Nosy Neighbors and Apartment Living

This blog is mainly a venting of things that have recently been irritating me, so feel free not to read it. 

Can I say that I hate living in apartments! For my entire married life, minus a 6 month stint in UT ( which could be a whole other post), I have lived in apartments. My biggest dream is to own a house where all the rules are set by me (and the HOA). Most recently we have returned from our vacation in GA. We stayed with my parents, and while they live in a neighborhood and have neighbors, contact with said neighbors is not necessary unless desired. Not a day back and we already had dirty, snotty, irritating little children ringing the door bell. Now may I make a disclaimer that my children are most often dirty, snotty, and irritating; but I try and keep them in doors and away from people's front doors as much as possible.

The neighbors to the left of us have 3 children. They are up at 6:30 every morning and ringing my doorbell by 7:45 AM!! No lie. The oldest is 4, the next youngest is 2 and the baby is what, 8 months? Most of the time covered in some sort of red substance (ever since the bloody nose I always question the stain)the 4 yr old rings the doorbell at 7:45 AM requesting that my children come out and play. At first, I tried to be nice, now I just say NO and slam the door. By 10AM there is always a 2nd ring at the door, and by 2 PM I or my children have answered the door at least 6 times! 

But this is not all, oh no, it is not all.....

These particular children are peeping toms. Yes, at any given moment I can look out my window and see these "wonderful" children looking in through my windows with grimy little cupped hands. I have taken to purposefully leaving the windows open so that I can scare the POOP out of them as I yell like the witch in Hansel and Gretel that I am coming outside to eat them. (how can I earn that reputation, anyone know?)

But that is not all, oh no, that is not all:

2 days ago, a family with 6 children moved in upstairs. And guess what? Yes - these children are as equally "wonderful." The entire night they were moving in they insisted on "doorbell ditching" me. And while my children can sleep through an atomic bomb, my dog can't. Can you imagine? Every 10 minutes " Ding Dong" AARRGGHH!!! ( and before you ask, the parents did nothing except call out my dogs name every time they passed the window - see next paragraph)

But that is not all, oh no, that is not all:

These "wonderful" new children like my dog and so found it appropriate to stare in my window and call his name over and over. You may suggest that I close the window, but those of you unfamiliar with Rexburg should know that there is no A/C in any apartment around town and to keep the internal temperature under 90 degrees it is imperative that your windows stay open.

But that is not all,oh no, that is not all:

In conclusion, as I sat outside yesterday and supervised the children playing, it became apparent that my poor children will never be allowed outside without me. The oldest of the new 6 children is male, and found it appropriate to order my daughter to find his shoes and deposit them on the sidewalk so he wouldn't have to; all this was to be done while he carelessly rode his bike around the block, nearly running me and the dog over, and this was after he chucked a piece of the tea set at the other mother outside ( without apology). The second or third child convinced red stains to play Mommy with another girl. While playing Mommy they wanted to undress the 3rd little girl and "clean her butt".

Oh yes, the joys of apartment living are enough to drive me crazy! I have been pondering possible solutions: 1. transfer to another college closer to home 2. hope that red stains, butt cleaner, and bike boy play outside in the snow and get frozen there until I am finished with school!