There Goes the Neighborhood

It's been awhile since I gave you guys the 411 on my new neighbors.  Remember this post about the tons of kids moving across the street?  Well obviously it's summer and school is out which means these kids are outside most of the time.  I constantly hear them out and about since like I mentioned before they play in the front yard---because the house doesn't have much of a backyard. 

Yesterday these kids knocked on my door asking for money.  That's correct---just asking for money.  They weren't selling anything just wanted $1.50 to buy a game.  I kind was in shock because the kids are very young.  I never knew how many there were until later yesterday when they knocked on my door again.  My husband answered and went outside to talk to them.  They were again asking for money, and my husband quickly said oh I'm sure your mom has money.  He then started talking to the kids and told them to be careful in the street because people are known to fly through our neighborhood (it's an older one not your standard cul-de-sac planned subdivision.)  The 8 year-old boy then replied, "Oh yeah I am supposed to be watching my 3 year-old and 4 year-old brothers because mom is on the phone inside."  He also continues to tell my husband that because his mom is on the phone the 11 year-old is making dinner again and that she has an adult body and is 5'6" (oh the things kids will say!)  So let's count here...we have a 11 year-old girl, an 8 year-old boy, a 5 year-old boy, a 4 year-old boy, and then the youngest boy at 3 years old.  I am really worried about these kids getting hit by a car especially the boys who are so little and don't know any better.  They are always in the road, and the mom is never out there watching them.  I hate to cast judgment on someone without knowing them, but seriously those little boys are too young to be outside without supervision of an adult. 

Now here's where things get a little serious.  The neighbor right next to them is an older couple with a 40 year-old son living with them.  He is of questionable character or at least that is what the other neighbors say who have lived on this street for over 15 years.  He looks creepy....and supposedly does a lot of drugs and continuously gets fired from jobs because he's always getting into physical fights with his co-workers.  I have personally never talked to the man nor do I have any intentions of doing so.  However the mom lets all of her kids go over there and play without her over there.  Sometimes it's just the youngest boys...who again are just 3 and 4.  This really worries me because I just don't trust this guy, and I would never NEVER in a million years let my children go over there to play and especially not even think about it unsupervised.  While my husband was talking to the kids, the creepy guy was driving by and slowed down because again the kids were running in the street.  He then spoke to one of the younger boys and said, "You better watch out or you'll get ran over," and my husband said that little boy had the strangest reaction to the guy.  He put his head down and was very shy--kind of embarrassed.  Guys this really worries me!  With all that goes on in our world with kids being abused, I worry about these little boys or any of these children.  I would just hate for something bad to happen one of them just because their mom is too busy doing who knows what and lets the random neighbors be her babysitter.  This is a sick world we live in and as parents we have to be on high alert.  My parenting instincts kick in, and I want to protect the innocence of these children because honestly I don't feel like this mom is looking out for her kids.  I know that sounds bad, but something is really off with this woman and her different visitors all the time and how she is always pushing her kids outside while she stays inside with these visitors.  I'm willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, but I must say I've not seen these kids get a lot of attention or direction which is sad because they are JUST KIDS. 

What would you do if this was going on in your neighborhood???