Being a mom doesn't cramp my lifestyle

My son's in preschool for the afternoon and it feels like my weekend has already started as I sit on a sunny patio with my laptop and coffee.  This is a preview of what I expect my whole weekend to be like as I leave later today for a mom's weekend away.  Four of us moms from my Outdoor Playgroup have decided to get away and enjoy one of the last warm weekends available to us to do some paddling in the sunny Invermere Valley of British Columbia. 

I love these chances to get away but as I was on my way to drop my son off at his class I thought about how I would react were our plans to change suddenly.  How would I feel if my husband got sick suddenly and I had to stay home?  Or if us moms all got sick - something that actually did come close to cancelling the weekend as two of us are in fact sick with different viruses threatening to contaminate the other two healthy moms.  (Sorry girls.  Hope your immune systems are strong.)

Sickness aside, because it would really suck to have plans cancelled for that reason, I would actually be ok with having to stay home and spend time with my family instead.  I say "have to" but the truth is, I love my family and I love family time!!  I can't get enough of it.  Our weekends are sacred and we always plan fun things to do together as a family.  If our girl's trip would have been cancelled we most likely would have planned a family hike instead or packed up the canoe and paddle board for a trip out to one of our aqua-coloured lakes.  Heck, it's warn enough we could have spontaneously packed up to go camping for one final time this season.  I love my girlfriends but what I love most is just doing something.  Anything!  If I'm in the mountains, I'm happy. 

Mountains = Happy

I know not all moms feel this way and I think it's particularly challenging for hard-core adventure moms who are driven to pursue their  hobbies at a skill level way beyond what their kids could come along on safely.  I get that.  Really I do.  I used to be like that.  Even last summer I had a list a mile long of scrambles and adult adventures I wanted to do on my own.  This summer I still had the list but nothing got checked off.  Not one scramble!  I did my annual mountaineering trip with my husband but that was it for adult adventures.  Every hike I did this summer was with my family and our three year old son.  He got carried on occasion but for the most part, he was walking - which should clearly give you an idea of how hard our hikes were (not). 

Hiking with my Little Buddy

Despite the fact that I hiked at the pace of a three year old this summer, I don't feel like my son has cramped my lifestyle - at all!  In fact, I am blessed to have him along on our journeys.  I like hiking with him.  I like paddling on my board with him in the canoe watching me.  We took up canoeing this summer just so the three of us could enjoy getting into the backcountry more easily.  I also took up biking again for the first time since I was a teenager - again so I could join my husband and son on more adventures.  The bike attachment  for our Chariot was getting dusty waiting for me to get a bike.  Being a mom has definitely not slowed me down or cramped my lifestyle.  I've had a blast this summer with my family and wouldn't give up our family time for the world!

Sunday Afternoon Paddle with my Son

I'm going to enjoy this weekend away with my friends but next weekend we're off on a big family adventure at a wilderness hostel and I'll enjoy that weekend hiking with my son just as much. 

To read more about my journey to become happy as an outdoor mom, read my post:  My Journey to Become an Outdoor Mom.  I wrote it this past Spring as I was discovering the simple joys of outdoor play, riding my new bike and camping with my family.

Being a mom is not an easy journey but it's a rewarding one!  Have a great weekend moms with your children - young and old.