perfect and he knew what to do next time to make it perfect.)
Anyway, the point is that last year, he put in some real EFFORT. And in the end, it truly was the best chili there (at least I thought so, and I did indeed vote for it), even though it looked like sludge and people were somewhat wary to try it.
It was spicy - but in a robust flavorful kind of way rather than in a so-damn-hot-it-burns-off-all-your-taste-buds-don't-even-bother-eating-it kind of way.
And we named the chili "Ancho Mama's Chili" to pay homage to the ancho chiles that were used (get it?!? Ain't Yo Mama's Chili. OK, good, glad you get it.)
And he won. A warranted win. And he was proud. And I was proud.
So that brings us to this year. This year, Kev felt no pressure or need to defend his "title". And he really was in no mood to put any kind of effort into it. To the point where I told our hosts that since we won last year's cook off, we would supply the prize for this year's cook off.
So, this little mother trucker throws some stuff in a pot. No recipe. Just some ground meat, a package of McCormick's chili seasoning (is that cheating?), some fresh jalapeno peppers, and lord knows what else. Throws it all in a pot and called it a day.
No searching for the perfect recipe.
No test run.
No top shelf meat.
And it was good. I tasted it before we left for the party. I told him "It's good, hon, really good, but not award winning."
And off we went to the Kick Ass Chili Cook Off, not expecting to win.
The best thing he had going for him was what he named the chili.
Love Me Sexy Chili
If you've never seen the Will Ferrell flick Semi-Pro, then you won't get the reference. If you have seen the movie, then you will agree that it is a freaking hysterical name for a chili...or anything, really. Just click here to enjoy the hilarity of it all.
I figured, well, sex does sell, so maybe his chili will win because of the sex in the name of the chili. But probably not.
I mean, there was some steep competition there...from the "Same Damn Chili" to the "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" chili, to the Louisiana gumbo inspired Mardi Gras chili whose crock pot was decorated with Mardi Gras beads...my point is, if you haven't gotten it already, I fully did not expect Kevin's chili to win.
Primarily, because I ASSUMED that everyone else liked the Mardi Gras chili as much as I did and that they OBVIOUSLY would have voted for it just like I did. Plus, I had picked the winner last year, it only makes sense that I would pick the winner again this year. I mean who wouldn't vote for it?
Well, Kevin, for one.
He voted for his own chili, again, this year. And that's his right as a voter (I asked if it was cheating but everyone assured me that it wasn't).
In the end, Love Me Sexy Chili got the most votes! Followed by a tie for second place by Lisa & Patty (oddly enough, Lisa & Patty both tied for second place last year, too!)
But the Chili Master did it again.
The Love Me Sexy Chili Master, to be exact.
And I was dumbfounded. Stupefied. Could. Not. (still.can.not.quite) Believe that he won.
So I handed over the prize that we had brought...the roll of toilet paper went to Kevin. And the bottle of wine...from CHILE! (intended for the winners) went, instead, to our hosts.
What a fun night!
Look out chili champion hopefuls, Kev might try and come back for a three-peat next year!
Yes, he is the undefeated Kick Ass Chili Cook Off Champion.
Last year, I believe his win was totally warranted.
He looked and looked for weeks to find a particular chili recipe he had seen in a previous issue of Maxim. Scouring old issues of Maxim to find the recipe. Calling his brother Brian (also a Maxim subscriber) to ask him if he remembered seeing the recipe and could find it. Brian couldn't find it either.
He gave up looking for THIS recipe and had resigned to finding another one, and wouldn't you know, just when he had given up looking for the recipe? He stumbled upon it during one of his visits to the "library" during which his Maxim magazines help him pass the time.
The recipe called for tenderloin (or sirloin, I forget - but it was chunks of meat instead of ground something or other). And some special Ancho chiles and sea salt...and a whole lot of other stuff that I have no idea what all of the ingredients were because I don't really cook and don't pay that close attention.
But I do remember that he even did a "test run" of this recipe the weekend before the big cook off so that he could tweak if needed. And tweaking was needed (I think he said he used too much sea salt....whatever, it wasn't perfect and he knew what to do next time to make it perfect.)
Anyway, the point is that last year, he put in some real EFFORT. And in the end, it truly was the best chili there (at least I thought so, and I did indeed vote for it), even though it looked like sludge and people were somewhat wary to try it.
It was spicy - but in a robust flavorful kind of way rather than in a so-damn-hot-it-burns-off-all-your-taste-buds-don't-even-bother-eating-it kind of way.
And we named the chili "Ancho Mama's Chili" to pay homage to the ancho chiles that were used (get it?!? Ain't Yo Mama's Chili. OK, good, glad you get it.)
And he won. A warranted win. And he was proud. And I was proud.
So that brings us to this year. This year, Kev felt no pressure or need to defend his "title". And he really was in no mood to put any kind of effort into it. To the point where I told our hosts that since we won last year's cook off, we would supply the prize for this year's cook off.
So, this little mother trucker throws some stuff in a pot. No recipe. Just some ground meat, a package of McCormick's chili seasoning (is that cheating?), some fresh jalapeno peppers, and lord knows what else. Throws it all in a pot and called it a day.
No searching for the perfect recipe.
No test run.
No top shelf meat.
And it was good. I tasted it before we left for the party. I told him "It's good, hon, really good, but not award winning."
And off we went to the Kick Ass Chili Cook Off, not expecting to win.
The best thing he had going for him was what he named the chili.
Love Me Sexy Chili
If you've never seen the Will Ferrell flick Semi-Pro, then you won't get the reference. If you have seen the movie, then you will agree that it is a freaking hysterical name for a chili...or anything, really. Just click here to enjoy the hilarity of it all.
I figured, well, sex does sell, so maybe his chili will win because of the sex in the name of the chili. But probably not.
I mean, there was some steep competition there...from the "Same Damn Chili" to the "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" chili, to the Louisiana gumbo inspired Mardi Gras chili whose crock pot was decorated with Mardi Gras beads...my point is, if you haven't gotten it already, I fully did not expect Kevin's chili to win.
Primarily, because I ASSUMED that everyone else liked the Mardi Gras chili as much as I did and that they OBVIOUSLY would have voted for it just like I did. Plus, I had picked the winner last year, it only makes sense that I would pick the winner again this year. I mean who wouldn't vote for it?
Well, Kevin, for one.
He voted for his own chili, again, this year. And that's his right as a voter (I asked if it was cheating but everyone assured me that it wasn't).
In the end, Love Me Sexy Chili got the most votes! Followed by a tie for second place by Lisa & Patty (oddly enough, Lisa & Patty both tied for second place last year, too!)
But the Chili Master did it again.
The Love Me Sexy Chili Master, to be exact.
And I was dumbfounded. Stupefied. Could. Not. (still.can.not.quite) Believe that he won.
So I handed over the prize that we had brought...the roll of toilet paper went to Kevin. And the bottle of wine...from CHILE! (intended for the winners) went, instead, to our hosts.
What a fun night!
Look out chili champion hopefuls, Kev might try and come back for a three-peat next year!
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