Well, MoleX, my adult-sized pitchforks (classed as "digging forks," I believe) aren't actually sharp. The tines are a bit pointy, but certainly not sharp. Or course, it depends a lot on the temperament of the individual kid in question, but I tend to think that kids, with appropriate teaching and supervision, can handle a lot more than people often give them credit for. Even at age 2.5, we're aiming for "small tools" rather than "toy tools" (which is exactly what I had as a child), and it's been quite successful. She doesn't quite have the dexterity or strength for some things, but that will come. I've been lucky enough to find some great stuff without breaking the bank, and they should serve her well until she's big enough to use the grown-up stuff. We compost in trash barrel bins, and turn it by dumping, then shoveling everything back in with a pitchfork. My little one wants to help to do this, and just needs a tool that will allow her to do the job. When she saw us working, she immediately grabbed her leaf rake (the only tool she had with tines on it), and asked for help figuring out how to use it. It didn't work, of course. We tried her little shovel, but it reminded me why I stopped trying to do this task with a shovel a few years ago. A pitchfork really is the right tool for the job...now we just need to find one.

Mariou, What region of the country are in? Most California rosarians do not have to deal with the rampant black spot typical in my zone 6b garden. Their biggest problem is mildew. If you garden in the Mid-Atlantic, for example, you will have to contend with the worst fungal pressures in the country. Roses that are completely clean - no spray - in places like Petaluma CA will defoliate elsewhere. I do not have Julia Child but I have grown Happy Child for years. It is pretty little rose, approximately 2.5 feet tall with an loose, open growth habit. Good repeat bloom and truly lovely flowers. Fragrance is moderate to strong, and Tea-like. The foliage is rather unusual looking, resembling spinach leaves. In my region black spot can be a problem but is resistant to other fungal diseases. To prevent defoliation you would have to spray it with a fungicide every two weeks to control the black spot. About my only real complaint is the vigor. Without disbudding during years one and two, an own root plant will limp along never maturing. It is also a wee bit more sensitive to the cold than your typical English Rose. I lost one during a particularly cold winter, which I quickly replaced in the spring. You would too if you ever saw the blossoms. The yellow color is extremely pure without any secondary tones. Very few roses combine fragrance with such clear, canary yellow color. You can purchase an own root plant of HAPPY CHILD online from Heirloom Roses. Good luck, Patrick

First, thank you to all of the virtual hand-holders out there! And thank you to the two respondents today, esp. the tip on the Kohler valve -- that would have been a total disappointment. Well, it's been about three weeks since the "Tricky Potty" was installed. After (my husband's) back-and-forth between the American Standard Baby Devoro and the Gerber, we chose the American Standard: it has a lid (for whatever reason, important to me) and my husband thought if it needed repair it would be easier to find American Standard parts. So, our three year-old christened it the "Tricky Potty" (not sure why) and it's okay. Granted, it's only been three weeks but here are my reservations: -We had it put upstairs in the children's bathroom. But that's a trek from the playroom (in the basement) and the family room (main level), so he doesn't want to use it every time. He prefers to use his old training potty (which I've moved to the base of the stairs going to the upper level -- getting it closer). Now, I can understand this as when I need to go, I don't go upstairs to my bathroom: I use whichever bathroom is closest. But, it would have been totally stupid to put a kiddie toilet in our main level bath. -Removing the previous (full-sized) toilet in the children's bath left the mark of the seal on the floor (you can barely see it in the bottom of the picture). It's kinda ugly. I have no interest in redoing that bathroom floor at this time for one important reason: it's vinyl, and it's my understanding that a seamless floor will be MUCH easier to keep little boy tinkle-free than a tile floor (grout). (Friends of ours have a ten year-old son and they were the ones who told us "do NOT put tile down until your sons are out of the house!" because even at ten years-old, there's lots of tinkle in their grout.) -And speaking of ... there's no "tinkle shield" on the Tricky Potty so I have to keep reminding my son to be careful. Even still .... -It's very expensive. The toilet itself was $350 and the installation was $354 (yes, four dollars more than the toilet itself). I honestly wonder if it would have been better to get a standard height toilet both in the main level bath (which a few months ago we replaced with a comfort height Toto) as well as the children's bath. From a week-long visit with my parents I know he can v. easily hop on up to a standard height toilet no problem. (However, he is one who likes to read when he's on the toilet, and he'll only read on a small toilet [training potty or Tricky Potty].) -Through bribing, we've finally convinced him to only poop on the Tricky Potty. And for me, Christmas has come early! I am telling you, it is a slice of heaven to not have to manually empty and then clean out the training potty. Yippee! So, that's where I am, completely ambivalent about it. Other children who come over think it's fabulous (and my one year-old is interested in it as well, but for nefarious purposes), as do their parents. I can honestly say that every single one of them has said "what a great idea -- we should get one, too!" Clearly, that's what I thought, but now I'm not so sure I'd do it again. Oh well, live and learn!

Wide..aprox 4.5inches. How long...Personally i'd go shorter and make a keyhole in it (so they can "tie it" themselves) 24", then put in keyhole, then aprox 7.5 more inches. Vickey-MN