Harnessing the Wind

We had the wonderful opportunity of having two of our grandsons stay with us for a week this summer.  Jonathan, who is almost ten, and seven-year-old Jacob live in FL, a long seven-hour drive from us, so we don't get to see them very often.  We had lots of fun things planned for their stay, and their Aunt Tracy, who lives next door to us, brought over a bag of goodies (chalk, crayons and coloring books, balls and kites).  The boys had little interest in the crayons and coloring books (that involved too much sitting still).  They used the chalk to decorate our walkway with autographed masterpieces that stayed much longer than the boys did, thanks to the rain deficit from which we are suffering.  They took the balls outside one morning before it got too hot (after being scolded for throwing them in the house).  Within thirty minutes they were back inside pleading for someone to come out and help them find them-they had lost them all already!  They wanted to fly the kites, but we persuaded them to wait, hoping for a cooler day later in the week.

We went to the dollar movie theater one day, where a 30-foot-tall Spiderman held us all (grandparents and grandsons alike) spellbound as he flew from building to building while saving the city.  The boys were almost as delighted with the soft drinks (the only time they were allowed that treat) and popcorn as they were with the movie, but I'm sure the theater must have lost money on us because we got the giant tub, which included a free refill.  We stayed cool the rest of the week by playing board games such as checkers, chess, and Sorry during our record-breaking hot Atlanta days and making trips to the neighborhood pool almost every evening, after the scorching sun lost most of its punch.

The boys are both at the "hungry" age, so they were excited when we took them out to eat at Steak & Shake; and one evening while I was at a meeting, their grandfather shared a fun time with Jonathan, Jacob, and their cousin Brendon when he took them to Taco Bell for a "Boys' Night Out."   Although we made sure to have lots of fresh fruits, fruit juices, and other healthy foods on hand at home, we found that we made the biggest hit with the boys when we gave them pancakes for breakfast and plain boxed macaroni and cheese for lunch or dinner.  So that is what we gave them the most . . . after all, grandparents are supposed to spoil grandchildren. 

They needed all the energy those carb-filled meals provided on the day they decided to fly their kites.  We kept hoping for a break in the heat and (ideally) some summer breezes, but it didn't look like we would get either during the boys' stay.  On one of their last days with us, the boys finally convinced us that they didn't mind the heat-they just wanted to get those kites in the air!  So after dinner they took the kites (and lots of ice water) out to our short, quiet cul-de-sac.

Jonathan, who is a natural athlete, plays in many sports at home and excels in any sport he tries.  Jonathan was first to put his kite together and was soon running around the cul-de-sac with it.  With no wind to help and to the surprise of his whole audience-grandparents, aunt and uncle, older cousin, and neighbors-he soon had the kite flying behind him!  Before too long, he was able to coax the string out and the kite flew higher.  Jacob was excited for his brother, but wanted his kite to fly, too.  So with help from Brendon, who is several years older, Jacob got his kite ready to fly.

Jacob also loves many sports and watches the athletes carefully to see how to master each sport.  So Jacob watched his brother and ran after him, kite string in hand.  Jacob's kite bobbed along behind him as long as he was running, but Jacob wanted his kite to fly higher, like Jonathan's was.  Jacob is a big boy for his age, and when it comes to sports, he is almost as good as his brother at them, especially when it comes to throwing and hitting balls.  But his younger fingers just could not master the manual dexterity needed to let kite string out while he ran.  That fact didn't bother Jacob at all!  He unrolled about six feet of string, held tightly to the remaining ball of string, and asked me to hold his kite up off the ground.  Then he started running around and around the cul-de-sac.  To his great joy (and everyone else's total amazement) his kite flew in the air behind him, too.  Jacob has a smile that, when it is directed at you, makes you stop what you are doing and smile back while thinking, "Oh my goodness.  Is that for ME????"   The smile he gave to everyone he passed as he ran in circles with his kite flying behind him was that same smile made even bigger and brighter by the sheer delight that he felt in his accomplishment.

The boys ran, with kites following, in big circles in the street.  Then they got braver and started running up and down the rather steep slope that separates the houses, only battling with tree limbs a few times.  After more than an hour, the bugs started biting the spectators so badly that we had to put an end to the kite adventure.  Jonathan and Jacob had rivers of sweat running from their three-month-old summer buzz haircuts that mixed with the day's accumulation of dirt on their flushed faces, but they still protested that they were not at all tired, and their smiles only faded when they realized that they really had to stop.  Even the promise of ice cream after their baths only brought back half-hearted smiles. 

On their long drive home, their mom probably asked the boys about their visit with us.  They probably told her about Spiderman 3 since Spiderman is one of their favorite heroes.  They probably mentioned playing chess and the other games since they played them so often.  I'm pretty sure they told her all about their trips to the pool since they went nearly every day.  But I'd be willing to bet they didn't leave out many details when they told her about flying their kites, even though they only did it one day.  I believe it was the best day of their visit.