Consider planting a Hornbeam tree. they are durable and long lived trees with roots that will not damage your sidewalk. Just do web searches on the American hornbeam and the European Hornbeam trees. Of the European Hornbeams, the Carpinus betulus 'Frans Fontaine' is a narrow less formal looking tree which grows tall but continues to stay narrow even after reaching maturity. The Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' grows into a more formal, narrow, oval to vase shaped form. Near maturity it will begin to spread wider into a more oval canopy form than the 'Frans Fontaine' Mature height is 40-50 feet. The tree does not drop litter other than leaf litter when it enters its winter dormancy. The tree grows fine in shade or sun exposure. Hornbeams do well in alkaline soils especially where the soil becomes more alkaline due to leaching from cement sidewalks and foundations. It is considered a good street tree, provides good shade, and can be very effective when planted in a group to create a screen. They have crisp, green summer foliage and smooth gray bark. They do not suffer from common insect or disease problems. They grow best in well draining soil, but will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions; even in clay soils. They are hardy down to USDA Zone 5 and do fine growing in my local 6b/7a zone.

How big is she? Smaller dogs sometimes have more kid issues than larger dogs. We have a routine for introducing strangers/visitors to our guard dog. Initial meeting is done by the guest making no eye/voice/physical contact with Max. He is allowed to sniff while the guest and we greet and chat. That usually only takes 10-15 seconds. That routine has several reasons---one, it is the signal the guest is allowed into the house/space. It allows the dog the greeting period dog s have developed as part of pack behavior. It gives guests a chance to see that a 'mean' looking dog is not necessarily mean.It also can be used to get children to calm down a bit. You may be creating a response by crating her when smaller kids come over. You migh try putting her on a leash instead----for the first 10 or 15 minutes. And have the kids all be calm as they greet her, as you allow her to greet each one individually as above. Dogs sense humans emotions---human excitement causes canine excitement. Puppies do need to learn how to play with other dogs and children----having her on leash for that training will allow you to actually do some correction----correction impossible when she is crated. Kids also need to learn about dogs. Some dogs do not like sudden moves, or loud laughter, or jumping/running kids.

Hi, I believe Rainbow is the best brand for a playset/swingset. Go to a dealer and play on the unit and see for yourself. We have 3 daughters and that is exactly what we did. We thought people were crazy when we saw Rainbows on ebay going for $2000-$3000 used. My 5 year old daughter just got her wish granted from The Make a Wish foundation. What did she wish for?---She wished for a Rainbow Clubhouse. This one is not cheap as it is the King Kong model. It weighs close to 3500 pounds with the slides. We did put some extra money towards it as Make a Wish only covered 3/4th of it. They had a set limit on what they were able to spend as we knew it but wanted to expand the set and they were find with it. We did buy a used rainbow to get a 90 degree tube slide to hook on to my daughters set. We also bought a glider off of ebay. The best place to get a rainbow used is www.craigslist.org Now those of you that want to knock us think about this. Our daughter was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma brain tumor, brain cancer. We did not know if she was going to live or die. She suffered through surgery to remove the tumor, chemo and a stem cell transplant. This child was very sick and now this month will make one year of being cancer free. So, her wish for a Rainbow Playset was worth everything to us. You should see her face when she plays on it, very happy. We pray the cancer stays away and that she will grow up and be able to live a normal life. We plan on making her life a happy one! So...We aren't done with her Rainbow Playset. We are looking at getting a Used King Kong Castle to hook with it. They are worth the money! 250 pound people have been on the set and it doesn't move. For more info on my daughter check out her website www.caringbridge.org/visit/corinlesage

Hi, I strongly suggest checking the book The Compassionate Cook. You can find it in most large bookstores or on Amazon. Very simple, tasty, tested ideas. Paul :-)