Let's go Fly a Kite & the Duck Dodge: Seattle Summer Bucket List.

As we lay our our blanket, Nick remarks "your mommy lives for this stuff."  And it's so true.  

It's often a drag getting there, tonight having to sit through bridge traffic with grumbling tummies and inquisitions from the back seats about what exactly we were doing, forgetting forks for our salads, and extra water, finding parking.

But man I need these moments.  

There was a lot of rain this year, soccer games in sideways rain, common colds that lasted for months, two elementary schools in a struggling public school system, dark gray days when you keep the lights on all day, just the kind of stuff you put your head down and push through.

I just don't want to forget to look up.     

Our only agenda this evening was to attempt to fly a kite, and marvel in the beauty of this magnificent city we get to live in.  The beauty part was much easier than flying a kite.  Gas Works Park on a Tuesday evening in summer is perfection.   Dozens of sailboats can be found participating (hence the bridge traffic) in the Duck Dodge on Lake Union.  With the backdrop of the Seattle skyline and the reflection of the sunset covering it all in a magical glow, it's dreamy. 

Add steep rolling grassy hills and a rad rusty backdrop.  It's so good.

Now kite flying, not sure if it was our taped together kite, the lack of constant wind or our lack of wind force knowledge.  But we were not lacking in belly laughs, and energetic attempts, many more from the boys than the late 30-somethings.  I remember listening to a talk when my boys were much younger about the importance of play, and playing together as a family, play's restorative nature and re-centering ability.  This does not happen nearly as much as my expectations would hope for.  Ugh - mommy guilt.  Oh goodness what a gift when we can actually pull this off, the trick usually being not trying to pull it off - letting go of our expectations, and our agenda.  And we need to show up.   

Here's to a kite moment this week, pack a picnic, get out and enjoy summer while you can, or at least grab takeout and sit outside.  Look up.  Find some beauty in the present.

best,

Kirsty

follow along on instagram, thekirstyfiles