Monday, April 24, 2006

Mortified doesn't even describe it!

After countless talks with the neighbors about kids playing within their own yards (and preferably not in mine!) I have now become "one of those parents." Most yards around here do not have fences...it's a brand new community, so it's understandable. Anyway, there are always kids walking thru our backyard, coming over to play on our playset (without an invite!) or even RIDING THEIR BIKES in my yard, but Terry and I have had enough! We have started yelling at kids in our yard, and our own kids know not to stray from the imaginary (soon to be a real) fence that surrounds our yard. But today of all days, I am disowning Zac. He crossed the boundary and then did the unthinkable. He caved to peer pressure!!!!!!!! Our neighbor, who shall remain nameless, was over in another neighbors' yard throwing rocks, hand picked flowers (courtesy of his own hand-picking) and even large rocks and a citronella candle (bucket) into their brand new koi pond! I was the first adult on the scene. It was horrible....the floating candle, the wood fencing floating in the middle of the pond, the large rocks at the bottom....water had even splashed up onto their family room window. And guess who helped this neighbor boy? ZAC!!!!!!!! Zac, the child who doesn't ever leave his own yard, until today. I was speechless when I found out he helped dismantle this work of art. To top it off, the neighbors aren't home, and Zac is waiting to apologize in person, along with this nameless boy across the street. Terry and I can't even think of a good punishment for him (remember, it needs to punish Zac only, so Lillie and Mom can't be involved with whatever is taken away from Zac)---I am totally embarrassed to have become one of those parents. The weird thing is, we (parents) were all right out of eye's reach---the boys had gone in the backyard to play on the playset and the girls, both aged 3 were still our front, so we stayed out front with the girls. The boys have been alone playing in the backyard countless times, so why was today ANY different? Even Lillie is ashamed of Zac and keeps reminding him of what he did. Well, I'm off to work soon, thankfully! Terry might have to take care of this mishap, for once! LOL!

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