Steph, I am very glad you called. And as amych said, many hugs to you and the neighbor kid.

Ugh Steph, I'm so sorry

The police came really quickly, relatively speaking. It took about 5 minutes for the mom to answer the door. I was almost about to go out the door and tell the police that I've been watching and she damn well didn't leave. But she eventually answered the door.

The police talked to her through the open front door, so I opened my door and listened as well as I could. I caught a lot of the mom saying things like the boy runs away, he throws rocks, etc., and the police asking him "Why did you do all that?"

And then I remembered the time the mom called the police ON her son, because he threw a rock at her car, and now I worry that I just added to the boy's trauma by sending the police after him again. Or at least that's how it probably seems to him.

I know the police are trained in how to question parents accused of abuse, and so they were probably doing everything they could in accordance with that. But now I just worry that the poor kid is more traumatized.

Fortunately I have therapy tomorrow morning. I'll ask my therapist if I should follow up with a phone call to CPS. I just hate this.

Teppy, I'm sorry this is causing such inner turmoil for you. You ARE doing the right thing. No one deserves to be treated like that, let alone a kid.

Really glad you have therapy tomorrow. That sounds so hard.

As a mandated, trained reporter, I can attest that you acted as I would have done if I saw what you did. It is an upsetting thing to have to do. One of the frustrating things about seeing that type of abuse is that a single report, or even several reports, are just the beginning of a long process to get help for a family, rather than the even that brings a swift and sure resolution.

I am sorry that you are having to experience this, and I am sorry that this kid is having to live through this too.

Wow, my stomach pain (which basically went away after the endoscopy/colonoscopy) came rocketing back. My body is such a drama queen. (I know what my therapist will say: my body is expressing the emotions that I won't express. Bah.)

Steph, what WS said. I think you did the right thing. It's horrible but you stepped up.

I think you should install a security camera above your front door. Because packages get stolen and whatnot. If her actions get recorded by your security camera, well, unfortunately that couldn't be avoided.

I think you should install a security camera above your front door. Because packages get stolen and whatnot. If her actions get recorded by your security camera, well, unfortunately that couldn't be avoided.

Tim said the same thing, almost verbatim. (Because packages getting stolen is a problem in our neighborhood.)

• fistbumps Tim*

I edited this post four times trying to get the leading asterisk. This will have to do.

I just ate an entire pint of Talenti Southern Butter Pecan ice cream. I have no regrets. It was delicious. I'm calling it dinner.