Kids!

When I was growing up I loved going outside to play with my sister and cousins who lived right next door. So, I can understand why my son likes it too. I used to be somewhat of what they called a "Tom Boy" back then because I liked to climb trees, play baseball, run and jump and keep up with all the boys in the neighborhood, they had nothing on me and everything they did, almost everything, I did too. I did have some common sense not to try to jump off of the garage roof like one of my friends did back in the day. He didn't get hurt luckily but it was not a very smart thing to do and when his parents found out I didn't see him outside for a month. But, I did have my moments of doing dumb things like riding my bike down a hill and using nothing but my feet to stop it at the bottom of the hill and wear out a good pair of sneakers. My parents didn't appreciate that too much and I was grounded for a week after they looked at my shoes.  

So, yesterday while my son was in the house taking a break from the outside for a while looking out of the window and pouting about why he could not go out and play kick ball or whatever kind of ball some neighborhood kids were playing at the time I noticed that one of the balls they were playing with ended up in the sewer. I was thinking oh well, that is the end of that ball and that kid might be in trouble once he explains what happened to his ball to his mom or dad. But, to my horror that didn't happen. I saw the kid go to the swer and bend down all the way to the ground and lie flat on the street and attempt to crawl in the swer to get the ball out. I ran outside in shock and horror and told him not to do it. It was just a ball for pete's sake and the boy looked at me like I had three eyes and said that it was no big deal he has done it before and never gotten stuck or hurt. Well, I didn't want him to proceed with this in my mind nonscense and so I told him that might be the case but did he know that rats live down there and that he might see one or worse. The little boy looked shocked and said no he didn't know that. And just around that time his mom joined us with the same look of horror on her face that I had. Needless to say that ball stayed right where it was and the little boy got a long lecture as his mom took him home. I also told my son not to ever, ever go in a sewer

to get anything if a ball goes down there let it stay there. He agreed. I just hope that he actually listened to me. 

When my son did go back out to play they kicked the ball over the man's fence next door. We don't have a yard so they basically play in front of the building and next to the man's fence next door.  I had warned my son about that too. Not to do it because there was going to be a time when the man next door would get tired of them ringing the bell asking for a ball that belonged to one of them. That day came yesterday again when he politely asked them not to do it again and gave them all apples which one of the boys proceeded to throw at another boy.  These boys don't have the best manners in the world. The neighbor got upset about that too as anyone would and asked the boy not to throw fruit or anything else at anyone. The boy complied and they all left the yard. 

Like I said I have done some dumb things too when I was growing up but these kids really take the cake sometimes as I watch them play. The things that they think are great ideas have me shaking my head for days.  Today is kind of a cold outside so my son is playing alone for now and I doubt that anyone will show up and since today is Sunday too, which is a slow not having kids outside too much day I suspect that he will get bored playing by himself in the allotted time I have given him and be ready to come inside for a change. Most days I get the why can't I stay out until midnight begging. (ok not really midnight but you get my point) Today will be different and to me that is a day that is all good.