I was just thinking...

Literally! :-)

I took a little break from writing and work last week to get outside in the fresh air. I had some much needed work that had to be done on my yard. I also had to clean out my gutters...a tasks that I had procrastinated on for far too long.

My timing couldn't have been more perfect , because shortly after I had finished the rain and the storms hit.

While we were out enjoying the weather, my family and I were discussing all of the things we miss about California. Obviously we miss our family and friends who are still there...but between the internet and phone, and the few trips we have made back there; we at least get to keep in touch with them.

The things we really miss our the adventures we used to have. One of those adventures was going down to the waterfront in Vallejo and rollerskating and flying kites.

I don't quite know why but I haven't been kite flying at all since we have been here in the midwest, but I really do miss it. There is something therapeutic about flying a kite, watching it soar in the air. I also enjoyed doing it because it was time that I got to spend with my children laughing and playing together.

I remember on one occasion, we had went to the beach in San Francisco, one of my nephews tagged along with us. Leave it to me and my nephew to find some kind of way to turn kite flying into a competitive sport.

I had just purchased two of the trick kites with and was getting the hang of controlling them and doing new tricks, somehow my nephew and I began playing a game of kite attack, making our kites swoop and dive into each other's kite. Whoever managed to knock the other person's kite out of the sky was declared the winner.

My children were being thoroughly entertained as they watched my nephew and I struggle to keep the kites under control in the heavy wind. I was pretty confident that I was going to win, and I was about to until the twine on my kite gave way and snapped...sending my kite flying off helplessly toward the city.

I wasn't ready to part with my kite just yet so we quickly packed up everything and went chasing after it in the van. Just when I was about to give up, we located the kite. The remaining piece of twine on it had gotten caught on the power line of an apartment complex.

It was too high for me to reach, so I backed the van up and climbed on top. I almost had it, but then I realized that it was tangled up in a power line and that it was sparking. The wind was still pushing the kite and making it pull on the power line. I decided that I could let the kite go and that I wanted to be far away from there in the case that there was a power outage.

I hated that I lost my kite but we had fun as we drove home, laughing and talking about how I lost the kite in the first place, and debating about who would have really won the kite fight had it continued. I still say that I was the clear winner :)

To some people that wouldn't seem like much of an adventure, but to us it was time that we had together...to enjoy each other's company...and most of those times we would end up meeting new people and making new friends.

I'm not quite sure why I haven't gone kite flying since I have moved, but this year I think it's time that I unpack my old kites and maybe even buy a few new ones, and get back out there an have some fun.


How about you...ever been kite flying?


p.s. I recently published an article about how boys learn through observing the male role models around them, and how this knowledge has influence me in raising my own son. I think you will enjoy reading it. Read it and let me know what you think as i would love to hear from you. It's called Me and My Shadow.