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.

Doing what works

I recently considered the possibility of going back to work. Now, all you SAHMs out there, don't get all hot-headed and bitchy with your "raising children IS work" argument. Sure it's work, but not the salary kind I'm thinking about.

But after some serious thinking following my initial interview, I called to cancel the second interview. In my pros/cons lists, the side came out nearly even, not nearly enough to ditch the tan, buy a car and go suit shopping.

Here's what I learned in my silent deliberations.

• Buying a car would be almost a necessity. That means a car payment, insurance, gas and the probability I'll actually use this car (unlike the clunker sans working air we currently own which I avoid at nearly all costs) meaning more money on gas. This wouldn't be very Mothering Earth-like behavior.

• Homecooking would take a backseat to sleep. Cooking good, wholesome, inexpensive meals at home is time consuming. In fact, when I went on the interview I called my husband and asked about lunch. He asked if I could just pick up Taco Bell. Taco Bell?! I haven't eaten this kind of low-grade food in months. It was delicious, but I had to run an extra mile just to justify it.

• Speaking of running, that would be the end of that. Again, sleep has to take priority. I run in the morning when everybody's home. I can't very well go for a run at night when the girls are in bed before Steve gets home. And darn it all if I don't want to spend at least 30 minutes with my spouse everyday.

• Childcare. This is a biggie. I'm not opposed to childcare, but it's expensive and it really goes against this whole simple life we've concocted for ourselves. One more year before my oldest starts kindergarten and then it's all over but the teen-age angst.

• All the little things. The line drying. The garden. The homemade cleaning products. These are the products of a person focusing on the home. I realize it would be nice to communicate with adults on issues unrelated to potty training, but potty training will come and go. Jobs will come again. This simple life of using less, wanting less and loving almost every minute of it, this could come and go.

But I'm going to hang on as long as I can.

Friday recipes; or Fricipes

As promised, another DIY for homemade crayons, stolen straight from my Green Living Family Tips for Nick Jr. Magazine. I wrote it, so I guess it's probably OK for me to steal it.

This is a great option for birthday favors, along with homemade Play-Doh or a homemade CD burned with your favorite kid tunes.

Recycle your crayon bits

1. Collect broken and used crayons for a rainy day project.

2. Remove the paper from crayons and fill muffin tin halfway. Use just one color, or mix a bunch for a tie-dye looking crayon. Bake at 200˚F for 12 minutes, or until wax melts. Watch closely. Let cool.

Friday recipes; or Fricipes

Last week, the girls took home a tiny tub of Play-Doh from their summer reading program. It was a sticky mess and I promptly threw it away and promised my elephant-never-forgets-minded 4-year-old I'd make some myself one day it rained.

So she kept waiting and waiting and waiting for a rainy day. Today, still no rain despite predictions of 80 percent, and I gave in.

I don't know why I had waited so long. Homemade Play-Doh is super easy and fast. It doesn't have any mystery ingredients and you can decide on the fly what colors you want. Break out the cookie cutters and you've got yourself an afternoon.

Simple Mom just posted a super recipe for the stuff on her site a few days ago. Rather than steal it, I'll just go ahead and link directly to her site. I just made two batches and found it simple to follow with a great result. Next week, I'll post my other favorite rainy day DIY — homemade crayons.

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!

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 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.