The Kite

This story is told, not from firsthand experience, but from hearsay. My sister called me while I was at home with my sick baby during her visit and told me I would surely be laughing if I was there. Nothing like your sister calling you and rubbing it in that they were all having a good time without me. Anyway, a little background. My nephew, Alton, has some great 9 year old talent. He can turn a piece of paper into anything. We were playing Blokus and it was raining outside. In the middle of the game, he looks out and sees a puddle, then he sprints off (just before his turn) and grabs some paper and while playing the game, is fashioning a boat out of paper and tape. And it wasn't just your everyday folded paper boat. It was a cruise ship. His mind was completely off the game of Blokus I had roped him into playing. So when my sister called, she told me he began making a paper kite. My son, Zak, came running over and said, "What are you making Alton, are you making a kite? Oh wow, a kite. This will be my first kite. Oh wow!" Now Alton's kite was a piece of paper with a great picture on it of some animals of some sort with some ribbon taped to it in 2 places. They ran outside with the kite and the fun began. The running along the back fence with the kite trailing a good foot off the ground produced hours of fun. I actually got to see the kite, because it lasted the whole visit. And its a proud moment when your kids aren't inside watching TV but running around in the backyard, taking turns mind you, with the paper kite. Alton then made a "catagon". That was what looked to me like a cat's head made out of paper. He told me it was a combination between a cat and a dragon. So Zak and Alton took turns throwing the catagon head up in the air and watching it blow. They even went and knocked on neighbors doors to get it out of their backyard when it flew over the fence. And that, my friends, is what being a kid is all about.