A6

Charline Cormier-Pellerin

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Funny how when someone tells you to "go fly a kite," it always has a negative connotation; when flying kites actually equals a great time. Granted, the initial challenge of getting the kite in the air might sometimes seem more like a Herculean feat, but once it's up there, what a great feeling.

Enlarge Photo

Add Caption Here

I used to be pretty narrow-minded. There was only one season that brought to mind kite flying; summer. And the idea of going out to fly a kite rarely coincided with a day windy enough to actually do so. Luckily, over time, my take on it changed.

I have finally figured out that it doesn't matter what the calendar says, as long as it's windy outside and reasonably nice; it's a good day for flying kites.

As a matter of fact, what convinced me was a January day in 2007, when we had an unusually mild period of time where there wasn't even any snow on the ground. A particularly windy day, we grabbed a couple of kites that we had stashed in a closet and off we went; to an open field behind one of Metro Moncton's schools. The kites didn't fly perfectly and the kids lost their patience with the whole process from time to time but we had so much fun!

I've gotten even more adventurous since then, usually buying dollar store kites and stashing them ready for those impromptu opportunities when we can grab and go. And at the end of this summer, I actually stashed some in the hatch of the van so that if we happened to find ourselves in a perfectly windy situation, we could take advantage of the moment.

Having grown up in the country, I once considered kite flying in the city dangerous. That is, of course, before I realized how many open fields we actually have within our city limits. There are a number of perfect areas, safe from power lines; sports fields being examples of such spots.

We even flew some at the beach for the first time this summer. Now that was a great day! Of course, I wish that I could take credit for running barefoot in the sand and successfully managing the air-born kite in question, but I can't. We had an experienced friend take care of that aspect; but wow, watching it soar over the ocean was a glorious sight. In all fairness, what soared that day wasn't a cheap dollar store buy, but a twenty dollar kite instead; so maybe you do get what you pay for sometimes.

All this to say that just because summer has passed, doesn't mean there isn't still time to go fly a kite. Regardless of the season, it can be a wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories for you and the children. And chances are that the next time someone tells you to "go fly a kite," you won't be able to help but smile.

* Charline Cormier-Pellerin, Moncton resident and mother of four children, writes a regular column on parenting and its many adventures for This Week.