My daughter Kate and I have not been getting along. She actually tried to lock me out of the house not too long ago. I haven’t helped matters. She has a sensitive soul, and I have been less than patient with her creative endeavors…aka I got pissed when her art projects spawned a massive tornado of glitter and scraps of paper and glue and paint and the entire contents of our recycling bin. I may have lost my cool a bit when her previously clean room avalanched into our kitchen and living room. To say the least we have been butting heads.

Sometimes people can lose themselves in the day to day. I am trying to get my head fully around being a stay at home dad, and Kate is dialing in the whole 1st grade thing. We have been wrapped up in the routine of school and making lunches and homework and trying to keep the house looking slightly better than complete dumpster fire dirty. Besides this, she is growing up and we are both a little stubborn. We needed some one on one time without mom or little sister. In my mind, going on an adventure is a perfect solution for anything that ails ya.

Adventures with kids are WAY different than adventures with your buddies. It’s tough to rip single track or drop in on a double black diamond or hike up 1000 feet of elevation in a mile when you are with your 6 year old. That’s just not fun for Kate. Over the course of her life my expectations have shifted and my ideas of fun outside have become very fluid. I like to go in with a general idea, but then let her take the lead. The key is to let her have some control and to let the day flow with what she has going on in her head. We started by driving out highway 20 looking for chanterelles, but ended up on a gravel bar in the Sauk river defending the mighty Orabora Forest from river trolls with rocks and sticks and magic. We found quick sand and made a stepping stone bridge and of course Kate fell into the river. Knowing my daughter I had her pack some extra dry clothes and shoes. After our adventures exploring the river we stopped for burgers, fries, and shakes at Birdsview Burgers in Concrete. Driving home we played music as loud as we could stand it, and Kate fell asleep even with the tunes bumping.

Getting outside with the people you love is always time well spent. I am positive that there were plenty of little things that I could have been doing at home, but I am trying to always make time for what is truly important. Reconnecting with my daughter, one on one, Kate and Dada time, worth it every time. We don’t need to talk about huge life changing decisions or have big state of the union discussions, but on those rare occasions that she does want to bare her beautiful soul I want to be there to support her. I want her to know every day that I will take the time to listen and to be there for her and for our relationship.

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