Since you are getting a good deal of shade I would recommend tall fescue. There are some shade tolerant KBG cultivars (America, Orfeo), and you can try those if you like, but with only a couple hours of direct sun it probably won't be enough for KBG. You could also mix in about ten percent shade tolerant KBG with tall fescue if you want. Since you also have some wear issues, it would be a good idea to select a cultivar that is wear tolerant. Luckily NTEP runs trials, and the latest tall fescue trials have a shade trial, as well as a traffic stress trial ( http://www.ntep.org/data/tf06/tf06_09-9/tf06_09-9.pdf ). So probably the best way to go about picking a few varieties of tall fescue would be to first look at the best cultivars in the Northeast region (especially the NJ area). Then look and see where the top ten in that regional trial fall in the shade trial, and the traffic stress trial. After cross referencing the three trials you should come up with 3-5 cultivars that will be the best for your situation. Hopefully you will be able to select one of the newer cultivars that have some rhizome activity (Firecracker LS, Titanium LS, Syder LS, any of the SRP varieties like Rhambler, and some others). These varieties tiller very vigorously, and supposedly offer some spreading ability, but the jury is still out on that. If you choose to take the easy way out and buy your seed at Home Depot I would stick with Pennington's tall fescue mix. I have looked at what they are offering this season and Pennington's blend is by far the best of the three or four brands they carry. Now soil prep is a huge part of having a successful lawn. While tilling can lead to some uneveness, and some would argue you are upsetting the microbial and fungal balance of the soil, I think it's better to have loose soil when establishing a lawn. If it was me, I would till the top 4-6 inches, rake with either a thatch rake or landscapers rake to remove rocks, nails, large clumps, etc. and even out the soil. Then I would use a roller to compact the soil enough so that you can walk on it without leaving deep footprints. Then if possible I would lay down a nice layer of good topsoil/compost, rake it out evenly, and roll again. Now, when you plant your grass seed, don't plant more than the recommended amount, it will lead to problems, especially in a spring planting. If it says 7-10 lbs/1000 square feet, stick with 8-9 lbs./1000 sq. ft., spreading half of it in a north south direction, and the other half in an east west direction. Also tall fescue likes good soil contact, and I feel top dressing is the best way to go. It takes a few hours, but it will pay off in the long run. If you do top dress, you don't need much 1/8-1/4 inches, but I would stick to the low side, just cover the seed till you can't see it. Opinions on starter fertilizer vary, but I do half the recommended when seeding, the other half after the first or second mowing. Now, once that's all done it is crucial you keep the seed moist. This usually requires three daily waterings, of 5-10 minutes. Since you have shade though, you might only need two a day. Keep in mind your three year old will have to stay off the area for about two months. Hope this helps.

Arcy, I can speak for no one else, but I can say that I find a very important part of my job as a parent is to teach my children boundaries and to be mindful of how their actions affect others. If somebody has a nice lawn, they had to put effort into that and that effort should be respected by not indiscriminately walking on it or allowing their pets to use it for restrooms or whatever. I also strive to teach my children that being part of a family means balancing the needs of all family members. Some things can be prioritized, like just putting up with bald patches in the lawn until a kid is older, or choosing plants that can handle errant balls better (I think I have seen lists to this effect). I can tell you that in our family, my husband and I need to garden. It helps us to deal with the stresses of life. My vegetable garden is often a spiritual retreat that keeps me from teetering over the edge. My kids can still walk through the flower beds to catch lizards and butterflies, to look for ladybugs but they can do this because they have learned where to step. My nephews only get to walk through the beds if they learn where to step and if not, they need to find something else to do outside. As part of full disclosure, I do not have lawn. It is not practical where I am. I also know that I am very fortunate to have 5 acres, there is somewhere else for the kids to play. If not, I would have to find other ways to meet all of the competing needs of my family.

The fact that Nunyette poops in the house is not going to make me get rid of her or anything like that. I *really* don't want her pooping in the house, especially knowing she has no reason to do so. If Nunyette is going to potty, it's always before she gets obsessive. And yes, I can direct her attention away from acorns by playing with light and shadows, but she is just as obsessive about chasing light and shadows that it really doesn't help anything. If it's not acorns or shadows, she's not interested, unless the neighbor's cat is in the yard and then she's all about watching her. I don't let her chase the cat, so she sits down and just stares at her until she gets out of sight. Luckily the cat has enough sense to vacate the yard when the dogs are out. The only reason she stops eating acorns or chasing shadows is because she obeys me when I tell her to come inside. None of her toys including the favorite ball can pull her away from acorns or shadows. If she doesn't poop right away, then it isn't going to happen, whether she actually HAS to poop or not. I can try to muzzle her after she potties outside and see what she does. Obviously I don't want her to hate being outside. I don't know if she's ever worn a muzzle- she certainly hasn't since I've had her. I'll borrow one from work and see how it goes. The only bad thing is that she wouldn't be able to play fetch with the muzzle on either. The nice big back yard was not intended to be *just* a doggie potty, it was also supposed to be a place where we can all play together or at least the dogs can play together, safely without destroying the house. But getting her to poop ONLY outside trumps learning to play in the yard any day. Thanks to all for the help so far. I'll keep posting our progress.

I can very easily imagine in a "family friendly" neighborhood, people treating their backyards, especially if they are not particularly cultivated looking, as semi-common property. A large percentage of families care much more about their kids than their yards. I grew up in such a neighborhood. Kids cut through the yard and sometimes would play on our swingset (which was home-fabbed and superior) without asking. Nobody seemed to care. But these were the days before everyone sued everyone else. Since those days I have become considerably more concerned and defensive over any yard I've cared for, but also quit living in family friendly type neighborhoods. I would have second thoughts about planting any low-cost shrubs even on a temporary basis. Those are usually the ones that grow super fast and tend toward being weedy or have other undesirable traits. A row of corn, castor beans, or something that will die at summer end, would do the same thing and be a lot easier to get rid of.