Kayaking as a family

A few years ago, Adam fell hard for the kayaking bug. He researched boats and finally used some of the extra money we earned to buy a small red sit-in kayak. He took it out many times that first year in rivers, lakes, and basically any where he could. He even got a few friends to kayak all the way to Lake Michigan in a 2 day trip! The kids were equally excited about these adventures, and so he would take one at a time in the boat, and go together for a little paddle around. Getting stuck on the shore with a bored child is no fun for me, but I also didn't want to get in the boat. I would bring my knitting and book and just enjoy that while they all took turns out on the water. This year, Adam has purchased a larger sit-on top kayak, and we have found the perfect spot for kayaking. It is a wonderfully large sized park with a large stream that runs along the side. Tons of trees for nice shade, not many people other than fishermen. The large stream feeds into a larger stream that then feeds into the river. There is no danger of being swept away and down stream in the large river, in fact there is barely a current at all. The kids have been learning boating safety now for the past 2 years, with of course gentle reminders every summer, but they had never been out by themselves. This past week, we headed out as a family after work one night. The kids are finally old enough and responsible enough to give it a shot. Each kid went out in the boat with Adam to get used to what it feels like again. Then one by one they got to go out in their own boat, with Adam in the other boat right along with them. The kids loved every second! They loved it so much that we went back on Sunday afternoon. This time we brought a small picnic lunch to eat before heading to the water. This time we let the kids go out by themselves at the same time. They listened pretty well, a few reminders had to be given, and Adam was ready to jump in to swim to them at any time. I have to say that even I got in the boat both days this week, and it wasn't half bad! I actually enjoyed it!!!! So now of course Adam is talking about adding at least 1 more boat to our fleet, but I think that needs to wait until we are out of apartment living.