Bullies & Laughs

First for the good news, Victoria started laughing on Saturday. It was the sweetest little giggle and we of course could not get her to do it again once we had the video camera. She did laugh several times on Saturday. The very first giggle was inspired by a tickle and peek-a-boo from Mommy! Here is our little darling in her bumbo seat (Thanks, Amy!) helping Mommy make whole wheat waffles (just in case you care about our whole grain intake!) on Saturday morning. This was taken just a few hours before the laughter debut!On the not so good front: Our son's best friend is a bully. Here is our handsome six year old playing soccer with his team, the Green Dragons. Once again, he is the largest child on either team! And the bully? One of the tiny children on the yellow team. I know, I am a terribly cruel woman to call another child a bully. Believe me, I have given this kid the benefit of the doubt. He is our neighbor and we have known him for over a year. During this soccer game, we observed this bully, whom I shall heretofore refer to as Mr. Naughty Pants, intentionally kicking and pushing children who were no where near the soccer ball. This observation was merely the straw that broke the camel's back for me... I'll explain more...
In addition, our wonderful six year old lost his other front tooth last week! Here is his little snaggletooth face!
How did he lose this tooth, you ask? Well, the aforementioned bully yanked it out of Isaac's mouth with his undoubtedly grubby little hands and then lost it on the playgroud. Isaac had to give the tooth fairy an IOU. So let us make a list of all the things from the past 16 mos. that have led me to conclude that this child is a bully.
1. Last year, shortly after we moved in, Mr. Naughty Pants taught Isaac to give people "the finger", a fact I discovered at a block party, when I looked over to see my sweet 5 year old flipping off the neighbor's six year old little girl.
2. He has cursed at Isaac many times.
3. He simulates pelvic thrusting randomly while they are playing army guys or star wars or whatever they might be playing.
4. He ALWAYS bosses Isaac around and calls him names if Isaac sticks up for himself at all.
5. He told Isaac that his dad was going to shoot Isaac in the head and kill his whole family.
6. He has kicked, punched and slapped Isaac.
7. At recess and in our neighborhood, he tells other children that they are not allowed to play with Isaac.
8. In the boys' bathroom at school , he recently decided to show everyone his family jewels.
9. He was hit Isaac in the head with a metal pipe (allegedly on accident)

I am certain that there are other things I have omitted...
I would like to say that I have tried, and continue to try, very hard to be compassionate to this boy. He has a single mom and one 15 year old sister who is supposed to baby sit him after school but mostly just ignores him. He is often over at our house for an hour or two when she eventually wanders over and says, "is my little brother here?" I know, I know, I should be more compassionate- and I try. I invite him in to play when I really want to say, Stay away! I figure he is better off in our house than wherever else he might be wandering around. I let him stay for dinner and endure his incessant smacking and try very hard to invite him to fun activities at church and to be an all aroud good neighbor. I am sure Isaac does his fair share of misbehaving, but I know that it is not nearly on the same level. I sent Isaac to his birthday pary with a very nice gift and let them play together much more than I would like to... But I am not going to let him turn my son into a juvenile delinquent!
I truly am willing to accept any advice. Although we have not let Isaac play with him for certain periods of time and on certain days, I seriously worry about forbidding him to play with Mr. Naughty Pants. I worry that this will impede Isaac from being able to make good choices and I generally accept the philosophy that it is better for him to learn how to choose not to play with someone now rather than when he is a teenager and the stakes are even higher. In addition, I worryt aht he will just play with him at school andstart getting in trouble there. Part of me wants to say, "You can never play with Mr. Naughty Pants again!"
All suggestions accepted...