I Canoe.

I just let the boat do all the work. That's my secret.

Part first of Ruby's 4th birthday celebration...on a boat! You too can have a thrilling boat-scapade on Ladybird Lake with your small family for an honest price, includes sunscreen and a push off.

This was the monsters' first time trying out their sea legs and I reckon it was pretty memorable. We donned our piratey'st straw hats, dragged our hands in the cool water off the port bow, spotted egrets, giant man-eating swans, a myriad of multi-racial ducks, kayak racers with boats instead of legs, and about 10,000 (very un-grabbable, dangit ) adorable turtles. Evan did the lion's share of the rowing and I blindly snapped photos and held fast to a certain Jungleman and his life jacket. Those swans really are not to be trusted.

I stamp it emphatically "success" considering nobody fell overboard, burst into tears, got a fishing hook in their lip or wet their huck finn cut-off jorts. We slaked our sailor's thirst at The Galaxy Cafe and dined on fish and sweet potato french fries, glowing with adventure.