We’ve picked up a new weekend family adventure around here. Because everyone needs a break from chores. And we needed something new to work on. {smile}
And yeah, we bought a boat.
How else do you REALLY see Hampton Roads, right? The very name refers to our “roads” meaning the waterways here. (Although we usually think of it as Tidewater.)
But back to the boat…Sounds crazy, and kinda dramatic. But it’s a small boat. And we do live in Hampton Roads. So everyone has a boat around here. Boat, kayak, canoe, paddleboard…you name it. Although we prefer our hobbies with motors.
“Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head…” I digress.
And the farm crew are totally along for the ride with us.
We had several people tell us that they would be too busy to join us since they were all grown now. We were told not to worry about finding a boat that would work for all of us to enjoy together. We didn’t believe that, but split the difference because we also have this thing called a BUDGET. {smile}
And yes, they’re busy. But they’ve also all made time to adventure with us!
It’s a whole new world seeing everything from the water side. Going UNDER the bridges, instead of OVER them! Getting to enjoy the taste of brackish water instead of just smelling it. {smile}
And everything we do, we do as a family.
Maybe not all five of us at a time.
Maybe we take out a teen that’s working the weekend, and add my sister.
Maybe we add a few grandparents, and subtract a young adult that’s got a church service day.
Maybe we sprinkle in a few significant others…{sigh} because yes, we’re there now. {smile}
Or maybe it’s just Mr. Fix-It and I for the afternoon, and then everyone meets us at the house for dinner. And by dinner I mean we order Mexican and one of those young adults goes and picks it up! (Because having teen drivers can be awesome too!)
But it turns out we still in enjoy our family adventures with the crew. And they still enjoy stuff with us too–in between their own things.
You don’t have to outgrow doing things together as they become teens and young adults. It turns out they become really awesome people, and you can still have a lot in common and enjoy each others company. And keep doing the same things (or new things) together.
Dirt bikes. Farm chores. Trucks. Movie nights. Dinner.
Mowing the ever-loving fields. Working on boat motors is the same as truck motors, or dirt bike motors or tractor motors.
Giving them space does NOT mean letting go. It means exactly that–giving them space. And it also means that YOU, as the parent, get more space to explore new things. And then everyone can come back together again and share all about it. Share about new music, new movies, new memes and youtube videos.
Preferably over Mexican.
If you’re interested in a few of our recent Water Side discoveries…
We saw the squatty red Middle Ground Lighthouse in the water, which led me down a rabbit hole…
My go-to waterproof bird guide is still going strong and covers all the water birds too. So. Many. Pelicans.
