Socially Awkward Moments, Part One

(Because you know there will be a part two)

There's a little kid on my cul-de-sac who last fall didn't give me the time of day. He basically accused me of stealing our new house from its former occupants, and then he spit on my porch. (Really). He had absolutely nothing positive to say to me.

And now?

He calls me "Mom."

This is only slightly wierd, since little kids do like to play pretend.

What I find, shall we say, slightly vexing, is that he does this, IN FRONT OF HIS OWN MOM.

Wouldn't that make her feel wierd? It sure makes ME feel wierd.

This mother is very, shall we say, passive, with the little guy. He appears to have very few boundaries. She basically seems to follow him around. When I first met her, I practically had to throw myself in her path to get myself introduced to her. She's not warm and fuzzy.

And now? Much, much friendlier. And still passive. And still watches as her adorable little guy crosses the social lines a little too freely, by wandering into other people's houses, taking their toys, ripping concrete from their porches, and so on.

It's all a little odd to me.

I don't mind that he's pretending to be my son. But I feel really strange about it with his real mom right there; especially because she doesn't do anything except follow him around. If he were my son, I'd have him on a tighter leash, I can tell you what.

But I'm sure there's a shitload I don't know about their dynamics and history.

We never know the whole story.

So for now, I guess sometimes, I have three kids.

I just can't discipline one of them.