Our New Family Hobby

While the fam was on vacation, J and I took the boys out to do something we used to do often BC: we took them out on the river. Normally, J and I would kayak every few weekends on the Concord River back in Massachusetts. We'd grab the boat and a picnic lunch, kayak down to the Old North Bridge ( where the Revolutionary War started up so many years ago), picnic on the battle field, then kayak back.

Since we have three kids, none of which have held a paddle in their life, we chose a canoe instead. Now, maybe I'm weird, but while I love to kayak, I hate canoing. It's a control thing. I hate having to work as a team in trying to keep the damn boat straight and not falter into the marsh. If I'm going to falter into the marsh I'LL be the one to do it on my own, thankyouverymuch. But it wasn't an option the first time around, and grudgingly I accepted the canoe paddle and insisted on steering.

We had a beautiful time together. No one got hurt. I kept us out of the marsh. And the boys fell in love with the water.

Floating down the Concord River

 

 We canoed to the Old North Bridge, following the journey J and I used to do before the boys were born, and initiated our kids into the tradition of eating on the battle field of freedom. J and I tried to impart historical knowledge to our boys as we sat there eating. Xavier was the only one semi interested. The other two kept looking for ducks to feed their bread crust to.

Xavier, Ashe, Soren posing on the Old North Bridge, Concord, MA

We finished up and headed back and when we reached the boat house, all three kids looked up to us and said "Again!" So the moment we got home we started pricing out kayaks.

Sadly, if we were to purchase kayaks for the family, it would cost us $1,000, not to mention a rack for the van, and how to safely balance them on one vehicle. So purchasing at this point is not an option.

So we started looking for places that rented them. And around our area, they are few and far between. But I did find one that was conveniently right up the road from us. I decided this morning that while the kids were at Grandma's. I would head over to check it out.

I grabbed a kayak for $6 an hour, hauled out into the lake and headed out. It was so peaceful, just drifting around the lakes perimeter. I was able to see some pretty nifty wildlife that I could sneak up to and catch on my phone camera

One of the two herons I spotted at Bond Park Cary, NC

This lazy ass turtle hung out catching rays while I snapped his photo. His siblings jumped ship.

The cool thing about this place is that we can all fit on two double kayaks as opposed to two double and a single. And the water is so shallow around the perimeter that even if the boys somehow tipped us over, it would only come to Soren's waist. So now I can't wait for the weekends so we can get out and continue this new tradition with the kids!