Baby Names - Scrambled eggs and spinachNever in a billion years would I

Scrambled eggs and spinach
Never in a billion years would I have guessed that any of my kids would eat scrambled eggs with spinach, but my girls are suddenly crazy for it. I make it for myself pretty often for lunch, or supper if I don't feel like cooking anything much, and one day they wanted a bite. I think I probably even said, "Uh, okay. I don't think you'll like it, though." Shows you what I know.

If you are looking for a healthy small meal or snack for your little one, try this out. And, if you have any other scrambled eggs with healthy stuff added variations that your kids like, lay 'em on me in the comments.

• Heat a small skillet over medium high heat with a touch of butter or olive oil
• Crack two or three eggs right into the pan, and stir them up a little
• Add a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves, as much as you like (remember, it'll cook down), and salt, if you like
  
• Keep stirring and scraping the cooked egg off the bottom until the eggs are all cooked and the spinach is dark green and cooked (it'll seem like it's taking too long and isn't going to work, then all of a sudden you'll be finished)

Next I'm going to see if they'll eat it with tomatoes.

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Portrait of a Working Mom: The Day Off

Filed under: Lifestyle, Adventures in Parenting, Working from home, Working out of home, Working moms, Working dads

Whether you stay at home, work from home or work outside the home, the concept of a day off is as foreign to most parents as the concept of placental abruption is to those who have yet to procreate. But somehow, when you are a working parent, the day off is a more marked thing. Marked specifically by the fact that your child is in your care -- ALL DAY.

I must admit, I'm out of practice. Much like sick days, I find myself scrambling for things to do. The realities of a day off BC (Before Child) involved laundry, grocery shopping, a healthy dose of socializing with friends and family, and a potentially unhealthy dose of French martinis. I still have many of those elements to pack into a weekend, except now I have a preschooler in tow. (Meaning the martinis are out, because parenting hungover really sucks.)

The errands and events must be scheduled around mealtimes, naptimes, the need for military strategy and surgical precision to go anywhere. And somewhere in there, you need to do something stimulating, and hopefully educational, for your child too. Some days, my day off seems like more work than going to work.

We try our best to plan something worthwhile, but often, there's hitch that throws off the whole day. And sometimes, you need to get something done around the house and rest at the same time. It's never too soon to teach multitasking, is it?

How do you structure your days off?

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Catholic teenager, Protestant foster parents

Filed under: Lifestyle, Teenager, 15-19 years

For nine years, a teenager, identified only as AR in court documents, lived with foster parents in Scotland. Now she is suing Highland Council for it. It seems that she was placed with Protestant families, despite being Catholic. According to papers filed by her lawyers, "The council failed to facilitate her continuing to follow her religious persuasion throughout the period she was looked after and accommodated."

Now, I understand that Protestants and Catholics don't get along over in that part of the world as well as they do here, but still, this seems a might petty. Would a "thank you for taking me in and feeding and clothing me" be too far out of line? On the other hand, if the foster parents tried to force her to convert or somehow treated her poorly for being Catholic, then perhaps she has a complaint.

I'd like to think that in such a situation, I'd nod politely at the whole religion thing and be damn thankful for their assistance. Heck, I'd even have no problem with going to services with them -- I grew up going to mass every Sunday and now I'm a champion thumb twiddler. Sometimes, that's just what you do. What do you think?

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