U pick strawberries

Growing up we always went to the u-pick strawberry fields in Carnation and picked and processed around 60-80# of strawberries (per my memory). We would make jam and slice and freeze them for pancake and ice cream toppings. I loved this activity and really loved the end product. When Soren was 8 months old we went to our first u-pick strawberry field. It was so unproductive I swore I would never go back and instead just grow my own which I successfully did for several years. However with the building of our new house my strawberry patch was destroyed. Since I don't have a vegetable garden this year I promised myself I would go to as many u-pick fields, farmers markets as I wanted. First up - strawberries!

The boys were fabulous pickers........for about 15 minutes. Then they declared it was lunch time and proceeded to eat all the ones they picked. This ocupied them for another 15 minutes. We were picking next to an asian family and Soren quickly made friends. When Soren meets anyone new he always gives an autobiography of himself in the first breath. It goes something like this. "Hi, my name is Soren and I am 4. That is my brother and he is 2. The is my mom. We have a new house. We have an old apartment. I have 3 Grandma's. (sticking out fingers one at a time) Grandma, Grandpa and Grandma." Once he concluded with, "do you want a back scratch?" but that is another story. In this instance he was talking to the grandma of this family which giggled and said Hi in a classic Korean accent. They had 4 young children that he tried to befriend with some success. Everytime he would go over to visit he would announce, "Everybody, I am here. It is me, Soren!" Classic Soren - I love it! At one point he had taken this foam pad that you can borrow from the stawberry stand and put it on the dirt and kneeled on it. You need to realize that I am madly picking strawberries while all this is going on so I am watching my kids through my peripheral vission and ears. All of a sudden I hear Soren saying, "thank you for the stawberries. Please help us to make Jam - reallly really good jam. And make it yummy." This sounded like a prayer to me which seemed odd so I clarified with him, "Soren, who you talking to?" Soren then blurted out in a semi-yell, "I am talking to Jesus!" That kept me giggling to myself for some time. I think that was his first self initiated prayer. I am not sure why he felt it was necessary. Maybe because he knew he was going to eat enough strawberries to make up for a whole meal! I love u-picks because they don't weigh you in and weigh you out. Although I think the strawberries all over my boys faces, hands and clothes was a giveaway.

Xander also made friends. He was chatting it up to this young mom of a 1 year old. I wasn't listening to all he said as he was a few rows away but all of a sudden I hear this lady clarifying, "Someone punches you and kicks you?" And in a calm/curious/concerned voice she asks, "who punches you and kicks you?". Xander energetically responds, "Soren does." Feeling uncomfortable about the way this conversation is going I butt in the conversation several rows away and say, "Soren is his brother." with a smile and a nod like that makes it all okay. Hmmmmm, maybe we should go soon. I thought.

Our bounty. Can you believe that is 33.5 #??

Don't worry, it is a butter knife.

In an 1.5 hrs I picked 33.5# of strawberries. That day Soren helped me wash and cut up strawberries. He was really good for all 15 minutes that he helped me. While we were processing the strawberries I had all these memories of bringing in fresh eggs, milk, strawberries, and raspberries on many mornings all summer long and then followed in the evening carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, squash, corn and potatoes and fresh herbs. I totally felt like a farmer back then and loved it. Then I started to feel confused why I was born in this day an age. I totally would have excelled as a pioneer, yet I was born in the most modern day in age in a large metropolitan city. Not that I am complaining, I just never meet anyone who has said, "I would have loved to be a pioneer" - except for me. Usually people say, "Thank heavens I am not a pioneer". I am just curios what is in store for me. Surely this little attribute won't be put to waste right? Hmmmmmm.