shaun said, "You aren't cooking the ham, you're just heating it up." But I wasn't planning to buy an already-cooked ham -- I would like info on cooking a ham. Do you think it best to only heat a cooked ham in a slow cooker, rather than cooking an uncooked one? Though my friend's Coke idea really threw me, I was thinking perhaps it was somewhat similar to the pineapple juice in your recipe, for keeping the ham moist? I'm a bit confused. Tracey -- I'm almost speechless at the thought of boiling a ham in a 2-Liter bottle of Coke! LOL I can't quite wrap my mind around that; I was already having a hard time envisioning pouring 'only' a can of Coke over the ham. Also, the recipe calls for onion on the ham. Now, I love to use onion to flavor ribs or fresh pork (as a roast, or for pulled pork BBQ sandwiches) in the slow cooker, but somehow 'cured ham' and 'onion' don't seem to go together in my mind. My friend's suggestion of brown sugar does sound more appropriate to me than onion. Nigella Lawson cooks her ham in the oven, which I don't think I'll be able to do. But one thing is certain: You have really livened up my evening! The day had been rather humdrum 'til I read your post and then read that recipe. :-)

Mama, I can see how upsetting this must be. But there may be a silver lining here. All of us love our children, but at some point, they are on their own. Difficulties as they grow up strengthen them so when they are finally on their own, they are able to better handle challenging events.. From this event, they have learned some critical thinking skills which may serve them well in the future. I think the next family talk would be, what to do if someone shows up to pick them up (not just at school, but anywhere) saying that you sent them. The challenge to a parent or grandparent is to tailor these talks so they inform the children and get them to think, but do not scare them.

I would double check on the egg allergy rules to make sure it really means no baked goods with eggs. Everyone I've ever know who was allergic to eggs was just allergic to them in the flesh but usually not in cooked goods. Even then, I wouldn't think they would be a proximity worry if incorporated and cooked in baked goods. I wonder if the parents actually know the parameters of their child's egg allergy and are misinterpreting what it means. Of course, anything is possible and maybe it's as severe as it sounds. I'm glad someone mentioned cutting grapes and cherry tomatoes. No 2 year old should be given those whole because of the choking hazard. They should still be cut for even older children until their airways are larger and their chewing is more efficient. I think hummus is a great choice and it can be put into sandwiches instead of used as a dip. Same with thinks like tofu - you can make a tasty tofu salad, like tuna salad with well drained tofu. Season it or buy tofu products that are already seasoned. Coconut yogurt might be a good choice...it comes in many flavors. Edamame is healthy and kids love it. I buy the already shelled kind, but my grandson sometimes likes opening the pods and eating the beans. Be careful of things like Lunchables. They are loaded with salt and the smoked meats are not good for anyone to eat with any regularity. Tortillas or flatbread spread with seasoned refried beans, then rolled and cut into pinwheels might work for her. The seed butters are also good choices - sandwiches made with that and some jam or honey are yummy. It's a challenge, that's for sure. Good luck! eta: I see that coconut yogurt is not high protein but has lots of good nutritional elements. Here is a list of high protein vegan yogurts...some have nut milk, but many do not: https://foodsguy.com/high-protein-vegan-yogurt/

Here' s my take on it as a retired teacher in public schools, and a grandma of a 1 year old. Retired teacher: Kids need the socialization that comes with going to school. No amount of field trips with other home schoolers make up for the socialization. School busses are Hell the quality of classroom teachers is going down, and bringing in "experienced people" like chemists, business office, etc, usually ends up as teachers that know their stuff, but no idea how to connect with kids. They dont know how to TEACH. Kids will seek their own level of type of kids to socialize with. Good, smart kids socialize with the same, and kids who dont want to be there will find their own kind too. I think band, choir and athletics is a big positive in public schools for kids. Grandma--the one year old of ours has two grandmas that were teachers. We will work with him a lot. Private school with smaller classrooms would be good. But do private schools have band, choir and athletics? I would not want to home school my own kid. Private schools do not put up with the illegal stuff that goes on in public schools. So NO to homeschool, yes to private schools if one can afford it.