Strawberries in May

Apparently, because we've had some warmer weather in weeks past, Oregon Strawberries are ripe for the u-pick! So the girls and I headed out for a morning in the mud. We picked the berries, met the farm owner (who told us we were welcome to samples), saw pigs and chickens and roosters and ladybugs, and jumped in muddy puddles. Penny and Lulu play a game where Penny picks Lulu up, and they laugh hysterically before they both fall to the ground, and laugh even harder. It is a joy to watch. Perhaps it was the tall grass field where we had the most fun, however, playing hide and seek in reeds that crested the girls' heads.

  

They chewed on their apples the whole way home. We almost had the whole farm to ourselves! It was a dreamy morning in the countryside, for sure.

Garden Club

Filling our raised bed with edibles has become a yearly tradition (see last year and the year before that), but doing it with our friends Phoebe and Willow was even more fun!

Gardening was followed by dinner together, a romp through the sprinkler, and a swing on the hammock (pushed by Phoebe, the youngest of them all). It was a lovely evening together. See you at harvest time, friends!

We Grew Food

Last year we were new to our house and excited to garden! I didn't want to lose momentum even though we had moderate success last year. I learned what "bolting" means, and to try to avoid it. This year we planted kale, and a broccoli/cauliflower hybrid, and both have been a bust so far (I'm thinking bugs, and cats and too much sun are to blame?). We did put in some Thumbelina Carrots, and were able to pull them a couple of weeks ago, to great success! We went with the shorter variety since our raised bed is quite shallow. The girls made quick work of pulling them up, after we had watched and watched them grow for the past 2 months, their little heads peaking out of the soil most recently. We washed them, tasted them, and they were great!

Penny took a few to preschool in her lunchbox, to show her friends and teachers the next day (Lulu was a bit more skeptical, as you can see, above). The rest were roasted and thrown into this yummy pasta dinner.

Even if we only grow one or two things a year, it's nice for the girls to see a tiny bit of where their food comes from. I'm also looking forward to some trips to U-Pick farms around Portland this Summer! Lord knows these girls like to collect things in a bucket. We also planted mint, which is doing really well, and found some raspberry bushes on the side of our house that give us dessert each evening! This holds special feelings for me as we used to have raspberry bushes in the yard of our childhood home and growing up, my dad would send us out with a bowl each evening to collect them. They were his absolute favorite.

It might not be too late to plant some other things this season, right? Maybe we'll go back to herbs, as I seem to use them constantly when they're available, and they're available as long as I can keep up with the watering. Maybe some girls in swimsuits will help me get that job done, too :).

Springing

It's been raining and sunny both, but so mild. Sometimes the sky is pink and purple and blue, and we stare at it from inside, and take a photo to remember.

We have been getting the garden ready for when it's even warmer (and for an upcoming 3rd birthday!). We scoop rocks into buckets, pull leaves from the shrubbery, and take note of the different colored flowers popping through the soil. They make garden boxes with daddy, and are held by him to get a better view.

When it rains, we find our fun inside. Unless, of course, your best friend comes over and you happen to have matching rain suits (thanks, Judy!) since your sister can't fit into hers quite yet. And your best friend wants to go to the park and play, even though it's raining. Then, of course, you go. And you talk about it for weeks afterward.

Things are really getting fun around here. Happy Spring!