Berry Season!

For any of you who know me, you know that I am minorly (okay, majorly) obsessed with berries and I am doing my best to instill that obsession in my children. So far, so good. They pick berries with me, they expect to have berry-themed clothing to wear on such berry picking occasions, and they can model berry beards with the best of them.

working on her berry beard

I was a bit apprehensive about strawberry season this year since it kicked off with an email from my favorite berry place saying that they were NOT going to have U-pick due to the cold winter and a problem with deer. That meant I had to find a new place to pick. Luckily I was up to the challenge - and truly there are no shortage of places to pick around here.

We have now been to pick four times at two different places. I have three bags of berries in the freezer for smoothies and a new batch of jam. I didn't quite get around to making strawberry bread, or even strawberry shortcake this year but we have definitely gorged ourselves on strawberries! I think we might be ready for blueberries - unless of course someone wants to go picking one more time for strawberries...

Cheese!

The first time we went to pick this spring, we enticed some friends to join us. It wasn't too hot, pickings were easy and we had a great time. Yes, Eliza did ask me to approve each and EVERY berry that she picked (after it was already off the plant, so it really wasn't necessary!) but I just tried to appreicate her interest in quality control. By the fourth time we went, we got the rules down to two simple statements - really red, and no squishy parts - and even Molly had learned that she could ask to eat it if the berry had a few (small) squishy parts. 

Is she ready or what?! Bucket and sunhat!

how about this one mommy?

what about this one?

sampling the deliciousness

showing off a perfect berry. (She really tried to find a big red one to give to Hayden who couldn't come due to school.)

come on, it's time to go! (They haven't quite developed the must-pick-one-more urge yet.)

posing with our haul! what a bunch of berry cute girls!