Lets go fly a kite

Hasn't the weather been dismal this week? I mean it is so grey out, no clear skies and fluffy clouds, just a layer of thick grey stuff and a whole lot of drizzle, showers and heavy downpours thrown in too. I have been thinking about a lovely afternoon we had on the common on weekend a few weeks ago when it was scorching hot and the sun was out.

It was one of those almost thirty degree days and so airless indoors, the Little Ones were too hot out in the full sun in the back garden but inside they were sweaty hot and grumpy too. I had a brain wave, we would take them up to the common to fly the kites, there was bound to be a lovely breeze up there to cool us all down.

Off we went, thankful for the air conditioning in the car, plastered with sun cream and copious bottles of water. It was still very hot up there but I was right and the breeze made it feel much cooler however it wasn't really the right kind of wind for kite flying.

The girls and Daddy did lots of running around trying to get the kites in the air but the wind kept changing direction and dropping and so they didn't get very far. The kites just wouldn't stay in the air and came crashing back down no sooner had they let go.

Little 3 got tired of running around pretty quickly and spent some time exploring the grass and wild flowers finding plenty of grasshoppers and insect life. The two of us went for a wander in the shade of the trees while Daddy and the girls headed down the other side of the hill to see of they could catch some thermals there.

It wasn't long before Little 1 was back and joined her brother in a game of jumping off a raised concrete drain cover. 

As I watched them playing together I saw their personalities shining through; Little 1, caring and helpful, watching over Little 3 and taking him by the hand to help him jump but he, being adventurous and wilful, wanted to do it all by himself but took the hand that was offered with a little resistance.

Having given up trying to fly the kite we were soon joined by Daddy and Little 2. As I looked through the pictures I had taken on the camera, I suddenly noticed the view behind the Little Ones, The Stroud valleys, I had been too busy watching them and not taking in the beautiful scenery, it is lovely up there.

When the Little Ones had had enough of jumping and performing dance routines on the drain we headed back to the car and were greeted by the lovely sight of a Winston's ice cream van (locally made and seriously yummy ice cream). 

We sat in the shade on a grassy hump and each enjoyed our favourite flavour complete with a chocolate flake, yummy. All too soon it was time to take our hot, sticky children home for tea. We will be back to fly our kites again soon and hopefully the wind will be better then.