I bathe my 3 year old most days of the week - b/c he goes to a pretty-much naturalist daycare that has kids covering themselves with paint, mud and dirt most hours of the day. We bring the food and snacks and they supply organic milk. We bring in recycled stuff for art projects.

I've been gradually ridding my son's room of plastic toys (except for gifts of Euro-made Legos, for example), and thankfully friends/family are giving us more wooden toys, puzzles and books.  Once VW comes out with their diesel hybrid in '09 or so, we'll be transitioning to that using biodiesel. We're trying to do as much as simply as possible (using breadmachine and crockpots for healthy vegetarian/free-range-meat stuff...subscribing to CSAs). Still, b-day parties are hard to circum-navigate. I loathe goodie bags. I served carrot cake at my son's 3 year old b-day and had it hosted at a kinder-gym. No goodie-bags, just kids jumping/climbing around to music for an hour 1/2.

Christine,
There are probably more MOms out there like you--

Anyway, the next time you write a piece on this subject you should add the topic of parents idling their cars while waiting for the little ones at school pick-up/soccer practices.  I have read this practice is awful for air quality but from the looks of my school lot, their are many people ignorant on this matter.

Good luck!

As a childless Amtrak rider, I promise I won't give you any ice stares...unless you and your noisy kids sit in the quiet car.