I have on occasion been called a permissive parent.  I mean, if The Boy wants to try something, why shouldn't he be able to try?  Isn't that what life is all about?  But I'm thinking we may have gone a little too far yesterday. 

It was his father's brilliant idea to take him canoeing.  I mean, the man has been longing for this moment since he was 18.  And that was more than half his life ago.  All he ever wanted was to have a son to take canoeing.  What the heck, why not? 

This is how they started out.  Note the bike helmet.  His father's idea, but it's purpose, I know not.





I called Jen because now that they were gone (thanks to me pushing the canoe off the sand and into the water, with a newborn infant under my arm), I was free to chat.  We were talking about nothing when I started to freak out.

K:  OMG, OMG, OMG.
Jen:  What?  What?
K:  You aren't going to believe what is happening.
Jen:  What's going on?
K:  Derek and Ethan are canoeing in the lake.
Jen:  Your two year old is canoeing?  What is wrong with you people?
K:  Yeah, but that's not the problem.

This was the problem.



K:  Ethan is moving to the front of the canoe.
Jen:  In the middle of the lake?
K:  Yeah.  Did I mention that he is carrying a 4 foot paddle in one hand?  Thank heavens canoes are so stable and that my child has such incredible balance.   Do you think his father is asleep in the canoe because no good is going to come from this.
Jen:  Why are you people always flirting with danger at your house?
K:  Up, he got there safely.

And there he was.  As if he was born to canoe.



When they got back to shore, I asked his father what had crossed his mind to allow our 25 month old son to go from the back of a canoe to the front of the canoe while on the water.

D:  He wanted to.

Doesn't that just sum up a father's logic?