strawberries

Every year we go to Boone Hall Plantation and pick strawberries. The first few years, I would take all the kids with me. Then I wised up and decided to take the younger two with me while the older two were at school. It was pleasurable only having to monitor two little ones. I could easily hide the fact that they would pick a strawberry and immediately place it in their mouth. The bright red juice dripping from their lips to be vividly displayed upon their clothing, was a bit more difficult to conceal, but I managed. I only had to chase two instead of four.

My oldest children, Ceily and Eddie have whined and complained and whined and complained ever since. "You NEVER take us to the strawberry patch anymore. It's not fair. Lana and Noah always get to go! You don't love us as much!"

I bit the bullet on Thursday. Maybe it was because Chris has no job and is home and he wanted to come with us. Maybe it was because Chris has no job and is home and we needed to get out of the house. Whatever the reason, all six of us loaded into the car and arrived at the strawberry patch and prepared to pick some delicious berries.

Well, now that Boone Hall has other fun attractions, like a jump castle and huge inflatable slides, again I only had two children accompanying me. Ceily and Eddie and I enjoyed our quiet time together as we searched for ripe berries. I didn't have to tell them not to eat the berries. I didn't have to chase after them. I didn't have to tell them to stay out of the mud. Oh wait, Ceily did happen upon the only mud puddle in the whole field. But she was able to wash her self. What a joy. Maybe I had been taking the wrong kids with me every year.

Thanks to the extra sets of eyes and hands that Chris brought with him, Lana and Noah played happily and didn't pick one berry.