It Takes a Village?

Who's word would you trust more - your 2.5 year old's or the neighbor's?

About a week ago we were all home on a Saturday afternoon.  My Little Guy and I were hanging out in the family room while my husband and My Big Guy were playing in the basement and backyard (we have a walk out basement).  Now, My Big Guy is a really good kid.  He knows his boundaries and knows where he can and can't go when he's outside (stay on the sidewalk/driveway, no going past certain landmarks).  My husband had to take a work phone call and let My Big Guy go outside to the backyard on his own.

We live on the corner, and the way our house is laid out the only real way to get to the driveway from the backyard is to walk along the sidewalk in front of our house.  No big deal for My Big Guy, this is something he routinely does, and he often does it fairly unsupervised while I'm doing something with My Little Guy in either the backyard or on the driveway.

While my husband is on his work call, and My Big Guy is outside the doorbell rings.  It's the neighbor across the street telling me that My Big Guy is outside alone and was playing in the street.  The neighbor is horrified and appalled and is looking at me like I'm the worst mother in the world.

Now, let's just back it up for a minute here and give some background on this dude.  First of all, he came over while holding a martini.  For real.  Secondly, this dude threw out a 60 inch plasma TV on our Garbage Amnesty Day because the speakers on the TV didn't work.  Um, surround sound?  Um, hook it up to any other speakers at all?  And lastly, this is douche lord felt the need to yell, "Ah! So you finally felt like decorating huh?" across the street when we were putting up our Christmas decorations a few years ago.  I do not have fond feelings towards this man.  His wife has also made comments to me about how she watches us play outside all the time.  Dude.  You have 4 kids, maybe you can find something better to do than watch us play?  She's a nosey hugger, the worst kind of person imaginable.  We are not fond of this family to say the least.

So I walk from the door to the driveway with this guy after he's decided to save my child from the dangers of the street.  There's My Big Guy, playing with a ball in the driveway obeying all the boundaries we've set for him.  Rather than get into it with the neighbor, I take My Big Guy inside and my husband and I talk to him.  We repeatedly ask him if he was playing in the street.  He looks shocked that we would ask, and says no every time.  He says he wasn't in the street, he was on the sidewalk.  He is adamant about it.

My Big Guy has never, ever, not once tried to run into the street.  He won't even go past the boundaries we've set for him unless we're with him.  For him to be PLAYING in the street would be very out of character for him.

So it comes down to the word of a dude who would show up with a drink in hand, and throw away a perfectly fine TV versus the word of my 2.5 year old.  Who would you go with?

We decided to go with our son, and add this to the long list of things we don't particularly like about these neighbors.