At 67 years old, Gary Patterson thought his days watching cartoons on TV were long past.
But then a fire swept through his daughter and son-in-law's Houser Street home the day before Thanksgiving and left Patterson's three grandchildren without their parents, Randall and Candy Lockhart.
The children -- Rebecca, 10; Haley, 9; and Mark, 8, moved in with the Pattersons.
And the cartoons soon followed.
"I am nowhere near done with cartoons," Patterson said Tuesday with a chuckle. "But now instead of Road Runner and Popeye they've got SpongeBob. I'm getting used to it."
There's a lot to get used to for the Pattersons, married 42 years.
The couple bought a bigger washer and dryer and now do laundry every day. And they've taken to cooking several different dishes at dinner so that all three kids can find something they like to eat.
Rebecca, the oldest, is the most laid-back, even a little shy. Haley is curious and wants to learn about everything, Susan Patterson said. And Mark?
"He is a boy," she said. "Full of life. Rambunctious."
Thanking, to me, is not enough, but that's all I can say."
But on Tuesday, even Mark looked a little shy when a dozen firefighters and members of the media showed up at the Pattersons' front door. The firefighters presented the family with $41,900 in funds donated by the community for the Lockhart children.
Only Haley was brave enough to glance up now and then while Jack Thompson, president of the Chattanooga Firefighters Association, handed Gary Patterson a check for $5,900 on Tuesday. Rebecca and Mark kept their heads down and arms crossed as the cameras recorded.
Gary Patterson teared up as he accepted the gift. The remaining $36,000 will be put into education funds for the children.
"I know [firefighters] really tried to save my daughter and my son-in-law," he said. "Three gentlemen put their own lives in jeopardy to try to save them. I just want to thank everybody. Thanking, to me, is not enough, but that's all I can say."
Because of donations, the siblings have plenty of clothes and their physical needs are met, Patterson said.
But the family is still working out new patterns for their lives. Sometimes the kids have nightmares. They were in the blazing house but were able to escape. The cause of the fire is still a mystery.
And even as they work to secure full custody of the children, the Pattersons are struggling to process what happened.
"I'm just overwhelmed," Susan Patterson said. "I just can't get my head wrapped around everything right now."
"They've not had time to grieve," said Karen Reid, a friend the kids call Aunt Karen. "There was just so much to do at first, and then came Christmas, the New Year."
As Mark rode a scooter up and down the sidewalk Tuesday, Haley tugged on her grandfather's arm.
"Papaw, why did our house get on fire?" she said.
He answered matter-of-factly.
"It just accidentally happened, that's all it was," he said. "Just an accident."
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.
News report from the fire: