Kite Flying

The boys all three got kites for their birthdays from C's brother and his girlfriend. E had been begging to take his out all week, but I kept putting him off. C finally took them out Sunday while I was gone and again Monday morning. I missed out seeing the sea turtle and tree frog fly and apparently M's trick kite turned out to be a little, er, tricky.

Later that day I went out with him and a different kite. First we tried a traditionally kite-shaped kite that he was given several years ago. I don't know if it was the gusty wind or the kite's shape or what, but all we could succeed in doing was getting it to swirl around in loop-de-loops and crash to the ground. I ran back to the house and got his old standby triangular kite (while there I changed the string to regular kite string from fishing-line type string, because ever since he learned that fishing line has lead in it, he calls it "lead string" and freaks out about touching it. I need to figure out if all nylon line has lead, or only some, poor kid!), and I also grabbed my old kite of a similar shape, also switching its string because a long time ago C hooked it up to a fishing reel and since then, I never use it because it's big and heavy and not being a fisher person, I find the cast and reel action not exactly intuitive.

We finally got M's kite in the air--the wind was pretty gusty, so it was difficult--and I got mine up for only a short flight...I needed a lot more string, or a lot lighter, steadier wind.

I seem to remember making kites out of newspaper when I was a kid. Did this really happen or am I confusing my life with an episode of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show? Someone please confirm for me--in the 70's, did we make kites with the Sunday funnies? If so, what did we use for sticks (stays? what are those called?) and tails? Did they actually fly? I guess I should ask my mother or sister if either of them remembers. I've seen kite paper for sale here, so I guess it's technically do-able (but does the paper come with instructions??)