Due to the marauding crowds of ill-behaved middle schoolers that have been known to defile my precious Little Free LIbrary, I’ve taken to hovering somewhere near the front of the house every week day at 4:00. Thank goodness I have a job that allows me to be home at this time.
Today, I chatted on the phone with The Husband as I “casually” peered out the front windows at the appointed hour.
Scene number 1:
Sure enough, the crowd passed by, and one of them spotted me at the window. Another kid in the group stopped at the library and opened its door. The first kid shouted out, “Don’t mess with her box. She’s really sensitive about it.” The second kid retrieved a book, and they all went on.
First thought: I don’t think it’s “sensitive” to get pissed off at 8th grade boys drawing male genetalia on my library.
Second thought: Did that kid really want a book? I really hope so and hope he didn’t just take a book thinking it would bug me. But I showed him. I wasn’t bugged at all that he took a book, whatever his motives.
Scene number 2:
The kids who live on either side of us continue to be after school buddies. They ride bikes and scooters in our driveway, play in our yard, and are generally a delight. But as I was looking out the window, right after the smart-ass middle schoolers wandered away, one of the little girls started wailing. I wasn’t too concerned, because this kid is a chronic wailer. But the crying continued, I caught a worried look from one of the other little girls, and no parent appeared (honestly, that’s a concern for me – no parental supervision at all for one set of these kids). So I went out to check on her, and she came toward me with her arms open for a big hug. Heart melted. I gave her the hug she needed, and she immediately calmed down as she showed me her grave injury – a slightly scraped toe. She’s now out there riding up and down the sidewalk, singing “The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow.” How adorable is that?
I like that our house has become a neighborhood hub. Kind of makes up, just a tiny bit, for the lack of my own little people running around, creating their own brand of beloved chaos.
Middle school kids give kids in general a bad name. They used to go down the street knocking down our garbage cans on their way to school. I learned to finally put the can out after they walked by. You sound like the nice neighbor. Kids used to cut through our yard all the time and I didn’t like it—mostly because the dogs would go crazy. We finally let the part they were traipsing through grow over. They quit…or they grew up. 🙂
LikeLike
I don’t love kids walking and riding bikes through our yard – we finally have nice grass for the first time in many years. But the little ones are so cute I cut them some slack. The middle schoolers? I have to seriously fight not to run out and slap them. I can totally see myself being hauled in for assault. I will say, though, it’s only one group of about 8 that are a real pain in the ass. I’m trying to get photos of them so I can turn hunt them down next time they do something really disgusting. Or at least make them think I’m going to hunt them down…
LikeLiked by 2 people
you go girl!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL, I am not a fan of the middle school age kids much. THEY are typically the “sensitive” ones, in my experience. 😉 I love how you called her a chronic wailer – Samuel (my three year old) holds that title around here at the moment and it makes me crazy! 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our Middle was a chronic wailer, and you could tell even then that she had the lungs for singing opera – which she does now. I learned NOT to panic every time that wail started.
LikeLike