One would think that with just a few days until Christmas that people would be filled with Christmas cheer....
But a situation with our neighbours has proven otherwise......
In July our lovely neighbours moved to Australia and some new tenants moved into the house next door. They are a mother in her late 40's to early 50's and her 20 something year old daughter who immigrated here from Johannesburg in South Africa at the beginning of this year.
At first they seemed nice enough although very private. I first met the older of the two when she was having car problems and came to use our phone as hers had yet to be connected. I also gave her a lift to work after she had made her phone call. During the drive to her work place she told me about the violence in Johannesburg which prompted her to make New Zealand their new home despite knowing next to nothing about it. they had pretty much just closed their eyes and picked a country on the globe. Since then I have seen very little of her as they work long hours and tend to keep to themselves. I then me her daughter later that day when she came and thanked me for helping her mother to which I responded that it really wasn't a probblem as that is what neighbours are for. Things seemed to be fine with everyone and although she seemed a little formal and reserved compared to my more outgoing chatty personality I thought they had both seemed quite nice.
Anyway over the past few days things have gone a little sour.....
Actually I think it all started a few weeks back when the kids were playing with some homemade gunson the main driveway in a game of war or cops and robbers or some other typical kids game. As per usual when one of the neighbours drove down the drive the kids yelled out "Bang bang got ya!" usually the neighbours laugh and pretend to fire back but this time it was the 20 something year old coming down the drive and she was far from laughing. In fact she stopped her car and got out, walked up to the children and with hands on hips and finger pointing said "Don't you dare do that to me and don't you ever point that thing at me again!" She then got back into her car and continued down the drive leaving 4 very stunned little boys. After this incidence I explained to my children and the other driveway kids that these ladies came from a very violent place and that guns were very serious and where they had lived people were killed with guns on an almost daily basis and that games involving guns were not tolerated or appreciated by these ladies because of their experiences in their homeland. The kids asked a few questions, seemed a little shocked but then promissed they wouldn't do it again and they haven't.
I thought that was the end of things but.....apparently NOT!
At first they seemed nice enough although very private. I first met the older of the two when she was having car problems and came to use our phone as hers had yet to be connected. I also gave her a lift to work after she had made her phone call. During the drive to her work place she told me about the violence in Johannesburg which prompted her to make New Zealand their new home despite knowing next to nothing about it. they had pretty much just closed their eyes and picked a country on the globe. Since then I have seen very little of her as they work long hours and tend to keep to themselves. I then me her daughter later that day when she came and thanked me for helping her mother to which I responded that it really wasn't a probblem as that is what neighbours are for. Things seemed to be fine with everyone and although she seemed a little formal and reserved compared to my more outgoing chatty personality I thought they had both seemed quite nice.
Anyway over the past few days things have gone a little sour.....
Actually I think it all started a few weeks back when the kids were playing with some homemade gunson the main driveway in a game of war or cops and robbers or some other typical kids game. As per usual when one of the neighbours drove down the drive the kids yelled out "Bang bang got ya!" usually the neighbours laugh and pretend to fire back but this time it was the 20 something year old coming down the drive and she was far from laughing. In fact she stopped her car and got out, walked up to the children and with hands on hips and finger pointing said "Don't you dare do that to me and don't you ever point that thing at me again!" She then got back into her car and continued down the drive leaving 4 very stunned little boys. After this incidence I explained to my children and the other driveway kids that these ladies came from a very violent place and that guns were very serious and where they had lived people were killed with guns on an almost daily basis and that games involving guns were not tolerated or appreciated by these ladies because of their experiences in their homeland. The kids asked a few questions, seemed a little shocked but then promissed they wouldn't do it again and they haven't.
I thought that was the end of things but.....apparently NOT!
Here is what has happened over the past couple of days.....
For Christmas we got the kids a 2nd hand old trampoline and being the start of our summer holidays we assmbled the trampoline for them the other day allowing them to have it a little early. It has proved a very popular Christmas present with the many children who live in our shared driveway. Screeching and laughter can be heard most of the day although I have made it a rule that no neighbours come to play before 10am or after 7pm and that my own children aren't allowed to play on the trampoline before 9am or after 7:30pm.
The other afternoon about 4 kids aged 7-10 years were playing dodgeball on the trampoline with a plastic blow up beach ball when it took flight and flew over the fence landing in the neighbours garden.
My 9 yo nephew very politely went to ask if he could please retrieve it. He knocked on the door but got no responce so he knocked again and still no responce, although he knew that they were home. He assumed they couldn't hear him knocking so he rang their door bell and stood waiting as he heard them approaching. It took them a while to get the door open as they had to find their keys to unlock the deadbolt. When they did finally open it they didn't greet my nephew in a friendly manner and instead began a lecture about not knocking more than once and told him that it was very rude not to wait quietly and politely while they found their keys and came to the door and that he wasn't to allow the ball to come onto their property again. At the end of their speal they shut the door and left him standing there having not even answerred his polite request toplease enter their property to retrieve the ball.
In the end I told the kids to sneak round the back way and retrieve the ball without the neighbours seing or hearing them as it seemed the only option and I thought the neighbours couldn't possibly have meant that my nephew wasn't allowed to retrieve it as who could be that unkind to a young child.
Then yesterday my dd8 came inside in tears as she and my nephew aged 7 had accidentally sent the ball over the fence again. (note this is a small blow up ball which can not do any damage) They were too scared to ask to retrieve it or to sneak round the back and get it without asking. I decided to go and knock on the door myself and ask for permission thinking the children must have been exaggerating when they told me about the previous days situation.
It was 11am on Saturday morning. I rang the doorbell without bothering to knock first and I waited patiently until the younger of the two ladies came to the door in her Pyjamas wearing a frown and giving me a look of utter contempt. I apologised for disturbing her and asked if my obviously tearful daughter might please retrieve the ball and I also apologized for the ball going on their property again and promissed to do my best to not let it happen again. I also asked if she would mind the children retrieving the ball if it did happen again without having to first knock on their door to ask permission.
The responce I got is as follows.....
"Well we would prefer they kept their ball on your property but if they really have too then so long as they are quiet and don't disturb us it is ok. But truth be told they are VERY noisy and it is very annoying."
I was sooo shocked with this rudeness and the manner in which she spoke to me that I was at a bit of a loss for words. These women are never home between 7am and 7pm during the week and the only time they would see or hear the children is between 9:30am and 7pm on the weekends when they aren't working. In the end I said to her while forcing myself to smile and trying to make light of the situation... "Yes they're children so they do tend to be rather noisy and although I can't promise you complete silence I will remind them to be considerate of you if I feel they are getting to loud." At which point she forced an "ok fine, thankyou" out of her unsmiling mouth and shut the door on us.
The thing is these two ladies knew when they rented the house back in July that the driveway was full of children and that they would have houses on either side of them that contained more than 1 noisy child and now they are complaining that the kids are too noisy. This was a specific point that the land agent made and that the previous tenent highlighted when they came to view the house while she was still living there. Goodness me it is only the first few days of summer vacation for the children and a few days before Xmas so they are all typically very excited and boisterous and yet these women are already complaing about their noise.
I have a good mind to send the kids outside at 6am on Xmas morning to yell "Merry Christmas" to the neighbourhood at the tops of their voices since most of us with young kids will already be awake by then LOL Dh even suggested we send them carol singing on Christmas Eve to spread a little Xmas cheer.... only he wanted them all to sing loudly and out of tune. LOL
As it happens they may well be moving sooner rather than later as the owner of the house has a no pet policy and a no smoking policy. Both the women smoke and apparently they have 4 cats they are wanting to bring over from their home in South Africa. So maybe this combined with their noisy neighbours will see them looking for a new rental property to live in.
Ok enough venting......
Wishing you all a VERY happy, Jolly and NOISY Christmas and summer filled with childrens laughter, smiles and shrieks of delight!
Blessings
Nina
For Christmas we got the kids a 2nd hand old trampoline and being the start of our summer holidays we assmbled the trampoline for them the other day allowing them to have it a little early. It has proved a very popular Christmas present with the many children who live in our shared driveway. Screeching and laughter can be heard most of the day although I have made it a rule that no neighbours come to play before 10am or after 7pm and that my own children aren't allowed to play on the trampoline before 9am or after 7:30pm.
The other afternoon about 4 kids aged 7-10 years were playing dodgeball on the trampoline with a plastic blow up beach ball when it took flight and flew over the fence landing in the neighbours garden.
My 9 yo nephew very politely went to ask if he could please retrieve it. He knocked on the door but got no responce so he knocked again and still no responce, although he knew that they were home. He assumed they couldn't hear him knocking so he rang their door bell and stood waiting as he heard them approaching. It took them a while to get the door open as they had to find their keys to unlock the deadbolt. When they did finally open it they didn't greet my nephew in a friendly manner and instead began a lecture about not knocking more than once and told him that it was very rude not to wait quietly and politely while they found their keys and came to the door and that he wasn't to allow the ball to come onto their property again. At the end of their speal they shut the door and left him standing there having not even answerred his polite request toplease enter their property to retrieve the ball.
In the end I told the kids to sneak round the back way and retrieve the ball without the neighbours seing or hearing them as it seemed the only option and I thought the neighbours couldn't possibly have meant that my nephew wasn't allowed to retrieve it as who could be that unkind to a young child.
Then yesterday my dd8 came inside in tears as she and my nephew aged 7 had accidentally sent the ball over the fence again. (note this is a small blow up ball which can not do any damage) They were too scared to ask to retrieve it or to sneak round the back and get it without asking. I decided to go and knock on the door myself and ask for permission thinking the children must have been exaggerating when they told me about the previous days situation.
It was 11am on Saturday morning. I rang the doorbell without bothering to knock first and I waited patiently until the younger of the two ladies came to the door in her Pyjamas wearing a frown and giving me a look of utter contempt. I apologised for disturbing her and asked if my obviously tearful daughter might please retrieve the ball and I also apologized for the ball going on their property again and promissed to do my best to not let it happen again. I also asked if she would mind the children retrieving the ball if it did happen again without having to first knock on their door to ask permission.
The responce I got is as follows.....
"Well we would prefer they kept their ball on your property but if they really have too then so long as they are quiet and don't disturb us it is ok. But truth be told they are VERY noisy and it is very annoying."
I was sooo shocked with this rudeness and the manner in which she spoke to me that I was at a bit of a loss for words. These women are never home between 7am and 7pm during the week and the only time they would see or hear the children is between 9:30am and 7pm on the weekends when they aren't working. In the end I said to her while forcing myself to smile and trying to make light of the situation... "Yes they're children so they do tend to be rather noisy and although I can't promise you complete silence I will remind them to be considerate of you if I feel they are getting to loud." At which point she forced an "ok fine, thankyou" out of her unsmiling mouth and shut the door on us.
The thing is these two ladies knew when they rented the house back in July that the driveway was full of children and that they would have houses on either side of them that contained more than 1 noisy child and now they are complaining that the kids are too noisy. This was a specific point that the land agent made and that the previous tenent highlighted when they came to view the house while she was still living there. Goodness me it is only the first few days of summer vacation for the children and a few days before Xmas so they are all typically very excited and boisterous and yet these women are already complaing about their noise.
I have a good mind to send the kids outside at 6am on Xmas morning to yell "Merry Christmas" to the neighbourhood at the tops of their voices since most of us with young kids will already be awake by then LOL Dh even suggested we send them carol singing on Christmas Eve to spread a little Xmas cheer.... only he wanted them all to sing loudly and out of tune. LOL
As it happens they may well be moving sooner rather than later as the owner of the house has a no pet policy and a no smoking policy. Both the women smoke and apparently they have 4 cats they are wanting to bring over from their home in South Africa. So maybe this combined with their noisy neighbours will see them looking for a new rental property to live in.
Ok enough venting......
Wishing you all a VERY happy, Jolly and NOISY Christmas and summer filled with childrens laughter, smiles and shrieks of delight!
Blessings
Nina
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