The bane and the beauty

This is a crazy story. I have to share. When we moved into our neighborhood 2 years ago there were very few kids. And never would anything like THIS…have happened. Over the past 9 months several houses have sold and new neighbors have moved in. They all seem to have kids. These kids play right in the intersection between where our house meets the adjacent street (we are on the end of the street), the place I call the "T". They ride their ghost rider bikes, trikes and little skateboards at the "T". The kids are all between 4-10 years old – pretty little. Our driveway is “the best driveway in the neighborhood” as the little kids have told me because “it has the biggest ‘slope’ and is the best for gaining speed and riding into the "T". (meanwhile, rarely do parents watch there kids or watch for cars that might come speeding around the corner into the "T" and smash their kids into a thousand pieces!!!) I digress…

So, The Bane is the kids. I can almost handle the thought that one day, one will get hit when a parent is not around. (Did I say that?) The Beauty is my wonderful peonies that grow to be around 3 feet tall and produce the most beautiful big pink flowers every June. This year the bush that sits down near the street (and unfortunately near the "T") had grown bigger than ever before. The buds, before they bloomed where huge. Tempting? I guess. Especially, if you want to have a grenade war with peonies. YOU SEE WHERE THINGS ARE GOING!

Last Saturday, when we conveniently weren’t around there was a party in The "T". Sidewalk chalk (better known in our neighborhood as “middle of the street chalk”), popsicle sticks and many of peony buds where left as proof of the party. They must have picked the peony buds off and launched them at each other for a few minutes before they got caught. When I saw this I was FURIOUS! But what could I do. I could not prove who did what.

SO – when my mom was over the next day she put a little sign on the peonies that said “DON”T PICK”. But I said, “Mom, these kids don’t all read”. And the sign was gone a few days later. SO – I went out and cut the peonies off and made the huge bouquet. At least now I will be able to enjoy them without the worry that they will get terrorized by the neighborhood hoodlums.

This feeds my fire about wanting to be a good “watchful” parent but fearing the possibility…of wild hoodlums in my house some day. (BIG SMILE) Also addressed in my new blog Watching for Shooting Stars.

At the end of the summer, I am moving that peony bush!


"The T"