Jealous of NT neighbors (bit of a vent)

Avatar for googolplex
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Jealous of NT neighbors (bit of a vent)
11
Sat, 07-09-2005 - 5:34am

From my kitchen window, I can see our neighbors coming and going. They have two girls, 7 and 9, and a 2 year old boy. They are always playing happily outside with each other and their equally perfect, happy cousins next door. Smiling, high energy grandparents take the girls, and many hours later they come home, happily exhausted from a day of fishing, shopping, or going to a museum.

The girls go inside for dinner when they are called, and I bet they sit at the table and use forks. Three years ago, I saw the then-four-year-old daughter sit on a bench and eat a GREEN SALAD, WITH A FORK, and then PUT THE BOWL IN THE HOUSE. I was blown away.

I can't take my boys shopping for more than the most basic errand. We can't go to restaurants or anything. If we go near other human beings, my 3.5 year old blows raspberries at them and shouts, "You're stupid!", and my 7 year old does something equally embarrassing. I have to twist their arms to get them to even go to a playground. The grandparents either stay for five minutes "because your couch hurts my back" and then leave, or relive the Vietnam War for six hours, completely ignoring the kids. We can't even eat a meal at our house without someone freaking out because there is something on the plate that is actually found in nature. I can't talk on the phone while the kids play happily outside, because my kids pull flowers off common area bushes and fling mudpies onto the sidewalk.

Today, it was beautiful outside, so I left the door open for some air. Somehow, dirty laundry, and lunch plates kept appearing on the floor for all the world to see. Other people somehow manage to keep that stuff in it's proper place.

Ugh! I just needed to vent. It just isn't fair. I love my boys, I really do. And I know I'm a supermom. We all are, here; we've got to be. I sure could use a few easy days, though. A few days where everyone enjoys life and cleans up after themselves.

Evelyn

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Avatar for njbeachma
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
Sun, 07-10-2005 - 7:43pm

I can't tell you how important this board is to my sanity. About 5 minutes ago I looked out our bedroom window and saw three neighboring families over one neighbor's pool with their 4 year old children. The parents are sitting around the picnic table sipping cocktails while the kids are joyfully playing in the pool together. My 4 year old (along with us) were not invited. The same thing happened last weekend. Vaughn has been doing so well lately interacting and playing with other kids but nowhere at the level of these children.

Today at the pool club we belong to, Vaughn spit a mouthful of water in another mom's face. Then he told the lifeguard he had diarreah (sp?), which he doesn't. At home he is articulate, smart, in control...around others you can never be certain what you're gonna get. I'm so proud of his progress lately but just when you have one of those "good days" when you can barely taste normalcy, it explodes in your face in another humiliating moment.

As I write this, Vaughn is in the tub and he called me in to tell me how sorry he was for the meltdown that happened at Target 2 days ago. He said he loves me. I swear he can read my mind and now I'm crying. Thanks to you moms here who can at least make me feel among friends with all of you.

Here's to great moments ahead.
Shelley

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