For most of our trip, Megan sat on a backpack just in front of Allan. Adrian sat behind me. Occasionally he would turn around so he could face Megan and lean into me.
Early on we discussed how Lewis and Clark traveled and pretended that we were them. Megan wanted a special name and finally decided on Princess Tiny Frog, in honor of the tiny frogs she had discovered and played with on a beach. Adrian decided he would be Pomp. During the week, they would often call each other their made up names.
It did not take long for Megan to discover that she could lean over and play in the water. Soon Megan and Adrian played in the water whenever we were in a smooth part. Adrian would ask to row for a short while too.
When we hit rapids, they learned to sit in the middle with their hands in their laps or on the bar in front of them. They only had to get out and walk a few rapids and most of the time they could stay in the canoe while Allan and I guided the canoe through the mid-calf deep water.
During one stop, they loaded huge handful of rocks into the canoe. Every so often, they would throw a rock into the water. Another time, they folded and refolded the gum wrappers that they claimed. Megan practiced her favorite song, “God’s not dead, he surely alive” by the Newsboys over and over and over. Adrian asked us “millions” of trivia questions. They both enjoyed helping us watch for animals.
On the last day, the kids asked if they could change seats for a short while. They soon discovered the original seating plan was much more comfortable and happily rearranged at our next stop.