It seems like the host thought you were stringing them along and has overreacted. I'd try to imagine how they were feeling before we call them crazy though, whether you book or not might affect them in all sorts of ways. Do they need to change their plans for the weekend to accommodate you being there? Did they decline a booking from someone else while waiting for you to commit? Are they hard up for cash and really need the extra dollars your booking could bring? They might be pressured by all sorts of things and just waiting for that confirmation email. For a weekend booking, still no commitment by Thursday would have made me a bit nervous as a host too.

Of course they could just be imbalanced, and that's a risk you take. Part of Airbnb's appeal is that it creates experiences for you that you wouldn't get staying at a hotel. If you are travelling with children, this might be less of a draw for you as safety becomes a bigger concern; you can minimise the risk by only booking somewhere that has a lot of positive reviews and a good feel to it.