My Big Summer Plans

In June, Chris and I, plus my dad and his sister are going to canoe about 100 miles down the Upper Missouri River in Montana.  It's part of the route that Louis and Clark followed, and they say that it is so untouched that about 90% of it is what Louis and Clark actually saw.  I think that's pretty cool and I am starting to get a little pumped about it.

Here's what I don't know what to do:  how do you physically get ready to canoe 100 miles?  It's not like I can practice exactly.  Can you imagine me hauling my 5 kids to the river and all going for a ride during the day while Chris is at work?  I don't think so.  I am continuing to try and lose weight, down 7 pounds so I am happy about that.  But 18 more to go to Peru, plus my friends can't even tell yet.  How depressing is that?  Have you lifted a 5 pound weight lately?  It's heavy, and yet NO ONE CAN TELL.  It's not like I am 400 lbs so that weight wouldn't make a difference or anything.  I will be so happy the day someone says "Jess, are you losing weight?"  Because then all this crazy dieting and working out would seem a little more worth it.  I  mean, I know that it's worth it, but I want to drink a regular Coke so bad it is almost driving me insane.

Anyway, back to the canoeing.  We will carry all of our supplies with us and make camp at night.  It's downriver, so hopefully it won't be too hard to go that far.  I'm not a stranger to more extreme types of camping.  We hiked the BitterRoot Wilderness in Idaho where you go in with your bag and all your food and stuff to survive and come out two weeks later, so I do have some experience, and this won't be anything as challenging as that, but still.  It has been a long time and I am no longer 23.

Plus, we will be gone for around 10 days.  We have never been gone from the kids since Kembia and Moyz have gotten home for more than one night, and that was only one time.  We have had a babysitter (Chris' mom) at night about 3 times.  This will be a good test of how the kidlets are doing.

I'll be completely honest with you.  Even if it sets them back we are going to do it.  We need a break, and this trip is still almost four months away (end of June), and a lot can happen in terms of attachment in that amount of time.

For the most part, we are not worried about Kembia.  Moyz is a little more of where are concerns are.  We had that rough month that I chatted about recently, but he has been doing awesome the last couple of weeks, and as it seems to be, attachment isn't always consistent and one straight shot.  But I do think that it will be okay.  

Sane parents equal saner/ish kids!