Modern Mom: Summer Swinging

Yesterday Green Mom wrote about her travails trying to find “safe sand” for her son’s sandbox, which got me thinking that I too need safe sand for my kids’ sandbox. But first I need a sandbox. And I also need a new swing set, slide, climbing wall kind of play structure. The one we inherited when we bought our house is fairly dilapidated, and though the neighbors have yet to complain about the shrill shrieks of the swings, it’s only a matter of time. I’m a very decisive person, but the decision of which play structure to get is throwing me for a loop. My husband suggested he build one. The only problem is that I would like to have it before my kids graduate high school. We’ve looked at Craig’s List and E-Bay on one end, and explored brand new sets from Cedarworks and Creative Playthings on the other. I want it to last for years to come so I’ve come to terms with making the investment. The problem is that most of the sets are available online, so we don’t have the opportunity to see and feel them ahead of time. I’m wide open to suggestions, so if you have any, please let me know.