SS11 had his birthday party on Tuesday, it was a sleepover. SS11 had two of his friends show up extra extra early, one was expected to be early, the other just got dropped off. I told them to play football outside while I got things ready. So- everything seemed good. Decorations up, food, cake ready... and suddenly it got pretty quiet. I couldn't hear the boys outside playing in the yard anymore, so I took a peek. I looked out the windows and finally went outside to see what they were up to. I went out and in between the two big trees in my yard I saw smoke coming up through the big ditch that is across the street from my house. I live across from and next to an empty field. The lady across the street actually has that entire property that she does not keep maintained.
I knew right away that pyro SS11 has to be involved with the smoke somehow. I started running across the street screaming his name. I could see the flames as I got closer and it appeared to be a camp fire. My heart and mind were in a panic. I could see three heads running away from the fire. From where I was standing there was no way that I could go down such a steep hill to put the fire out, so I started yelling at SS11 to get back there and put the fire out! So he comes back, shaken, and starts hitting a stick into the fire. Finally, he gets it put out when I tell him to put the dirt on it.
UGH. The other two boys have taken off, and I see them in the distance hiding behind a tree. I explain to SS11 just how dangerous it is. I forgot to tell him that my house burnt down when I was 15. He does not realize that all the bushes and trees around him are dead. This is the second time that I have caught him lighting something on fire. The first time was inside the house where he lit some toliet paper on fire and threw it into a full trash can in the bathroom.
So the party begins and we have the cake and SS11 asks where the candles are. I told him he lost that privledge. My mom starts giving the boys a lecture about fire and gets that tone that says that she means business.
The night all went okay. It was very loud. I was surprised at how loud eight 11 year olds can be...
The next day I went to work and DH stayed home and talked to his son about the fire. That was that. He talked to him and now he gets too roam free. That is all DH ever does is talk... he never disciplines his kids. he just talks to them, and when they make the same mistakes over and over and over again, he just keeps talking.