Lurking...

....After having Angus and his mother over, uninvited, I had decided I would try to come up with excuses not to be available or let Jess play... this would all be MUCH easier if Angus wasnt always lurking around my home. I swear he smells my car or something. The minute we turn onto the street he is making a B-Line for our house, waving and screaming. I try to slump down in my car... hoping, PRAYING he gets called home... but No, instead he starts knocking on my van windows when I pull into the drive and yelling Jesse's name..... well this lurking has gotten so out of hand that I decided to be even more clever and come the back way home, however it doesnt change the fact that he senses us and comes running over before we can even get out of the car! He will be waiting on our front lawn for us, sitting on the sidewalk, or just hanging around outside until he sees my car. So avoiding him is obviously NOT possible......As soon as Jesse see's him his eyes light up and he begs me to let him play, and how can I refuse that!?! I mean, Angus is nice to him and it gives Jess a chance to have a friend... but oh how I wish it were someone, almost anyone else.

After the unavoidable its become routine that around 230 pm Angus can no longer wait to play with Jesse. I always tell him that Jess needs to finish his work first and then he can come out. So after stalling as long as humanly possible Jess bolts for the door. The usual rules are put in place, stay on the grass or driveway, no street or sidewalk, no backyard or house, and when I call your name you better answer! Mind you I am ALWAYS watching! (they just dont know it) So me being sneaky I am standing on the corner of the house and all the sudden Jess and Angus head for the street, I continue to watch... and Jess steps into the street..... "JESSE CURT SAMPLES, WHAT are you doing!?!" Angus nonchalantly answers "we are going to my house." I wanted to say Hell to the no, but I refrained and responded "well Jesse needs to ask and he didnt and he is NEVER allowed to go into the street." Jesse asks "mom can I go to Angus' house." "No, and since you broke the rules and went into the street you need to clean up and you get time-out for 4 minutes." He wasnt too happy about that, but I am NOT having this "I can do whatever I want attitude" So after his time-out I tell him he can play for another 10 minutes and explain AGAIN why he isnt allowed in the street... and he understands, so out he goes. A few minutes pass and he comes back and says they are all thirsty, so I give them juice boxes and some jelly beans (I heard somewhere that you should never feed things/people you dont want lurking so explain why I did it!?!) and send Jess on his way......

It is time to go in, but wait here comes his mom.... oh how I wish I hadnt come outside... so he comes over, I am friendly, she starts chatting and the older brother informs me he hasnt showered in like a week, she just laughs.... I am thoroughly disgusted. Then she notices Angus has jelly beans, I let her know I gave them all a bag to share and she takes them and starts eating them... no thank you, just eats them. I was trying hard not to laugh, and it sure does explain a lot. After standing there for about 5 minutes I excused myself and said we really needed to go in and guess who runs in first... Angus, I tell him that he needs to go home with his mom and he informs me he will be eating dinner at my house, and I told him kindly that wouldnt be happening and we could plan for it... he sighs and off he goes.

Oh goodness I really have no idea what I got myself into being kind to the neighborhood menace, but I can say that Jess always seems to enjoy playing with him. Until next time... be glad he isnt your neighbor!