TGIM!

Yep, I'm really saying I'm glad it's Monday.
Zach was here for the weekend. Which of course means there's seldom a dull moment. But this was one of those weekends you remember.
First of all I found out when I went to pick him up, he's not living with his Mother. Seems she and the latest husband have already split. She's living in Enterprise with a roommate. Zach is staying with a couple who live near his school. Of course their not strangers, they've known him all his life and he them. In fact its probably the closest to a normal family life he's ever known. They have two daughters and of course having Zach there is really cool to them. I decided this is a good thing and not to make too much of it. Too bad it's only for a few weeks. He could use a good stable home like theirs.
On the way home we rented movies. When we got here he ask if he could take them over to Alex's watch. Alex is our next door neighbor's little boy. He and Zach love to play together. Normally this is a good thing. But, there was little that was normal this weekend.
Saturday afternoon I'm in the living room with Robby and Andrea watching tv. Kasey's on the computer. I thought Robert was out in the yard with Zach and Alex. My mistake. First off Zach comes in and gets a knife. Not just any knife, but a big honking butcher knife. Kasey tells him he cannot take a knife outside. He has one of his little boy fits, but she stands her ground. So back goes the knife. About 20 minutes later he comes in with a large cup, they want water. In a few seconds they come back for more water. Kasey becomes suspicious, and asks why they need more water. "We're thirsty" they proclaim. Out the door they go. Kasey decides, somethings up, so she sneaks over to the backdoor and peers out. "MOM!" She screams, "They have set the woods on FIRE !" Now you might not believe an old lady can fly, but I literally flew out of my chair. I don't know how Robby, Andrea and I all got through the door at the same time but we must have. There before our eyes are the woods next to our house, ON FIRE ! And here are Zach and Alex carrying big cups of water trying to put it out. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Robby runs and grabs the hose, starts to run across the yard. Guess what? The darned hose won't reach! Meanwhile I'm looking everywhere for Robert. Thinking he's up in there trying to put the fire out too. For about five minutes we have a water line going, Robby, is manning the hose, Kasey , Andrea , Zach and Alex are carrying cups, bowls and buckets of water trying to put this fire out. Again if it weren't so scary it would have been hilarious. Well, it was funny, even if it was scary. Finally I realize this isn't working so I give up and dial 911. Now, we live in a little bitty town. It's maybe an 1/8th of a mile from the fire station to my house. It takes the fire trucks for freaking ever to get here. The water brigade is still working furiously, and I am still trying to figure out where Robert is. First the police arrive, then the fire trucks. In a matter of minutes the fire is out. This is when I finally find Robert. He's been back in the den, ASLEEP! ASLEEP, I tell you! It wasn't until the firetrucks arrived that he even knew anything was amiss. MEN!
They of course think this is funny. Which I guess I'd have to agree, I mean you really would have had to have been here to appreciate the humor of the situation. Zach and Alex are scared to death. They think they're going to jail. A thought we did not dispell for a few minutes. Then they were both banished to their respective homes, with promises of dire punishment to be administered. The firemen, stayed and visited a bit (remember this is Podunt, everybody knows everybody). When I came in, Zach had taken a shower and was sitting at the table doing his homework. He was pale and scared. You know he was scared, the boy was doing HOMEWORK on a Saturday afternoon!
Speaking of homework. Have you ever tried to help a fifth grader with their math home work? Let me give you and example...
1. S= 4 1/2
A=___

Okay, what the heck is this? I have no clue. I think Andrea finally was able to help Zach figure it out. I know I darn sure couldn't.
At any rate, Zach was grounded for the rest of the weekend. As was Alex.
I'll give you three guesses where I found him this afternoon. Out in the back yard learning to cast a fishing rod, with his Granddad and , yep, none other than pal Alex. So much for being grounded.
See why I say, TIGM?