Would love a whole lot of boring...

This last weekend I had a weird experience with a mom {a stranger} at a park, I got really mad at my brother, and had my neighbors daughter complain about my chickens... all on the same day. It ended with me in tears to say the least. Where to start...

We went to a sprinkler park last Sunday to celebrate my nieces birthday. While we were there this little boy {two years old} came up and started talking and interacting with us. I was a bit startled that his mother didn't show up soon after. In fact she didn't come over until he had been with us for over 20 minutes. The whole time she had been sitting on the other side of the park with her friend, chatting. I of course didn't know it was his mom until she came up to me, eventually, and started talking. She was being friendly so I was friendly back. After talking for a bit she says she's going to go sit back down with her friend... and walks away without her kid! So I say, okay well we know where to point him now and she just smiles and nods. Weird. Anyways her kid was running around and I wasn't really paying close attention... because he's not my kid and I wasn't babysitting. I started talking to my sister-in-law and brother. Some of my kids were starting to get cold because it was a little windy out, so they came to lay down on our blankets and were pulling a blanket over their heads as well. All the sudden out of the corner of my eye I see the mom lifting up the blanket, she says something to them and then she turns to me and in a disapproving tone says "we don't allow our kids to play under blankets at home." I was floored! I looked at her with disbelief and simply stated that I didn't even know her child was still with us. {He had been running all over the place, and I had lost track. Plus I have four of my own to keep an eye on, thank you very much!}  I most certainly hadn't suggested he play under the blanket! Nor would I have wanted him to, but I didn't think it was my place to get him out... nor would I have wanted to physically remove him. And he wasn't the sort of child that listened well. So I doubt he would have come out even if I had seen him and asked him to. I didn't say any of that of course, but maybe I should have. I think she could tell I was put off so she said something to the effect of what is it about boys, my boys do this at home and get all tangled up, or something like that... to which I didn't respond. Then she looked right at Banden in a weird way and said, "how old is he?" Now I was really weirded out, I answered her questions, and the whole while she still hadn't removed her child from our blankets. So I asked Banden to get out instead. Looking back I wish I had just said something nicely to the child, like "sweet heart your mom doesn't want you to play in the blankets can you please get out" {Since his mom wasn't doing anything about it} but I hate confrontations and felt really uncomfortable. I just wanted Banden away from her weird scrutiny. She stood there and talked to me for probably about 5 more minutes and the whole time never removed her child. Banden was cold and tried to get under the blanket again and I asked him a second time to wait and she still didn't get the hint. Then her kid jumps up and runs off and lays down on someone else's blanket and she finally goes and gets him and leaves. I was really upset! It just seemed really insulting, and frankly I would never let my kid play under a strangers blanket! I would have been right there to get my kid and redirect them with out saying anything to the other person to make them think it was their job. She was acting like I was suppose to be keeping an eye on her kid! Or like something weird was going on. Anyways that really got me riled up! 

Also a little earlier that day I had told one of my kids they couldn't do something and then my brother interrupted and said that he had told them they could. I responded with why I didn't want them to and he laughed and said he'd keep and eye on it and then took them to do it anyways! I was steamed but didn't want to start a brawl, so I let it go. Then the situation got worse so I ended up putting my foot down in the end anyways. It was all very uncomfortable and made me sad. Because I would never disrespect him or his parenting like that. We've since worked it out and I was so relieved because when I sent him a message about it I was afraid it was going to get nasty. But he apologized and explained himself so I feel better about it now. Hopefully it won't happen again...

At the end of that emotionally exhausting day {when I still hadn't worked it out with my brother yet} I get home, start making dinner, and hear a knock at the door. It's our next door neighbors daughter. Our neighbors are very elderly and sweet and we've hardly had any issues with them in the five years we've been here. She launches in to an explanation of why she's come over and long story short they have a rodent problem and had to have someone out to fix it and she wanted to blame it on my chickens. I explained to her that all their food is kept in a metal can with a bungie cord, that we hang their food by a rope up high enough that rodents can't get to it, and a few other things. I was friendly and open and honest. But she keep trying to find fault. I let her know that I called the city before I even got them, that I followed all the rules about where to place the coop and so on. She asked me why I think her dad has a rodent problem then... So I reminded her that her dad feeds the birds {mostly really annoying crows, and when we first moved in seagulls! It was like we had moved to the beach but not in a good way.} stale bread and such all the time. She started to look uncomfortable when I said this. I told her that if anything feeding human food to birds was more likely their problem. That I thought her dad was sweet and would never want to cause a problem but you aren't actually suppose to feed the wild birds human food, especially nuisance birds like crows. Anyways in the end she admitted that this was probably more of the issue then my chickens and mentioned that she had spoken to him about it before. And would do so again. In one way I am glad she came to me first of course, before say calling the city or something. But I do wish she had thought about her dad's habit of feeding the birds before trying to accuse me of bringing in rodents. Before we even got chickens there was a rodent problem. I noticed it right when we moved in, and I told her this as well. Her dad has been feeding the birds for longer then we've even been living here. There is a big field right across the street and I think they come from there, and then of course with his putting out stale bread all the time they have a really good reason to cross the road. There is a raccoon that hops over his fence all the time as well. And possums. He's feeding them all! I've had two cats die since we've moved here, both trying to cross that road, mainly I'm assuming for the rodents. Which is why when we got chickens I researched how to keep rodents issues at bay and I've followed those suggestions closely. I do hope this is the end of it, I wonder if she's going to make a bigger deal of it or not. I hope not, I've always liked our neighbors and really don't want to get nasty with them! Someone suggested I call and complain about his feeding the birds, just in case they complain about the chickens. So that my complain would be filed first. But I don't want to, because I don't want a problem with them, and I wouldn't want to get him in trouble. He's just a sweet old man trying to do what he thinks is a nice thing. But I'm wondering if I will regret this decision. Sometimes I play too nice.

Which brings me to this... I want to move so badly!!!! I want property, more elbow room, less neighborhood noise. I want room for my kids to run, I want farm animals, a creek, an orchard, and a huge garden. I hate living in town, hate it more and more. I try so hard to be thankful and appreciate what we do have, which is a lot.  I really don't like to be ungrateful. I like to find happiness where I'm at. But it's dragging at me more and more and ever since that lovely experience with our neighbor's daughter I can't stop thinking about how desperately I want to move! But it doesn't look like there is an easy solution to that right now, so I must get my head back in the game.

And now for some random pictures after all that blah...

Counting our vacation jar money with dad. :)

This little girl was gifted a new {to us} bike from a neighbor. Which is funny because we were at that moment trying to figure out how to fix up one of the boys old bikes to work for her. She likes this much more. :) No more trike for this lady, sniff, sniff...

After quite the battle I got this boy back on his bike and riding. He had recently thrown a horrible fit {that's a story for another day} about riding his bike and hadn't been back on since. So it started to trigger a fit throwing episode for him again. I had to be very firm, and even a bit mean {but supportive} and he finally started riding again. It wouldn't be a big deal but his doctor wanted us to make sure he rides because it helps with coordination/motor skills. Something he need help with. He's still no where close to getting his training wheels off...

This boy got his handle bars fixed and he is on fire!!! There's no stopping him now. :)

Poor Banden needs a new helmet... The one he has is heavy and just doesn't fit him right. But he's still having fun. :)

Being the loving big brother that he is...

We recently went to the same park that we went to on Atty's happy day {the day his adoption was finalized}, which seems so long ago now. :) I have a picture of a little two year old Atty trying to scale this very tree. :)

Sprinkler park fun. :)

Play dough creations...

This beautiful flower just popped open! Love it.

And yes this did just happen. This was when we were in the process of cutting it. I just had to snap a picture at the awesomeness.

And here it is in all it's glory. :) Ira decided he was just to hot to keep growing out his hair for locks of love. Plus his was way shorter then his brothers because he started later. So he told me exactly how he wanted his mohawk to look, showed me a picture and I went to work.

He's pleased with the results. :) For some reason Ira has always looked good with a mohawk.  Or I guess I should say a fro hawk, ha ha! That's all he ever had when he was little, which is why his nickname was Spike.  I love that my children can feel free to express themselves. I try to allow it as much as possible. Although I'll admit I did talk Atty out of one, simply because he's so close to being able to donate and has worked so hard to get there. I knew he'd end up regretting it after the fact. So I measured his hair again and showed his how much he had left to grow and then told him if he waited I would give him a mohawk after he donates it. He agreed with a smile on his face, so I don't feel too bad. :)

I hope the rest of my week, and this weekend for that matter, is boring. Really, really, boring. ;) I think I'll spend some time planning our up coming long weekend vacation next month. Got to plan those meals. And of course there's always gardening. Or watching my new obsession Downton Abby. I didn't really think I was going to like the show, a friend suggested I watch it and I gave it a go. But after a few episodes I was totally hooked. Didn't even see that coming, ha ha! Not normally my sort of show. Anyways enough blabbering nonsense. I must get back to my day. :)