Outside the house... Danger in the Pool!

A few months ago one of the families in the house directly next to ours packed up their belongings, their half-dozen children and two maids and moved. This is the same family that, before we had our privacy wall extended by three feet, would stand in their windows and watch us while we were outside in our back yard and in the pool.

[The first photo, above, was taken during the house renovations, before we moved in. That is the house that the entire family would line up in, at the three windows that faced our side-yard and pool, to watch us! It isn't a very good depiction of the scenario, but you can get the general idea. The second photo shows the three windows of the house next door.]

When they could no longer see out their windows because we had the wall extended to prevent them from doing so [photo, above], the maids would take turns standing on a wall outside which separated their yard and our driveway by holding the kids up to see over our wall. So much for the whole purpose of having "privacy walls." Trust me, had the situation been reversed, and had it been us standing on the wall looking in, there would have been screaming and shouting. But, since we are Westerner's, that our privacy was being violated, well, then, it's no biggie. Yes, of course I complained to Security, here, but I also didn't want the two maids being horribly beaten so I didn't make an issue out of it like I could have. No matter. Like I said, they moved out.

The family in the house directly behind us [photo, above] had two teenage boys. There were problems with them, as well. Too numerous to mention or get into. I'm pretty sure that they were the boys who spent one night throwing rocks over the wall into the pool, and the next night throwing rolls of toilet paper in it. Unfortunately I could never prove that it was them. We had issues. Lots of issues. Security was called on numerous occasions. On Wednesday I saw the moving trucks at their house - and they are gone! Happy! Happy! Happy!!!

[Unfortunately, we still have the four or five pre-teen and teenage boys who live down the street - and they will, no doubt, continue to harass my Kids and me, but I think because Security has been called so many times, now, that some warning must have been issued, because they are not nearly the tyrants they used to be. Thankfully!]

I keep a very close eye on my Kids. They are not even allowed in the back yard, unattended. That is not to say that I don't let them out - and then come inside and load the dishwasher - or something - but for the most part I am either outside with them, or where I can keep an eye on them out the windows... And because I do not want to be a problem - or disturbance - there is no "oofing" allowed. I call it "oofing" when The Boy starts his barking - loud and deep - for no acceptable reason. An acceptable reason is if someone is trying to come through one of the three gates. If The Boy and The Baby are both outside and The Boy starts in with his "oofing," then The Baby must chime in, as well, with her high-pitched "yelps." It is when the "oofing" starts that I immediately head out the back door to silence it. Of course, it is one thing if it is in the middle of the day. Chances are good that neighbors are not to awfully disturbed with The Boy's "oofing" at three o'clock in the afternoon. If, however, there is any "oofing" at night - say after eight or nine o'clock - then I make sure it stops immediately, and The Boy is brought inside and scolded. "Bad Boy. You cannot go outside and "oof" at nothing and for no reason when people are trying to sleep." Um-hmm. My "scolding" is quite effective. Until the next time, an hour later.

Last night The Boy scratched on the door - which means, "I have to go out to do business, or something" and I let him out. I was right there in the kitchen - and from there I can see the entire back yard. The Boy does his business and as he is prancing to come back in - he did a quick little pirouette and started "oofing" at the pool. I immediately raced outside to tell him that he is not allowed to "oof" and "come." We're going in. The Boy looks up at me - as if to say, "I heard what you said. And I choose to ignore you." The "oofing" stopped. And then I realized what was causing him so much distress. No wonder he was "oofing!" He saw the alligator toy in the pool - which I assume, to him, looks much like his nemesis, the lizards! They are - the toy and the lizards - much the same shape. I kept the "oofing" to minimum - but found that I was quite amused by his antics - so HAD to take pictures!

At one point, when I thought for sure The Boy was going to be going in the pool - after the "alligator that looks like a lizard," and that I would have to go in after him, I decided that enough was enough and brought him inside. He continued to scratch at the door - desperately wanting back outside to go and protect the pool - but because it was getting late - and because there was too much "oofing" in connection to the "alligator that looks like a lizard," I ended his my fun.