Father of the Year

After their naps, Kiddo1 looked out the window and said, "Wind, Mama!  I see wind!  Can we PLEASE fly my kite?"

I said, "Ask your dad."

Hubby agreed that it looked like a perfect day to try out the new kite.  He showed the kids how it went together.  This is not just a cheap plastic kite.  Oh no, this is 6 feet of nylon kite powerhouse!

Hubby got it up in the air with much cheering from his adoring fans.

Really, REALLY up in the air!

Look at that kite!

Then he turned the handle over to Kiddo1.

 Who was in love!

She danced and swirled and flew that kite!  Giggling and laughing all the while.

Then, disaster struck.

Her brother was going to have a turn.  Hubby coached him on using two hands and warned him it would pull a little bit, but not to let go.  Kiddo2 held it when it pulled once, but let it go the second time.

I'll repeat, LET IT GO!  We all gasped as the kite took off in the wind.  It sailed away over the lake.  The handle kept bouncing in the water and slowed it down.  The kite plunged onto the surface of the lake and floated there.

Kiddo2 turned to his sister and said multiple times, "I'm sorry I lost your kite.  I'm sorry I lost your kite."  

Kiddo1 was sobbing and very distraught.

It broke her parents' hearts!  Hubby looked at me and said, "Well, should we try and go after it?"  It was an accident, it wasn't done deliberately so we decided that we should try and save the beloved (and awesome) kite.

Hubby drug out the kayak and belted on his life jacket.  He was on a rescue mission!!

Kiddo1 watched him go and then started crying anew.  "Dad is going away just like Pa in our book.  He is going to be gone for three days and he didn't take any crackers or candy!"  (We had just finished reading On The Banks of Plum Creek where Pa Ingalls is caught in a three day blizzard and the only thing he has to eat are the Christmas candy and oyster crackers.)

I assured her that Dad was not going to be gone three days and we could stay right there and watch him.

So we settled in to watch the dramatic rescue.

"What's Daddy doing?  Mama, Mama!!"

HE GOT IT!!

There was much rejoicing!  Kiddo2 apologized again (again, totally un-prompted) and Kiddo1 hugged him and said, "It's OK!  Daddy saved it!"

And that, my friends, is my father of the year nomination.  I don't know a lot of dads who would take their kids kite-flying.  And I certainly don't know of any others who would paddle a kayak out to almost the other side of the lake to fetch the errant kite.

As Kiddo1 put it, "Daddy is SO great!"