Sunday, April 17, 2011

Run, Faster!

Yesterday, I had the sweet pleasure of some quiet time. Quiet time around here often involves Scooby Doo, so the sweetness is not guilt free--but not this time. This time, Nate decided to make good use out of the reams of scratch paper he acquired when Grandpa cleaned out his office. What does one do with a ream of paper, several glue sticks, scissors, ribbon, straws and miscellaneous other scrap and construction paper? One builds a kite, of course.

I declined his offers to let me help with the design and construction of the kite. I simply disallowed the use of super glue, and promptly left him to his devices.

An hour or so later, he emerged with what he said was a dinosaur kite complete with cutout spots and a lovely red ribbon. Shaun had concerns about how to handle the impending request to now fly the kite down at the bay. We decided to encourage a test run in the alley. I also decided I wanted nothing to do with it given his proclivity to blame me for all sorts of circumstances I had no idea I had control over.

He was easily convinced to give it a try in the alley, but there was no escaping my participation so I braced myself for a meltdown and asked for explicit instruction on how I could assist. Another hour later we were running down the alley and the kite was "flying", a testament to speed rather than construction, but whatever, that pile of papers was flying. A few more times down the alley and papers were flying in many directions.

Happily, Nate reported that each time the kite fell apart, he would simply glue it back together...and he did.


Construction has started on the house at the end of the alley and between kite runs he decided to sneak a use of the port-a-potty on the premises...but don't tell Daddy...what a forbidden thrill!


The next morning I was up with the puppy playing fetch in the backyard when Nate woke and joined us, holding himself. I asked, did he need to use the bathroom and he said, "Yes, but first I have to get my shoes on", (to go down the alley to the port-a-potty).

I wonder how that's going to work with the middle of the night trips to the loo.

1 comment:

Samantha said...

Oh my. More proof, as if it were needed, that I am no longer six. ;)