What's that game called?

A couple of Sunday evenings ago I was putting the boys to bed and Miles popped off with a question.  "Mom, can we play that game tomorrow?"

"What game is that Miles?"

" You know, that game that Wyatt and Finn played when their Grandpa and Grandma were here and they didn't have to go to school?  I think it's called Hookie.  Yeah, that's it.  Can we play that game called Hookie tomorrow?"

He absolutely loves Mrs. Dean and Waffle Wednesdays, but there's just something enticing about taking that extra day.  I guess the brain gets tired when you're reading chapter books, playing flag football twice a week, solving addition number sentences, and driving 4-wheelers. 

Meanwhile over in the 3rd grade Carter just earned Citizen of the Month and his umpteenth perfect score on his spelling test.  Although his current favorite pasttime is arguing with his mother, he exudes nothing but respect to the staff at school.  He too plays flag football twice a week and is the Etna Lions permanent water boy and ball boy.  He even travels to away games courtesy of my inlaws.

His new hobby is riding his dirtbike which was gifted to him by his older cousin Mason.  I was at first shocked on the sticker price of protective gear, but quickly learned that it's a savings compared to the potential ER costs we could have incurred this weekend alone.

This fall has truly been exceptionally beautiful in Scott Valley.  Rumor has that it's caused by the low dip in temperatures followed by the warmer weather.  Usually the oaks don't impress me, but even those colors are alive this year.  Bradley and I managed to get away to Reno for a weekend to celebrate my mother in law's 60th birthday and the drive there was extraordinary.  We really hooped it up.  Bradley stayed up until 5am both nights winning at Blackjack.  I won a few hundred dollars on slots and got up enough courage to finally play roulette for the first time at the age of 33.   We too wanted to play "that game" which Miles spoke of after that weekend.  The fun thing about Reno is that you can really feel like a "high roller" and spend a tenth of what you would for a weekend in the Bay.  Cigarette smoke induced headaches and all.

Bradley managed to take one day off in the midst of fire season to take Carter into the mountains for opening day of rifle season.  He got a nice buck and Carter had his first true taste of "buck camp" with his cousins and Papa Jim. 

Both Bradley and Carter would have joined in "that game" following their weekend of hiking. 

We've finished our garden harvests, canned all that "we can", tilled in the garden, rolled up the drip tape, and planted our fall/winter cover crop of turnips.  As each leaf falls and the end draws nearer to pool season we mourn the long days and warm temps, but look forward to a season of gratitude, giving, and maybe - just maybe a few games of hookie

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