the neighborhood mom

Have any of you been the neighborhood mom?

It's expensive and I am so broke, it's not even funny. These children, they eat and eat. And one night this week, one little boy puked from eating so many of my treats.

I am the neighborhood mom. I have a thousand and two flies to prove it. At any given time, during a summer day, I have at least two kids wondering through my house, leaving whichever door they entered through wide open.

They all come here for a drink or a snack or to take a breather in the A/C. Maybe they come here to rescue the flies that are waiting patiently at the door, like little pets wanting to come in after an all nighter.

And I let them.

I never intended on being the neighborhood mom. I figured that it would be exhausting and spendy. But all the kids, well, they enjoy it here. And I am finding that I enjoy them coming to me to tell me about their little discoveries or how high they jumped on their bike. I feel needed when they come to me for a band-aid or a hug.

After a weekend spent at home with a revolving door of children going in and out, work is my vacation. After spending two days playing referee to multiple children and telling them that there really is no reason for them to scream while indoors ("It's not like I live in a huge mansion on the hill, guys. Really, I promise. Ty CAN hear you from across the room when you are only speaking vs. YELLING AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS!!"), I look forward to the cool quiet at work.

And then there are the days when the boy goes to work with me. Oh. My. God. Vacation over.

At least, being neighborhood mom, he has choices of where to go and what to do and I think that is the reason I relish most about being neigborhood mom: All those children? They play with him and he leaves me alone.