He calls "them" the naughty guys. He races to the front door every time "they " are outside. He asks me constantly if he can play with "them". He is both afraid and in awe of "them". "They" are... dun, dun, dun... the neighbor boys. They are a group of about 3 older boys and 1 younger boy who live down the street from us. They are always running around outside shooting one another AND the screaming girls on the block with their very powerful water and slime guns. Their "naughty guy" label happened because they make Michael's sisters scream and swoon, as well as they don't wear shirts (just like all "naughty guys"). Our neighborhood is mostly made up of screaming, whiney, fighting, sometimes sweet, girly girls. I don't blame Michael at all for his deep desire to play with these boys. But truth be told, his mama just isn't ready for that!!! So, he keeps asking if he can play with "the naughty guys" and I say, "not now, you're too little", and he sighs and says ok, all the while waiting for his turn to make a girl run from him in terror as he chases her without his shirt on. He knows that he can't cross the street to be with them, and so he stands on the sidewalk and just watches them. Well, yesterday the girls in the neighborhood (especially MY HOUSE!) were being especially girly (ie. territorial and annoying and snippy). They weren't even worthy of a good chase. Michael was outside with me, gazing with longing down the street and... dun, dun, dun... the neighbor boys came over into our yard to ask him to play with them. They are nice boys when they are playing in our yard, their naughtiness somehow disguised behind boyish grins; this probably because they have been threatened by me that if they touch my little boy with even just a squirt of water from their water gun I will cut off their toes and pull each piece of hair out of their head one by one - understandably they are cautious and fearful as they come over. We offer them a popsicle and some shade. They start to ask him about his gun. They show him how to load it and ask if they can have a turn with it. Michael is grinning from ear to ear because he thinks that they think his gun is cool. He is right. They play in our yard for about 30 minutes and absolute MAKE my sweet boy's day. When Daddy got home last night, Michael excite-ably told him all about his naughty guy adventures. He went to sleep last night dreaming of more boy play-time... shirtless, I'm sure.