Good Neighbors

We have been lucky to have great neighbors in both of the stairwells we've inhabited (like Jen Sturgeon...you know it, girl!).

But dang it...these neighbor girls are driving me nuts. They are up here ALL the time and I haven't got the necessary chutzpah to tell them that I'd rather have Josiah and Annika all to myself this afternoon, thank you very much. I want to sit here unobserved, blog and eat peanut butter straight out of the jar without strangers staring at me!

When we first moved in, their mother, with whom I was casually acquainted, told me all about the great "open door" policy they observe in this stairwell. I quickly found out what that meant.

Yeah...kids running in and out of my apartment without ringing the doorbell.

Call me old-fashioned, but we are a bit private. I was afraid to lock the door at first for fear these nice little girls would bang their heads against the door upon finding it unexpectedly locked. But let's just say after one day of them coming in uninvited and leaving whenever the mood struck them (repeat over and over all day)...the door now stays locked all day. To be fair, they have gotten the hint about that and now ring the doorbell or knock. But goodness...I very frequently get caught running around in my underwear between showering and getting dressed and running baths and changing diapers and finding pacifiers and etc., etc., etc. I shudder to think what they might have walked in on!

Anyway, these girls are very nice girls, but like any group of kids, they all (my own included) tend to get whipped up and start tearing around acting like Tasmanian Devils. I would just like to come home from school pick up and relax with my kids and Facebook, but instead I'm having to think up activities for all four of them, referee, or keep them from tearing up my house.

Strangely, if I try to send Josiah or Annika down to their apartment to play, they end up coming BACK up with these girls. Something ain't right here...

It's just frustrating when we barely get in the door and here they both come. Why am I such a wimp? I just need to tell them "NOT TODAY LADIES"...but I worry about offending their mother or hurting their little girl feelings and so I sigh and open the door.

Lord, give me strength. I should just be happy that my kids have friends, right? Right?

Comments

Dad said…
This is one of those damned if you do and damned if you don't situations. It seems to me that when you were sitting for some of our neighbors they were hanging around an awful lot too. It sounds to me that the neighbor there is pawning off their duties on you. I think that you get your privacy wants from us, I mean the door is always locked here. Good luck.
MamaD4 said…
Ugh, I forgot about Renee and Tara Olson...their mother used to just drop them off in our yard and take off. I never earned a penny babysitting for them...and I don't think I would have taken money to set foot in their house. Yuck. It still gives me the shudders to think about how dirty those two were!
carrster said…
Ugh. That is a tough situation!! I say keep trying and one of these days "Not Today, Ladies" will spill right out of your mouth! Good luck! (that would drive me NUTS).
Kim's kids? Yep, down time is needed. "Not today" wow that is perfect, rings nicer then "no." I will have to use that...you too girlie.
MamaD4 said…
No, Kim's kids don't come down...they are all a little older than mine. I'm talking from downstairs. Like I said, nice girls. They pretty much mind their manners. I'm just annoyed with how much they wind up here!

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