Go fly a kite

Cape Town has recently been experiencing the most frightening gale force winds.

One morning a few days ago, inspired by the movie Mary Poppins, Nuha (7) decided to put these winds to good use and fly kites.

Being the DIY type of child (as opposed to the type who nags her parents for expensive toys - like her siblings are) she decided to make kites for her little sister, Aisha (3) and herself.

So, equipped with a scissors, paper and crayons, she set out to make her kites.

Her kites simply entailed cutting the pieces of paper into a diamond/kite shape. And, of course, colouring it in.

Then, realising that she needed a type of string by which to hold onto her kite, she approached me for some ideas as to what she could use.

''I dunno,'' I grunted irritably. I hated being reminded of my lack of creativity - something which gives me uncomfortable flashbacks to the insults from my primary school Art teacher for my pathetic attempts at creating art.

Wandering around the house, she looked for any suitable materials. I racked my brains for ideas, but alas, none were forthcoming.

And then she came running to me.

''We're all done!'' she cried excitedly. She had ripped the party streamers (which, for some reason, we never remove after our parties) from the walls and used it for her kite.

Convinced that the streamer would be ripped off mercilessly by the cruel wind, I tried to warn her that the wind was strong and her kite might be torn apart (while secretly relieved that she had not managed to come up with a better idea than I could).

Concerned, her silly dad muttered to me, ''That won't fly - it is not a real kite''.

Which was foolish, since these papers manage to fly about effortlessly before landing in our garden



[Annoyingly, the garden looks like this a mere hour after its last clean-up]

 

 

Anyway, so off the kids headed into the chilly wind. Much to their delight - and my own surprise - they had barely stepped outdoors when their kites were swept up into the air. They shrieked with glee, as their kites danced playfully - dipping, fluttering and frolicking; these pieces of paper attached to party streamers seemed to acquire a life of their own.

Finding new uses for old party streamers

 

Singing ''Let's go fly a kite'' from Mary Poppins, they spent the next 45 minutes being delighted and entertained by their new toys.

Who would have thought I'd ever consider the Cape doctor to be a blessing.