Drama in LC's hood

So for the past couple of weeks I have been hearing tales of the little boys down the street pushing, hitting and throwing things at my girls. (They've also ripped branches off my trees and broken my flower pots.) This information came from the girls, my nanny and the neighbor across the street who's son has witnessed Bratty Neighbors and who has attested to the brattiness of Bratty Neighbors.

Being disinclined to insert myself into a schoolyard scuffle, I told the girls to avoid the Bratty Neighbors and defend themselves if necessary.

By all accounts my girls were not the instigators, and honestly, it would be quite out of character for them to be aggressive--physically or verbally--with other kids.

Apparently today the mother of Bratty Neighbors came down to my house and got ugly with my nanny, and so it seemed the time for me to get involved.* DH and I walked down to neighbor's house where I informed her that any issues that she needed to address in the future should be addressed directly to me and that she should not have contact with my nanny. That was it. I didn't raise my voice and I didn't get ugly.

Then she went off. Making excuses, calling everybody involved a liar. And she would not STFU.

I am not the type to get into screaming matches with my neighbors, despite my white trash background. So I told her to keep her kids out of my yard or I would file a restraining order and press trespassing charges.

And then her husband called me a bitch. I hardly noticed, but DH, who had been standing by quietly by, got all riled up. Swoon! He's never had to defend my honor and I was quite impressed with his rapid response.

Anyway, I walked off, hoping DH would follow me before punches were thrown. Of course that just infuriated them more. Clearly these were people who couldn't be reasoned with. DH stayed behind for quite some time to try to deal with them.

I simply do not know how to deal with people like this. I could hear the woman going on and on from my house, three doors down and across the street. What do you do? Am I really going to take out a restraining order on an 8 year old? Hardly, even if he is pushing down my kids and tearing the branches off my trees. But his parents obviously don't give a damn what he does.

For now my kids are banished to their own backyard and are bummed that they can't ride bikes out front with their friends. I don't know what crazy lady is going to do next, but I don't want to feed her drama. And I'm sure as hell not going to let her take it out on my kids.

*A significant side note: About 4 years ago I called CPS on one of their kids. DH and I were putting raised flower beds in the front yard and were outside the entire weekend. The little boy--who looked to be about 2 (much younger than my twins) was outside the entire weekend. No parents ever checked on him, no older sibling. He was running back and forth the street (without looking) and had a disgusting green snotty note. So yeah, I reported them for neglect. And apparently they know that it was me, which does not make me any more popular with them. But they asked me tonight (our first conversation ever) and I owned it and said yes I did, because I'm licensed by the state I am a required reporter and a very young child running all over the neighborhood with no supervision looked like neglect.