What a beautiful day today! Not a cloud in the sky, a light breeze, a warm sun...it is a perfect day for flying a kite, so that is exactly what we did.
First, let me set the scene: last weekend we went to a birthday party for Blake Graff. As party favors, they gave out kites. What a terrific idea! My boys played with their kites all week--dragging them behind their bikes, running with them like shields, and generally acting like boys. As a result, by Friday, the kites were done. Had it. Ripped to shreds.
Yesterday, I bought the boys new kites at HEB (for $1.99). I picked out a flag themed kite for Braden and a pirate themed kite for Garrett.
Today, we got the kites out in the front yard. Not enough wind.
We went down to the community landing at the lake. Good wind, but Garrett's kite fell in the water.
Then, I had a brilliant idea: we should go to the soccer fields! At Veteran's Park! It is open and breezy and perfect!
I called Dad on the way there (he's here from Washington DC because we ran a half-marathon this morning). Dad was at Academy, so he was able to get a very cool seagull kite (real wing flapping action! $2.49!).
The boys played on the playground waiting for Grandaddy to arrive. He pulled up. We put the seagull kite together. All of us walked out onto an open field, held the kites up to the wind, and immediately they launched. It was beautiful! A crisp flag, a bright pirate, and a flapping seagull blowing in the breeze. A bird began to fly near. We laughed!
We extended the string. We were brave. We extended the string even more. Gorgeous. I took out my camera. I dreamed of the scrapbook page I would make with all the beautiful pictures of kite-flying fun.
I carefully handed Garrett the string spool of his pirate kite. For about five seconds we were in paradise and then...
...Garrett let go!
Shrieking, we all chased after the spool as it zip, zip, zipped as the string unwound faster and faster. The kite flew higher as the spool momentarily hung up on the fence surrounding the dumpster. Just as I reached the fence and reached my hand up to grab the spool, it took off again into the air and then, as if in slow motion, flew right into the only tree around. It hit the tree about midway through the crown, but quickly jumped and skipped up the branches until the spool was caught on the very top branch with the kite flying straight up in the air miles away (maybe not really miles, but it sure seemed like it).
In the meantime, Braden's kite (the seagull), crash landed as he chased Garrett's kite. As it was dragged across the ground, the tip holding the cross bar fell off and the seagull was permanently disabled.
Braden burst into tears: tears for the pirate and tears for the seagull. Then he stomped his feet, and marched off to the truck, jerked the door open, climbed in, and slammed the door. I could see his crushed little face crying as he peered through the back window.
Garrett burst into tears: tears for his pirate. "Get it mommy!" he screamed. And then he stomped off to the playground where he promptly flopped down on a bench resigned to his kite-less life.
Our kite flying euphoria was short lived: 30 seconds in all, maybe.
Wrapped up in that 30 seconds were all the emotions of life: joy, hesitation, reckless abandon, carelessness, shock, horror, sadness, disappointment, and finally, comfort.
We came home, told the story to Daddy, and were able to laugh about it. Garrett went off to watch Dora the Explorer (for the millionth time this weekend). Braden set about painting the stepping stone he made yesterday with Grandaddy. I uploaded the pictures and began to blog. Grandaddy tried on his new Wranglers and boots.
Life goes on. Thank God, life goes on. Tomorrow will bring a new day, new adventures, new disappointments, but we'll be okay because life goes on.
First, let me set the scene: last weekend we went to a birthday party for Blake Graff. As party favors, they gave out kites. What a terrific idea! My boys played with their kites all week--dragging them behind their bikes, running with them like shields, and generally acting like boys. As a result, by Friday, the kites were done. Had it. Ripped to shreds.
Yesterday, I bought the boys new kites at HEB (for $1.99). I picked out a flag themed kite for Braden and a pirate themed kite for Garrett.
Today, we got the kites out in the front yard. Not enough wind.
We went down to the community landing at the lake. Good wind, but Garrett's kite fell in the water.
Then, I had a brilliant idea: we should go to the soccer fields! At Veteran's Park! It is open and breezy and perfect!
I called Dad on the way there (he's here from Washington DC because we ran a half-marathon this morning). Dad was at Academy, so he was able to get a very cool seagull kite (real wing flapping action! $2.49!).
The boys played on the playground waiting for Grandaddy to arrive. He pulled up. We put the seagull kite together. All of us walked out onto an open field, held the kites up to the wind, and immediately they launched. It was beautiful! A crisp flag, a bright pirate, and a flapping seagull blowing in the breeze. A bird began to fly near. We laughed!
We extended the string. We were brave. We extended the string even more. Gorgeous. I took out my camera. I dreamed of the scrapbook page I would make with all the beautiful pictures of kite-flying fun.
I carefully handed Garrett the string spool of his pirate kite. For about five seconds we were in paradise and then...
...Garrett let go!
Shrieking, we all chased after the spool as it zip, zip, zipped as the string unwound faster and faster. The kite flew higher as the spool momentarily hung up on the fence surrounding the dumpster. Just as I reached the fence and reached my hand up to grab the spool, it took off again into the air and then, as if in slow motion, flew right into the only tree around. It hit the tree about midway through the crown, but quickly jumped and skipped up the branches until the spool was caught on the very top branch with the kite flying straight up in the air miles away (maybe not really miles, but it sure seemed like it).
In the meantime, Braden's kite (the seagull), crash landed as he chased Garrett's kite. As it was dragged across the ground, the tip holding the cross bar fell off and the seagull was permanently disabled.
Braden burst into tears: tears for the pirate and tears for the seagull. Then he stomped his feet, and marched off to the truck, jerked the door open, climbed in, and slammed the door. I could see his crushed little face crying as he peered through the back window.
Garrett burst into tears: tears for his pirate. "Get it mommy!" he screamed. And then he stomped off to the playground where he promptly flopped down on a bench resigned to his kite-less life.
Our kite flying euphoria was short lived: 30 seconds in all, maybe.
Wrapped up in that 30 seconds were all the emotions of life: joy, hesitation, reckless abandon, carelessness, shock, horror, sadness, disappointment, and finally, comfort.
We came home, told the story to Daddy, and were able to laugh about it. Garrett went off to watch Dora the Explorer (for the millionth time this weekend). Braden set about painting the stepping stone he made yesterday with Grandaddy. I uploaded the pictures and began to blog. Grandaddy tried on his new Wranglers and boots.
Life goes on. Thank God, life goes on. Tomorrow will bring a new day, new adventures, new disappointments, but we'll be okay because life goes on.
1 comment:
That is way too much drama--I'm sorry your kite excursion was not exactly fun. : ( And congrats again on your half marathon!! You are the rockin-ist chick!!!!
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