Sigh.

I just got an e-mail from one of my friends in the ward telling me that she's noticed that my boys don't walk home from school together.  S apparently lags quite a bit behind B.  Which would be no biggie if we lived in a different world, but we don't.  It's important to me for so many reasons that they continue walking home from school rather than me picking them up.  Regardless of whether or not I pick them up or they walk home, they have pretty well no physical play time on school days.  They get home, we pick up dad, we come home, they have piano practice & homework, I make dinner, we eat, they dress for bed and prayer and lights out.  Five days a week.  I'm sure some of my family and maybe even a few of my friends would say to just let them stay up later, but it is NOT an option.  I know these boys and I know that if they get any less sleep than they already do, it's unhealthy for everybody.  They also need a physical outlet for some of their natural boy-nergy which we have no location for it here.  We set boundaries around our building about where they can go outside and play without us, and as they've gotten older and respected those rules I was considering letting them go down to the park in the middle of the complex for short periods of time without us.

Until today.  Today changed everything.  That stupid email... I know there are some predators in our neighborhood, the town I live in is a fricking dumping ground for them.  I figure, they're walking home down a main road with every other kid in the neighborhood, we've had the stranger danger talk (not all strangers are scary, they usually look normal, etc.) it's only a couple of blocks, the chances of them being harmed on their way home are pretty small, right?

Apparently not.  Today I find out one of them lives in the building right before the gate they use to come home.  Right here in the complex.  I think this is why the Lord softened Honey's heart about putting saving for a move over paying extra on our debt (which is what we'd rather do except we really need to move).

I'm so angry.