{"id":13755,"date":"2017-09-12T13:00:03","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T20:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=13755"},"modified":"2017-10-10T19:25:37","modified_gmt":"2017-10-11T02:25:37","slug":"next-chapter-dirtbag-parenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2017\/09\/12\/next-chapter-dirtbag-parenting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Next Chapter: Dirtbag Parenting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDo you think we should still go?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I paused in my frantic food prep and looked around the house. Every corner, couch space and countertop was covered with a staggering amount of carefully vetted gear, dry bags, grocery bags, ziploc bags, layers, nutrition and safety precautions. Outside, on our townhome\u2019s shared sidewalk, the sprawl continued with dry boxes, oars, coolers, throw bags, ammo cans, and all the standard hard-good accoutrements of only the most epic rafting trips. Two trailered rafts hopefully awaited another six hours of pre-rigging and, as Jennifer would say, \u2018jicky-jacking.\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To turn back now would be to admit failure. To turn back now would acquiesce to the nay-sayers and the eye-rollers who had heard of our plan, doubted, muttered, or attempted to cajole us out of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I looked at Jen, then back at her phone. According to NOAA\u2019s \u2018Hazardous Weather Outlook\u2019 there was 35% chance of cloud-to-ground lightning during the second night of our upcoming trip.<\/p>\n

I knew she didn\u2019t really want an out. She was too tough, and entirely too stubborn, to actually quit, so I muttered my obligatory dismissal of, \u201cOh we\u2019ll be fine,\u201d and returned my focus to cutting up individual blueberries.<\/p>\n

Jen and I were about to embark on a two night, flat water float down Ruby Horsethief Canyons. Doesn\u2019t sound epic yet, right? Between our two families, we had four kids under four, one very responsible eleven year old, a seven-month-pregnant idealist (yours truly), and two helpful husbands. Two childless adventure hounds, Emily and Evan, and their brown dog, Quinn would join us. And then there was Nan and Jules, the family we all aspired to be one day after pulling off more epic flatwater trips.Their two awesome river kiddos were a mere two years older than our own and just got after it no matter what. The amazing parents were the type of people who took everything in stride, still had a sense of humor, and managed to maintain their patience while our hot messes\u2014meaning Jen and I\u2014got our families together.<\/p>\n