Neighbors

So we have these neighbors behind us. Lived behind them or them behind us for 15 years. Just recently they've invited us to their family birthdays etc. and we've invited their daughters to our 2 boys birthdays. This weekend, (yesterday) the parents came to the party and we joked and laughed about being neighbors and seeing everything that goes on in each others' houses. We joked we can see their t.v. clearly from our perch in the kitchen!! It was light hearted...so I thought!

Today, less than 24 hours later, they replaced their regular sliding screen door with a privacy sliding screen door. They also now close some of their window shades in the early evening. It has been 15 years that we've both looked "over the hedge" into each others' windows. Not peeping. Just being neighbors. Making mental notes of "oh, their home" or "oh their gone I'll keep an eye on their property." So, it irritates me that they've done this and I'm trying to reconcile this inside myself. Why am I upset? Well, several reasons. Not in order but here's #1: who cares!?!!! Honestly, it's kitchen windows we are both looking into...from a distance...not peeping, not prying. We all do the same thing in the kitchen and what they do is about as boring and typical as what I do. #2: I thought we were bonding on some level and bam(!) a smack in the face. So, when I see them face to face, as we are doing our lawn maintenance or backyard recreation, what do I say to them? "Nice privacy screen, did you do that for me?" Should I say, "Geez, are you so freaking weird? I'm your neighbor after all!" Now mind you, these people have let their girls come into my house to play musical instruments and sing their made-up songs into microphones. The girls feel comfortable here and have fun with my 2 kids. So there is some level of trust built up over the years. They've recommended vacation spots to us that we've enjoyed and we've recommended vacation spots that they've taken. So, we are talking neighbors, not just polite neighbors. Do I say something to them? Nothing to them? Start ignoring them? Joke about it? Joking got us into this mess. And again I go back to, why should I care, why do I care? They're neighbors after all!!!! #3, I should have seen this coming. The hubby is weird at times. We can be friendly one day and the next day he hardly looks at us. So this is actually exactly as he is... I never see things coming. I should have seen this coming. He is one to compare their things to neighbor things in a "keeping up with the Jones' " sort of way. Not that he keeps up with any of us neighbors. He actually sets the standard pretty much. I just thought that we had, or were beginning to have, a "less than true blue friendship but more than neighbors" kind of a relationship. I guess not! lol! Ah, time will tell what I/they do. I just really want to make a snide comment about it to him. I won't because that will ruin what his girls have with us and my boys. And no, I don't do window shades in my kitchen. If someone is so obsessed with the little they see in my kitchen then they must have a pretty boring life.

Anyway, I just needed to blow off steam!!!! And there is still a shake of my head, and fuzzy question marks above my head when it comes to thinking about them.