Strawberry Picking

Now that spring is here (and, unfortunately, too warm weather, though I shouldn't complain because we've had unusually cool weather as well), I like to get the kids out in the fresh air.  So today we went strawberry picking.  The "strawbits," as my son calls them, were in fine form today. Berries abounded, and flowers promised more.  Thankfully, what did not abound were the bugs. For some reason, we were avoided, and I am profoundly grateful.  We got out before lunch so the sun wouldn't be too strong.  My daughter really did enjoy it, and partly, I think, because it takes less time to fill a gallon bucket with strawberries than blueberries (last time we did that, she and her friend got bored in about 10 minutes).  My son tried to carry the bucket, but he doesn't balance well.  This was especially evident when he wobbled and sat down on some of the strawberries.  He also picked up flags that others had put at the point they stopped picking, per the farm instructions.  I had to figure out where they went, but there were so many berries, and more on the way, that it wasn't a big deal.  My daughter insisted on carrying a bucket, too, though on the way out she unintentionally did a "Hansel and Gretel" with the strawberries.  I played the part of the birds who picked up the "bread crumbs."  My son also kept trying to eat the strawberries right out of the bucket.  He adores "strawbits."  I think we'll make a slushy strawberry lemonade this afternoon. Just right for a warm day.

(one of the gallons picked)

 When we were done, we had lunch at a cute little pizza place in an old town area (as is usual in old town areas, we had to go round and round actually to get to it, what with all the one-way streets whose names are different on the signs than they are on Google maps).  Next door was a delightful little bakery called "Special Kneads and Treats," which we found out when we went in is a non-profit bakery that employs special needs people and ministers to the community.  And the icing on the cake (pun intended) is that the cupcakes we ate (not to mention the chocolate popcorn) were fabulous.  The frosting wasn't the kind that tastes like sweetened shortening but the light and fluffy kind.  My son made short work of his cupcake and left a huge mess on the floor.  My daughter, who is the only person I know - including myself - who could manage the "Intuitive Diet," ate only a small portion of hers.  The rest was saved for later.  She may be deficient in delayed gratification of some things, but food is not in that category.

All in all, it was a fun and rewarding day.  We got to spend time together with my sister, patronized two local businesses and one local farm, and enjoyed the out-of-doors.