I Actually Feed Them Occasionally

Mary Grace and Claire wanted to go out and play in the snow, so we spent 15 minutes getting coats, snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, etc., and off they went.  Twelve seconds later they wanted to walk to the other end of the block to see if the neighbor girls could play.  "That's fine," I said, "But you should play OUTSIDE."  The neighbor girls' mom is pregnant, and she doesn't need to adopt my kids every afternoon.  She should be resting.  She should be sending her kids down here.

I put Jack down for his nap, and then looked for the kids, after about 15 minutes.  Not in the yard.  I went upstairs to look out the windows that look up and down the street.  No kids.  I called the pregnant neighbor.  No answer.  Called my dad.

"Are the girls down there?"

"Nope."

He offered to go looking for them, but I said I would call back if I needed him to - that I was pretty sure they were scamming snacks from the pregnant neighbor.  He laughed and said, "Yeah, they do that here, too."

I walked outside (with no coat, because I'm stupid) and looked.  No girls.  I went back in and called the neighbor's other number.  Finally got through, and they're there.  "They just came in, asking for cocoa."

(from The Guardian)

"Those twerps!  I swear I feed them!  You don't have to make them anything.  Send the filthy little beggars home!"

"No, no, it's fine, I don't mind."

"Are you sure, I'm so sorry!" etc.

I'm working on a very longwinded lecture about not begging food from the neighbors, which will be delivered with feeling when they get home.

Do your kids act like starving street urchins, too, or is it just mine?