With the amazing snowpack we saw the Sierras get this winter, the rivers on the west slope had been flowing to high for me to feel comfortable taking the kids out for anything other than hikes or throwing rocks. Despite the intense heat, the flows have dropped enough that both last week and this week we were able to take our raft out for some class II splashing. At 5, our younger son has intermittent fear about some of the bigger holes but our 7 year old loves it.
With UPF shirts and copious amounts of sunscreen, both last and this week we got on to the middle fork of the American river at Ruck-A-Chucky campground and took out above Murderer's Bar rapid. 3.5 hours of paddling, frigid splashes, and snacks and everyone came home tired and happy, dad especially.
As I mentioned, I don't know when it got easier but being able to more fully bring the kids into doing the things I love doing, has been huge for making it feel easier. I think it's good to remember that even if something isn't their favorite it's ok to encourage or even sometimes make them participate so they can explore things they may enjoy. With that in mind, I guess I need to put some time into learning to play Pokemon the card game.