This is the site that greeted us when we woke up. Last night was mischeif night. Last year the dead end across the street from us was covered in TP. It almost looked like snow. I know my boys felt left out, so I told the older neighbor boys (and their moms) that they had permission to do our house this year too. I would think having permission to do mischief would kind of take the fun out of it, but these are basically good kids.
Neighborhood politics and kids groups are both intriguing and baffling to me. By the time I was Maestro and Galileo's ages, we lived on the farm. There were still politics/a gang of kids etc, but it was different. It was also different times. From about first grade on, I roamed all of our farm and one of the neighboring farms basically at will. My friends and I had about 400 acres or so as our playground. Some things were off limits off course (whichever pasture the bull was in at the time comes to mind) but we still had a lot of freedom. My kids lives here in the burbs in the 21rst century are much more constrained.
When house hunting, we chose this house right across from the street from a dead end thinking it would be a great place for kids to ride bikes etc. Yet this is the first year that we have allowed them to go over there without one of us right there with them. There have been many challenges. There are basically two groups of kids. A group of older boys ranging from 4-6th grades and a group of boys around 4/5. Galileo is right in the middle. Because of his sensitivities, and social awkwardness he usually ends up running with the little boys. He seems happy with that, but it kind of breaks my heart. It especially hurts when one of his old preschool classmates is playing football and running with the big boys. BUT he has an older brother in the group and he is really into sports and comes from a very sports minded family. Sometimes I wonder if we are letting our boys down by not pushing sports more. Then again, maybe Galileo was born into the right family. If he was born into a football crazed household for example, he probably would have always been found lacking.
Helping him learn to negotiate the mass of kids over there has been a challenge. There is one boy in particular who is a real bully and loves to taunt Galileo. I even saw one of the boys who I always liked and thought was sweet mocking G. and making fun behind his back as the bully taunted him. I have no idea how to handle it. How much do I intervene? How do I coach G. to respond etc. I was very relieved when school started and there were less opportunties for all these social neighborhood pitfalls.
Anyway, long story made much too long, I encouraged the older boys to TP our trees to make my boys feel included and also to help the older boys see us as part of the group.
Now to go finish cutting Jack O Lanterns. Then off to the Halloween parade and then home for dinner and trick or treating. My mom hated Halloween. I think its kind of fun. Guess I'm living my childhood now with my own kids.
