Oh, God, Miller, you just reminded me of terrible neighbours back in the PMQs in Germany…
These people lived across the hall from us, on the 2nd floor (of 4) of the apartment building. There was a parking lot in front of the building, and then a large green with a park in the middle (buildings kind of surrounded the park).
They were a fairly strict family, and I think the father must have been abusive, at least verbally, because we were scared of him before we even met him thanks to his wife!
Her daughters would be out in the park or running around the green, and suddenly you’d hear, from through the apartment window: “JEEENNNNNNIIIIFFFFFEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRR! KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEEN!! Get your asses inside NOW before your DAD COMES HOME and GETS THEM IN HERE FOR YOU! It’s SUPPER TIME!” or various renditions on that general theme. This woman would never come outside to get her kids, they were always called in like cattle. The kids would also talk to her though the window “MOOOOMMMMM!! Can we get ICE-CREAM?” “NO! Your DAD told you NO MORE ICE CREAM!” Urrrgghh
My sister and I tried calling to my mom through the window exactly once. She didn’t answer, but a moment later, appeared downstairs at the front door and said in no uncertain terms that if we ever tried talking to her through the windows again, we’d be in serious trouble. It’s rude, to her, but also to the neighbours. Just because they did it didn’t make it right.
It occurs to me that I was an only child, and also transplanted to a totally foreign country at an age old enough to understand the differences and be completely baffled (4) so I was probably leaning towards kinda quiet anyway.
So, how freaky could you act poolside to get the parents to take them away without getting the police sent over to see if you’re on the sex offender list? Stare maniacally at the little dears while licking your fingers? Mutter “Pretty! They’re all so Pretty!”? Make Stranger Danger *work * for you!
[JakeBlues] “How much for theee leeetle geeerl?”[/jb]
It applied quite specifically to my stepdaughter’s boyfriend, and was the slight overreaction on behalf of my (now ex) husband when we came home one night and found the two of them necking. I told him to calm down, he didn’t even have anything pulled out. At which point he made the above exclamation.
LOUNE, it occurs that what you really need is a good spankin.
Oh–this happened to me this past weekend! I was out in the waaaay back (we own just under an acre) and was clearing some scrub. The entire afternoon–3+ hours I was out there–there was this little girl, shrieking. Every 10 seconds. I was amazed that she didn’t get hoarse. It was most aggravating–I even yelled shut up, once, but no one heard me.
I haven’t heard her that perform for that long again, but I sure am glad I’m working this weekend…
I was taught NOT to shriek as a lil girl, as were all my sisters–and I never let my daughter do so. Scream if you are bleeding or dying-there is no other reason for it.
I tend to look askance at parents who allow their kids to act like this. Marco Polo is alot of fun and all, but have a lil consideration for others…
Oh, man, holiday weekends are the worse for hours of non-stop aggravation. My folks’ next-door neighbor kids used to spend entire weekends zooming up and down the drive on their go-kart thingys. (The houses are separated by a dirt lane, so they were right outside the garage.) Argh, I hated those go-karts so much!
