Sarah's Key

 Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay is about the importance of remembering history. The history of this book takes place in Paris in 1942. 10 year old Jewish girl, Sarah, along with her mother and father are arrested as part of the Vel'd'Hiv' roundup. Before they were arrested, Sarah told her little brother to hide in a secret cupboard in their house. Sarah locked him in to keep him safe, thinking that she would be back to get him. Sarah carried that key, trying to get back to her brother locked in the cupboard, thinking of him as she endured one of the worst times in Paris' history. It is this history that helps a woman, Julia, 60 years later as she researches about the Vel' d'Hiv' and discovers that Sarah's family lived in the same apartment that her husband grew up in after Sarah was forced to leave. Sarah's key unlocks a dark secret that brings these two families together.
I know, another book from WWII...I am just fascinated with that time period. It is in these books that I read about the very worst and the very best in people. I even have another one on hold at the library. This was a good book. It was sad because of the time period of WWII. It does have some strong language, which I hate. I also thought that the ending was too drawn out...but a good book nonetheless.

Sloppy Joes and Sweet Potato Fries

This was a yummy combination:

Sloppy Joes

recipe from my Grandma W. 

• 2 lbs ground beef or turkey
• 1 onion chopped fine
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 12 oz tomato juice
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp mustard
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Brown beef and onion, drain grease. Add flour and stir thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 1 hour, stirring frequently. ( After I added the flour to the beef, I just through it all in my slow cooker and let cook on low for about 3 hours).

Sweet Potato Fries

recipe from Ina Garten

• 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut sweet potatoes in wedges or like french fries. Place wedges on large baking pan or cookie sheet. Pour over olive oil, and toss to mix. Now sprinkle over brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat wedges. Spread out in a single layer. Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then take out and turn wedges over. Place back in oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Sprinke with extra kosher salt to taste. The cooking time will depend on how big the wedges are. Enjoy! Note: These are also good with a little ground cumin sprinkled with the other seasonings. Have fun and experiment!

Enjoy!

Some Real Thrills

Here are some of our favorite things that my kids and I have done during this year of blogging:

SpEGGtacular Eggs - different ways to dye eggs
April Fools Pranks - a LOVE a good, clean prank...especially on my kids
Rub-A-Dub-Dub Fun in the Tub - 4 activities to do in the bath
Hi Ho! Chocolate-Chippy-O - not your ordinary Hi Ho! Cherry-O game
Kool-Aid Play Dough - make your own play dough that smells good too
Fall Nature Hunt Bracelets- a fun Fall scavenger hunt that makes a fashion statement
Magic Mud - ooooey and goooey fun
Oobi Eyes Glove Puppets - fun puppets made from gloves and hair accessories
Kid Wash - my most popular post...make your own sprinkler to ride bikes through
Shaving Cream Finger Painting - finger painting that cleans your counter tops
Goin' On a Bear Hunt - fun activity to do with a classic song
City Construction - turn your floor into a busy highway and city

I hope these ideas help you have a thrilling time with your kids!!

Word Up

Words have the power to make us laugh, cry, inspire, think, learn...the list is endless. Here are some of my favorite Wednesday's Words:
Springtime of Motherhood - tending to our gardens as mothers
Weaving - stitch by stitch we are weaving something beautiful
Dear Santa - a Mom's wish list
Indiana Grandma, Wicked Wanda, and Spooky Sam - my grandma's "spook"tacular Halloween party ideas
Your True Love Said To You...- 11 days of little gifts that go with a poem to give to your true love before an anniversary/birthday
My Own Kind of Best Mom - stop comparing yourself to others - be your own kind of best mom
Squeeze Every Minute of Life - live life to its fullest
Before I was a Mom... what motherhood has done to us
Whatever! - a great thing to say during life's crazy moments
Day Old Child - a poem about babies
Getting Delirious - enjoy playing with your kids

Top Ten Tuesday's Triumphs

And the TOP TEN Tuesday's Triumphs are.....
10. Chore Charts Revamped...Again...Our chore chart system that has been working great!
9. Make Your Own Laundry Detergent - so easy, inexpensive, and works like a charm
8. Don't Hold Your Breath - after 3 months, Kaylee cleaned up
7. SUPER Costumes - make your own super capes
6. SUPER Nathan - potty trained at last!
5. A Sister For a Minute - Travis' extreme makeover
4. Hairy Haircuts - save $ by cutting your boy's hair
3. Code "Balloon" - help kids control their anger before they pop
2. Babies Don't Keep - relax, take time to hold your kids

And the #1 most viewed Tuesday's Triumph is.....

Entertainment Center to Play Kitchen - making something old...

into something new:

My Most Maddening Mondays

I have experienced a lot of maddening moments over the last year...here are some of the worst, grossest, and days that I didn't think that I could live through:

If You Give a Mom a Minute - my take on "If You Give a Pig a Pancake"
Spring "Break" Defined - Spring "Break" is no break!
A Mom's March Madness - Being a Mom is a lot like basketball
Why? - Nathan's catch all phrase
Twas Two Day's After Christmas - and all through our abode....
Waiting - to find out what was wrong with Aaron
If Mama Had Said There'd Be Days Like This - thanks for not telling me Mom!
Travis The Troll - talk about bad hair days!
Free Year Old Giveaway - my first giveaway with no takers
Big Bum - kids are too honest!
Nathan the Tornado - this one stinks!
It's Tomorrow - waiting to clean until tomorrow
Mommy's Tantrums - send me to me room...please!
Yellow Baby Poop Stains...BLAAAAH! - ick!

Inspirational Scriptures

Have a great Sabbath Day! Here are some of my favorite Sunday's Scriptures:

Honor Thy Mothers - a funny little "psalm" about motherhood
Calming The Storm - reach up, He will help you
Refocus on What Matters Most - refocus on priorities
Create Something of Beauty - improve the world within you
Gratitude Ratio - how often do we express our gratitude?
Hold on to the Children - teaching our children to hold on to the faith
Looking Through Dirty Windows - judging others
Temples and Homes - making our homes sacred like a temple
Teaching Kids to Fish - teaching our kids to be spiritually steadfast
All is Well! - lessons to learn from the Pioneers
Encircle Our Little Ones - my favorite scripture story applied to parenthood
Patience=Success - patience...what I need to work on
Pep Talk From President Hinckley - one of my favorite talks

Wow, that was a lot more than I had planned on...if you haven't read your scriptures today here you go!