What's Going On

Pregnancy is wearing me out.  I realize that I haven't been blogging much lately, so here's what's been going on with the Losavios.

Our Elf on the Shelf arrived last Wednesday.  "Crumpet" has been moving all over the house, but hasn't caused any mischief yet.  I certainly wouldn't mind if he wanted to tidy up the house or bake cookies.  If you're wondering how we came up with the name "Crumpet," read or listen to The SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving at our home last week.  My dad and brother drove up from Daphne, Alabama, and Jim's mom Emma was with us from Michigan. 

We served:
Turkey
Rice Dressing (part of Paul's family's tradition)
Holiday Sweet Potatoes
Stuffing (my secret recipe)
Triple Corn Casserole
20 pounds of Mashed Potatoes
Bacon-wrapped Green Beans

We still have some leftovers if you're hungry. 

Last Friday was the Iron Bowl, the annual match-up between Alabama and Auburn.  It was the last regular season game and also the last home game of the year.  Unfortunately, Alabama lost to Auburn by just one point.  It was a disappointing end to the season, but perhaps next year will be better.

Paul's band, Chinese Dentist, played a gig on Friday night.  The band has been together for a looong time, but rarely practices or plays a gig these days.  Only three of the five members still live in town.  They are able to get together about twice a year to play at a local bar, usually The Booth, Egan's, or Little Willie's.  Since the bar would be smoky, and I didn't want to catch any flack for being pregnant in a bar, I opted to stay home.  Check out some of the photos taken by a local photographer.

The demolition of the old Tuscaloosa County High School, which is practically in our backyard, is nearly complete.  I blogged about the demolition here and here before I got bored with it.  I'll post some pictures of the aftermath within the next few days.

I had my 32-week prenatal check-up this week.  Baby Losavio's heart rate is good, my weight gain is "perfect," my belly is measuring normal, and my blood pressure is good.  Everything is looking great.

So there is our week in review.  I hope that you have been having a good week.

November 27, 2008

This is Joey two years ago today.

It was her first Thanksgiving.

She was nine months old.

Look at those teeth!

I ate WAY too much today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful

I am thankful for my husband, Paul, who provides for our family and puts up with me.  It's not easy.  I am also thankful for my husband's job, even though it requires a moderate amount of travel.  I am also thankful that Paul is able to collect Sky Miles for all this travel. 

I am thankful for my daughter, Josephine.  She's brilliant, creative, silly, and, most importantly, healthy.  I struggle with motherhood sometimes, but I couldn't imagine my life without her.

I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy and for excellent health care.

I am thankful for our home.

I am thankful to have my mom and stepfather nearby to help with Joey, and soon, the new baby. 

I am thankful for Caillou for entertaining my kid and giving me breaks throughout the day.

I am thankful for my wonderful friends and that I'm able to share in their life changes, like marriage, pregnancy, and babies.

I am thankful for my parents, my brother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

I am thankful for great in-laws and fabulous brothers- and sisters-in-law.

I am thankful to have a dog who puts up with tail-pulling.

I am thankful that Joey likes to order vanilla milk at Starbucks and isn't yet hooked on the Frappuccino.

I am thankful that Gilt Groupe likes to send me account credits, and that I can occasionally get nice things for my girls for free.

I am thankful for my education.  I may not be "using" it, but things that I've learned have made me who I am.

I am thankful for modern plumbing and the high standards for sanitation in the US.

These are just some of the things that I'm thankful for, and not necessarily in that order.

What are you thankful for?

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

I realized today that Thanksgiving is barely more than 2 weeks away, which means that I've got a lot of work to do over the next two weeks.  Since we've lived in our home we've hosted dinner each year.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I love having friends and family over to celebrate.  The company and the menu are usually the same.  We achieved perfection early. 

This recipe for holiday sweet potatoes is a Losavio family tradition and is a definite crowd-pleaser.  I usually assemble it Thanksgiving Eve, and then bake it the next day while the turkey rests.  I look forward to eating it all year.

Holiday Sweet Potatoes
Serves 12

2 29 oz cans sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1 stick margarine or butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs, beaten

Mix the above ingredients and spread in a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Add topping of:

2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups broken nuts, such as pecans
1 cup self-rising flour
2 sticks margarine or butter, melted

Mix above ingredients and spread over potato mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for stretchy maternity pants.