Strawberry Fields

I made it out of the house with 2 kids this morning. By 830am! That may have been a first. We were off to meet up with some friends at a strawberry patch for Bella & Sam's first strawberry-picking experience. When I awoke Ysabella early this morning she had a HUGE smile on her face and she could barely contain her excitement. It was one of the most cooperative mornings we've ever had.

I think it was only my second time going to a strawberry patch. I seem to have a vague memory of me going strawberry picking in my 20's. And I'm pretty sure that I went in the mid-afternoon because I seem to remember returning from the patch suffering from heat stroke. I wasn't about to reapeat that fun. We made it to the patch by 9am... just in time. Just before the heat set in and just before the crowds arrived. Now, I realize I'm only a novice strawberry picker but I'm almost certain that this was the PERFECT day to pick strawberries. With all the recent rain (and previous to that, all the heat and sun), there must have been at least a million ripe, juicy strawberries to choose from. (And we didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about eating a thousand of them because there were at least 999, 000 left!)

We arrive to the (surprisingly dry!) strawberry patch. Who needs rubber boots? Yay for hay! (Ingenious!)

Bella & Sam, both uber-excited to start picking (and Sam sneaking a taste!).
Digging in!

Wow! Do I ever have a whole new appreciation for the hardworking women all over the world who work the fields with children strapped to them. Geez.

Strawberries? Who needs strawberries?? Let's feed the boy hay!

Alejandro knows just what to do.

"I got one!

My Flowergirl.

My Sweet Boy, all strawberry-faced.

Our reward.(And I'm pretty sure this means I'll be attempting to make strawberry jam. LOOK OUT!!!)