a weekend before Thanksgiving

Last weekend was one of those I often write about because not a lot happened. It started on Thursday, because Rylee just had to go to the bookstore to get another Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. He's reading those at a clip of finishing one every two days. He and I went next door to get a waffle iron at Sears. The two we had broke, and we found a new one on sale. Friday night we had waffles, bacon and eggs for dinner so we could try it out.

The weather changed from a string of 70s to a string of barely 50s, with freezing nights and even some wind and rain on Friday and Saturday. Saturday morning I ran two miles around the Academy track while Rylee ran up and down the football and soccer field, kicking a soccer ball. He probably ran two miles, too. We went to Whole Foods and bought some bread and sausage and juice, a honey stick and a small bottle of juice for Rylee. We cooked the sausage, sliced the bread and added some cinnamon sugar to the bread for breakfast.

Jackson had soccer after noon and for a while we weren't sure anyone was going to show up. It was very cold and blustery. We had on multiple layers, even stocking caps and mittens, and Ry wrapped up in the wool car blanket. Only six of our players showed up, just enough to field a team but with no chance of substitutions or rest. By the end, Jackson was bitterly cold and exhausted. We ended up getting hot soup and lunch at our usual Chinese restaurant. At some point, Rylee went with Cyndi to Target, for some clothes he wanted for school (skinny jeans) and yet another in the series of Wimpy Kid books. This he finished, again, in about 48 hours. I made chicken soup and we had that with the rest of the French country bread that evening. Jackson said he even loved the crust, "for some reason." Some lazy moments that day, watching movies.

It's the simple meals, waffles for Rylee, chicken soup for Jackson, that the kids really fill up on. They ate good at the Chinese restaurant, too.

Sunday, Cyndi's Aunt Lola had a memorial mass for her father, who died 30 years ago on Veteran's Day at the age of 89. She has done this from time to time, invites all the family to attend church with her and then takes everyone out for breakfast or lunch. We picked up Nikki and Cristina on our way to the Las Lunas church and then ate with the family, about 50 aunts, uncles, cousins, nephew and nieces at a nearby restaurant. Jackson was happy with a full-sized whole bean burrito with cheese and Ryee had a short stack. I'm sure Cyndi had huevos rancheros at her end of the table, while I had chicken enchiladas with potatoes and whole beans with red and green chile and a sopapilla with honey. When we were leaving, it was discovered that Elley's car had been broken into, the passenger window shattered. We cleaned that up and patched the window with a shower liner and duct tape from the supermarket across the street and we all got home safely.

Jackson gave a presentation that night, with charts and records, of his school work and test results, a self evaluation I presume in anticipation of parent-teacher conferences this week. He came home last night, very unhappy about a substitute teacher, with lots of homework. He and I spent a lot of time together, figuring out fraction and ratio and percentage problems that were new and then reading the opening chapters of a fictional account set in the time of the Revolutionary War. It was fun for both of us. He loves the chance to talk about stuff.

Have I mentioned enough how affectionate Jackson and Rylee can be? How smart they are? How they are growing up so well?

Ariel and I tried to talk on the phone but it got cut off. She and Chris will still be coming out to New Mexico for Thanksgiving, which is also the time of her birthday.