Bugs and beautiful flowers

Here are a few reasons why heading to the nature preserve, or even the backyard, can be thrilling summer outings for kids, at least here in the Midwest.

Here's our favorite summer songstress — the cicada. Do you know, these bugs are eaten in some part of the world?


A monarch butterfly enjoying some lovely goldenrod. This scene was one of many from our recent nature walk.

Speaking of butterflies, here's some pretty butterfly weed. I think its color makes butterfly weed (it's not actually a weed, fyi) the most beautiful of the prairie wildflowers. I think many people consider wildflowers weeds, but what makes these plants less beautiful than a peony or a marigold?

I think these are black-eyed susans. They were among some of the plentiful, and colorful, varieties of wildflowers in bloom this time of year. I once spoke to a horticulturist who noted wildflowers are big, to-be-noticed kind of plants, something that scares away many timid gardeners. But these plant, native to the prairie, are familiar with the climate, don't need a lot of tending to and really are quite beautiful.

Child's play

I was jogging about a week ago when I noticed a particularly windy storm had knocked one of those backyard playsets down in a nearby neighborhood. Yesterday, I was running along the same route and noticed nobody had bothered to fix it.

It's part of the problem with DIY playsets. I see these overpriced kits (a very small set excluding lumber starts at a few hundred and the sky's the limit on high-end equipment) constructed all over town and see kids playing on them less than 1 percent of the time. What a waste.

I think the monotony is part of the reason for backyard playground failure. Kids like the park because there's always a chance other kids will be there. Sure the swings and the slide are fun, but it gets old after about the hundredth time.

It's also not uncommon to see these sets bordering community parks. That just screams, "We're too important to mingle with whatever commoner might be frequently my neighborhood playground." Also, they fall into disrepair from lack of use, or when a wind storm blows them over.

And people have blight issues with clotheslines.

I say the playground's biggest benefit is it's community building. Kids want to play with other kids! And if you're a stay at home parent, don't tell me you don't crave adult conversation, even if it ends up merely being about your 2-year-old's reluctance to eat anything but bread.

So stop the backyard madness, get out the bikes and ride to the park. You might be surprised what (and how many friends!) you might find there.

Practice camp

As I get older, I love the outdoors more and more. Cold. Hot. In between. If I could figure out a way to live outside, I just might give it a try.

So it's weird that my husband and I aren't the camping type. Sure, we'd like to be, but we didn't make the effort pre-kids and as any parent knows, picking up something like that post-kids can be impossible. For example, if you've got a kid who will barely sleep in a bed, how the heck are you supposed to get that kid to sleep in a tent!
This is the year we're going to really make an effort to do at least one camping trip. Now that our baby is 2, we're finally able to do things that seemed crazy just last year, like taking a train trip to Chicago that prepared us for the apocalypse.

Last night, we did a trial run in the backyard. By we, I mean my husband. And by trial run, I the real thing. Trial runs are great, because in case of failure, there's an easy escape hatch like a bedroom 30 feet away. And when you trial run, you realize the things you'll need for the real thing.

For instance:

• Couch cushions are no substitute for a second air mattress. Waking up on a couple of askew cushions with two small children on top of you is not, apparently, a recipe for a good night's sleep.
• If you're going to be getting a less than adequate night's sleep because of early risers and late downers (I realize that doesn't make too much sense, but bear with me), do not drink too much beer/wine and realize a hangover on just a few hours rest is something you do in your 20s.
• While we had a television, house lights, loud stereo and fridge in our house, nature will probably have less of that stuff. Bring light.

See how useful our trial run turned out to be? Come on nature. We're ready!

Bunny killer

It didn't take long before we forgot to let our dog inside when we headed out one day.

This resulted in a very quick end to our nest of bunnies. While we were saddened by the sight of tiny dead bunnies turned into tasty snacks by our beloved (and kind of disgusting) beagle, I do realize this is nature and nature cannot always be controlled.

We'll try harder next spring bunnies. Only, I hope your mama knows better than to birth you in a yard with a killer beagle.

Bunnies

Today, we discovered a nest of bunnies in our back yard.

Ahhhh. !!! Bunnies!!!

Obviously, mommy bunny wasn't too bright. A dog and two little kids equals bad place for baby bunnies. And because my husband and I aren't the kind of people who kill cute little baby bunnies, or let our dog kill the cute little baby bunnies, or can tolerate the sadness of having mother rabbit continually look for her cute baby bunnies we moved, we put a small fence around the nest.

Turns out, that was the right thing to do. In a few days, the bunnies will have hair. In 10 days, they'll be old enough to move around. I'm thinking of doing a bunny lesson for the girls.

Our neighbors probably think we're crazy. That's fine. At least I don't have to live as a bunny murderer. And that's fine by me.

Things you learn in nature

My 4-year-old daughter recently walked in on my husband peeing in the bathroom.

"Daddy! How are you doing that?"

A few days later, during a hike through some pretty deserted trails, she started jumping around demanding we return home. I took her behind some bushes and showed her how to squat and just pee outside. We too can be liberated. She laughed hysterically and peed all over my shoes.

Oh, what I wouldn't do for some guy equipment. Not all the time (it's pretty ugly, if you ask me) but definitely at sporting events, at nightclubs when the liquor has poured freely, and most definitely during hikes outdoors.

As green returns to the landscape, we've been spending more time just tooling around our area's green spaces. I can't think of a better way to whittle away some hours than hanging out with my kids in nature. Everything is new and wonderful. (I tried to find an online resources that lists green space, but it's pretty much a local effort. Check with the local parks and recreation department for a list of parks, trails and preserves.)

This morning, I suggested a walk somewhere close. I asked whether they wanted to go to the woods (we live about about a half mile from a small nature preserve) or the playground. My heart nearly burst when my 4-year-old shouted woods.

We even got serenaded with her new song, "I love the forest," on the way. A few birdwatchers let the girls look through their binoculars and told us about the black and white warbler they spotted.

I definitely love spring!

Eco-healthy

I love how green living is contagious.

I guess it's only in my own family, but maybe you have to be in really, really close proximity to catch an eco-cold.

My husband has hopped on the green-parenting train — well.... the city bus anyway. Since the weather turned more spring-like, he's been taking the bus more often. He likes to read the paper or a magazine, and he's prefers the mile-walk home from downtown rather than catching the transfer because it provides him with some fresh-air exercise after a busy day.

Speaking of getting some exercise, living mostly car free has been challenging after a fierce and exercise-lacking winter. Carting 70 pounds behind me after months of ignoring my thigh muscles is — let me tell you — no easy task. To compensate, and because I recently dog-sat for a farm hound who required much more exercise than my tiny plot allows, I started jogging.

These early morning jogs (check out this really inspiring PBS Nova special about regular people who train to run a marathon to help you set your clock an hour early) merely add to my optimism about enjoying the coming summer, spending time playing with my daughters, focusing on my family's overall health and really just enjoying life.

Wondering where all my self-deprecation has gone? Wow... It only took two years to finally get good at this. Who knew I was just a quick study!

Ready, set... Garden

Our family finally got the time to start our garden project. I'm really nervous my raised-bed plot, which we built yesterday and came out extremely good looking and sturdy despite my family's handy-gene deficiency, will look just as neat and plantless as it does at the moment.

But I began feeling really great about the prospect of growing veggies with the girls this summer.

In fact, I was feeling almost hopeful. That sounds super corny, right! But my daughters got in the dirt with me yesterday, planting our tiny radish and carrot seeds (I read these grow great together because radishes mature first, making space for the slower-growing carrots) and larger pea seeds. And bonus, my makeshift compost pile hasn't yet attracted rodents.

Now I'm thinking, "Maybe we can do this. We can teach the girls about nature, grow some kick-ass veggies and have a great time."


Or maybe it's the April Garden Flu that dies down sometime around the second week of drought and heat in mid-July. And this after $28 on lumber, $14 on topsoil and a few bucks on seeds, probably more than I'd spend if I bought grocery-store radishes every week between now and Labor Day.

Oh well. Now, if I can stop the girls from rolling around in the nice, fresh black dirt (not a joke), then we'll be all set.

But you can't ruin my euphoria, much like you can't convince me that daily red wine is a rock-solid solution to future heart problems. I'm going to go ahead and believe what I believe.

Happy belated Earth Day

So you might be wondering how I spent this annual honoring of all things eco. No? Well, here it is anyway.

I came into possession of a second car. At least temporarily.

My mom had to leave her car behind while she left for Las Vegas (I'm sure to encourage people to conserve water and ban the lawn) and now I have this set of wheels for scooting around town.

What makes the second car so dangerous is the freedom. Some days, when you don't feel like spending an hour on dinner or washing the kitchen floor, a trip around town seems like the perfect solution. Luckily, I've had enough of these car-accessible days during the dreary winter months to know they end up being more irritating than fun.

A day behind the wheel is often tedious and annoying. And with the recent brilliant weather, I see no reason to ditch the bike for an easier mode of transport. Plus, I'm just getting my bike muscles back.

So here's to Earth Day and knowing that just because you have access to a second car doesn't mean you have to use it.

Also.... My mom left her two dogs behind as well. I guess it's time to invest in some of those eco-friendly poop bags.

Turn up the heat

Every family has a dirty little secret. Even, our little eco-friendly clan.

We love to barbecue. And not just because we like to send a bunch of carbon emissions into the blue, clear sky on sustainable seafood and veggies.


Oh no... We're talking red meat.

I know. It's a horrible secret. But we're not alone. The Sierra Club tells me three out of four American households own a grill.

Nationwide, the estimated 60 million barbecues held on the Fourth of July alone consume enough energy—in the form of charcoal, lighter fluid, gas, and electricity—to power 20,000 households for a year.

Yikes. But here's a few hints to guilt-free grilling. Also, make sure you take your clean sheets off the line before your favorite family grill-master fires up the hardwood briquettes or you'll be sleeping with the aroma of your great smoky dinner.

Trust me. It's not as much fun as it sounds.

DONE: Ditch the VOC-laden lighter fluid for a chimney starter, which let's the head chef start the grill with just newspaper. It's a cost saver in the long run.

STILL WORKING: Buy locally raised meat. It typically has fewer issues with how they're raised and from long-distance shipping than those value packs of brats at your neighborhood superstore. This Times article has a good rundown of grilling a better burger. Don't forget that grilled veggies are pretty rockin'.

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: How about a solar ovens or stoves to avoid most emissions entirely. I'll go ahead and do this after my bio-plastic stock makes me a millionaire.

Awesome reasons for not driving

Spring has finally arrived and you really, really need to head to the mega-store for all sorts of supplies.

But bummer, you don't have the car.

The only thing left to do is hook the cart to your bike and head to the park. Don't forget a pretty substantial snack. You might be there for a while.

Cheap Green Tip 9: Grow your own

I kind of hate this tip. Mostly because I know that gardening does not come easy for many people (me, me and me) and it's actually kind of scary and expensive to get started.

But it's well worth it if you have the time and space. And if you don't, just grow some herbs in your kitchen to save money and the time it takes to scrape bits of gooey parsley off the bottom of your crisper drawer.


You might wonder, if I don't really garden, how in the hell am I supposed to write about how great it is? Well, because my family had a gardener and it was totally awesome. There's nothing in the world like fresh tomatoes on a hot August picnic. And there's nothing greater than opening one of your own jars of tomatoes long after the plants call it a season.

This summer, my family will again try to not have a failed garden. We stick with the easy stuff, tomatoes and peppers mostly. We have a place in the corner of our backyard that gets a lot of sun, although I've heard it's better to put a garden near the house in order to keep a better eye on it.

But sun trumps proximity.

We'll also attempt a small compost pile, mostly because I feel so awful anytime I throw carrot peels away. Those little bits of leftover produce apparently help create a pretty kickass soil.

Tip: If you just can't do it, either because you're a closed-in urbanite, you live on a rock or your thumb is as black as a Hummer-owner's heart, join a CSA. It's kind of expensive, mostly because often you have to pay upfront, but you get a big enough bounty each week to try your hand at freezing or canning for those veggie-lacking winter months.

Cheap Green Tip 7: Borrow

PBS has this great new ad. It shows all these things — a library, a school, the shoreline, beautiful landscapes.

After each, the screen says, "This belongs to you."

Really, I'm getting weepy right now just thinking of the ad. All those things, PBS included, DO belong to me.

Libraries, for instance, are great sources for all sorts of entertainment. Most libraries aren't limited to books. There are DVDs, music CDs, computer games and sometimes even toys. I could not afford to buy what I borrow every year from the library.

Don't forget to bring your own bag.

Speaking of bags, why not borrow instead of buy, if you're really into bags which I understand some people are. For a fee, almost anything can be rented. One company has a Netflix-like service for toys.

But really, the free stuff is the best stuff.

Take a walk to the city park and enjoy a picnic. Climb the playground equipment. Chase your kids. That land belongs to you, so you might as well use it.

Tip: Moms, lend out some of those giant maternity muumuus you're keeping, just in case. Your friends will give them back if the vasectomy doesn't hold. Same is true for the baby bath, cutie newborn duds and crib.

Cheap Green Tip 5: Line dry

Hanging the laundry out to dry is one of the easiest, and best feeling, ways to go green. I honestly think the whole process of hanging clothes is the quintessential example of how being more eco-friendly really means getting back to basics.
And this, in turn, means saving money.

Line drying can save you $100 a year in utility bills (there are other great reasons to line dry at that link). Also, dryers are tough on clothes so line-drying helps them last a little longer.

Bonus for busy parents, line-dried clothes don’t wrinkle as much, which means you can leave them out until you’re ready to revisit the laundry. The same cannot be said about clothes left in the dryer.

Not all communities have this kind of romantic impression about clothes swaying in the breeze on a blue-skied spring afternoon while you're wearing a flowy white dress. In fact, many homeowners associations prohibit laundry lines.

If you’re an unlucky owner of a home in one of these evil lovely neighborhoods, you can always buy a simple wooden dryer rack. It’s a great, absolutely free humidifier in those super dry winter months. Or if you live in Arizona. Or you like moisture.

Tip: If you’re hanging a line outside, consider two levels. The lower level can hold kid clothes and they can help with the laundry.

Cheap Green Tip 2: Go outside

I live in the Midwest. I understand cabin fever. I know how it feels to be so pale you're worried you might become translucent.

I get it. Honest I do.

But you've got to get the kids outside. For your sanity. Today, I spent the morning outside with my 4-year-old shoveling out from a snowstorm. We made a snowman and then walked to preschool. I felt exhilarated. I felt like it would be OK to have a huge lunch.

One of the greatest ways to help your kids grow up green is to take them outside. There’s a growing movement that suggests kids need playtime and exploration in nature.

Worried about creepy old men in vans? Sure. Who isn't! You’ll be happy to know violent crime is much lower today than when you were a kid.

In snow. In sunshine. In rain and wind. Kids aren't as concerned about the weather as morning commuters. Dress for the weather and work with it. You won’t be freezing with proper gloves. You won’t get as stinky-sweaty under a shade tree.

And if you aren't worried about cars (a much more relevant concern than crime) go ahead and send them out alone. Think of all e-mails you can send to long lost friends while your kids look for bugs under rocks.

Really, it’s win-win.

Tip: Invest in a good pair of snow pants (these are pretty easy to find second-hand). They’ll keep kids outside twice as long as wet and frozen jeans.