Today was our picking day. I started taking my kids when one was 3 and the other was 1. It used to be just mommy and kids time. Then as the children got older they always told friends about going and would ask if they could come. Now it’s grown into friends and friends parents who come along. Today we had 3 families and 2 kids who came along while their parents were at work. I don’t like to take credit where it’s not due but 2 families today never went picking until their kids met my kids 🙂 I am very good friends now with both of these women and enjoy spending time with them when I can.
Well today’s experience was not our best…it’s about a week later than when we normally go so picking was not as fast as you had to search for the nice size berries. It was also about 84 degrees in full sun with 80% humidity. My son and his friend picked a quart each. My daughter who is the best helper picked one quart then went to the truck for some water to drink, stubbed her toe on a rock and cut it pretty nastily. It bled everywhere as toes do. So her and the boys sat in the truck with the air on for almost 40 minutes while the rest of us picked. But it’s done and we have the berries we needed. Our strawberry plants at home are just starting to produce so we will have another 5 or more quarts in a few weeks.
As soon as we got home the kids grabbed a pack and headed out the door to play in the tree fort and eat their strawberries. They mark the quarts they pick with weeds so they know which is the one they want to eat.
Tomorrow is something called Kidz Biz set up in our town hall and my kids have a karaoke booth so I will not be “jamming” until Sunday. For now I have the wonderfully sweet smelling strawberries in the fridge.
chase n chance ranch 
Fresh strawberries I am sure kids would have loved those
Your daughter seems to have forgotten the nasty stub of her toe. She is enjoying the strawberries most. I think those strawberries won’t last more than two days. happy eating!
There’s nothing better than fresh berries! Ours little patch has been disappointing with as wet as we’ve been all spring/summer. Enough to munch but that’s about it. Have fun jammin’!
I will be getting first fresh berries of the season today at the farmers market. I can already taste them.