Archive for March, 2011

A day to fly kites might just be the perfect sort of spring day.  This week I am focusing on the little moments.  The ones that happen when you stop and smell the flowers.  Flying kites is just that kind of activity.

On any given day, there are any number of more important things to do rather than flying kites.

But I have a funny feeling our family will always remember our kite flying days… and I will never remember the important things I didn’t get done.

Here’s a tutorial for how to make the most simple of kites.  One that is perfect for the kids because it flies best when running with it.  Come to think of it, running with a kite might not be so bad for me either.

You will need:

• 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper – I love something patterned and pretty, or start with white and let your kids decorate it with markers or crayons.  You can use cardstock, but it’s a little trickier to fold.
• Tape
• A hole punch
• A coffee stirrer or bamboo skewer
• A tail – crepe paper works well
• String

Start by folding your paper in half widthwise.  If you paper has a pattern like mine, you’ll want the pattern on the outside… just like I’ve done.

From the center fold mark about one inch.  From the outside edge measure about 1-1/2 inches.  Fold the paper diagonally being sure to fold at those two marks.

Fold back one side open.  This is the back of the kite.

And tape them together at the spine as shown.  If you really want your kite to last, use a stronger tape, like masking tape.  Somehow my roll of masking tape has walked off.  I’m not blaming the artists in my home.  I’m sure somethings do have legs of their own.

Next tape your coffee stirrer or bamboo skewer (cut off the sharp point to length) to the back of your kite, like so.

Flip it over and punch a hole for the string about 2 inches from the top (which is the side where the wings are slightly larger.)

Add a tail.

Tie on some string.

Now all we need is sunshine and a little breeze. 

This past week I’ve been working lots of fun projects, cooking up a storm and keeping way too busy.

So since I don’t have a project I can share today, I will talk about a subject that’s been on my mind the last few weeks since the tragic earthquake in Japan.  As I’ve watched the news unfold, my heart has just broken for all the suffering.  It also begs the question about whether or not I am really prepared for an emergency.  Here in Utah we live along the Wasatch Fault.  The experts predict that it’s not if but when a large earthquake hits near my home.

As a mother, I feel a great responsibility to be prepared.  How could I face my children if I didn’t have our basic needs in an emergency?

I do have 72 hour kits somewhat prepared sitting out in my garage.  But unfortunately for me, they need to be updated, which is a yearly challenge when you have growing children.  The food needs to be rotated.  And I only have 5 days worth of water… something that is giving me guilt as I watch the terrible drama in Japan.  Contaminated water supplies can happen and water is the one things you can’t live without.

Several years ago I allowed myself to go into a panic over swine flu.  It was then that I started bulking up my food storage and making sure I had adequate emergency supplies.  But after a couple days of worrying, I made up my mind that you can’t borrow problems.  “Be prepared and forget it” needed to be my motto.

Getting prepared can cost a small fortune however, especially if you rush out to the nearest emergency supply store and buy all the latest and greatest products.

The one thing I was good about a few years ago was picking up one or two products at a time… over time.  That was how I built the supplies I have now.  The disaster in Japan makes me realize it’s time to pull out my kits, make a list of anything that is still missing, and begin the slow but sure process of adding needed items.

Here’s just a few great emergency preparedness tips:

• Buy food that you use all the time.  That makes it easier to rotate what you have in the kits without wasting food.  We use tuna fish, peanut butter and granola bars for instance, so these are the items in our kits.
• Set a date on your calendar that is easy to remember for rotation.  Mark it on your calendar.  Maybe it’s the first day of school.  Maybe New Year’s.
• On that date, refresh your water if necessary, rotate your food, and update the clothes for the kids.
• I use hand-me-down clothes that I get from my sister’s kids, in one or two sizes too big for my kids to fashionable wear now.  This is a free way to keep clothes put away for an emergency.   If you don’t have anyone who can give you hand-me-downs, consider buying clothing from a thrift shop, or buy “too big” clothes you will really use and when your children reach that size, buy new and rotate them.
• Talk to your kids every once in a while about what to do in an emergency.

When a disaster happens, like the one in Japan, I take it as a good reminder for me to do a preparedness checkup.  Do what I can reasonably do to be prepared… and forget the rest.