Strawberry Jam

Saturday, May 16

Friends of ours took their kids strawberry picking last year and it looked like they had a lot of fun, so this year I wanted to try and take our kids. I don't remember who, but somebody mentioned something about strawberry picking and that it was almost over, so I had to get on it if I was going to take the kids. I asked Joy if her family would like to go at the same time we went and we set up a plan to take the kids on Sunday, May 17th.

My mother-in-law was reading the paper on Friday, when she read that the strawberry patch was going to be having the first ever Strawberry Jam. This event would include inflatables, games, and other activities for families to come out and have fun. We quickly changed plans decided to attend this event for the kids!

We wanted to get out there as early as possible, before the big crowds hit. The weather had been threatening for some time and we were worried about rain (this was during our really rainy May period). So we bought our bands, headed out to the let the kids play. Tanner saw a horse had to pet it, during this process the clouds got darker and down came the rain....soaking rain!

Luckily, we were under a huge pavilion type area and we didn't get wet, but the inflatables did! The petting zoo area was also under this pavilion and so the kids played with the animals while it rained. They had a horse, sheep, kittens, and chickens...the poor chickens were being tormented by two dogs.

The rain stopped pretty quickly even though it came down in buckets and so we let the kids play on the wet inflatables. The obstacle course for some reason or another had bubbles all over it! The kids enjoyed this for a few minutes.

After playing on the inflatables, we went and played the games that they had. Tanner also got a strawberry painted on his face.

Then it was time to pick strawberries! All of the kids had to have their own baskets, even though I was only going to buy one basket worth. The kids and I went to the strawberry fields, which were muddy and slushy because of all the rain. We had to be careful. Trying to teach the kids how to pick strawberries was fun, "Don't pick the ones with green on them, don't get the ones off the ground, reach in grab the ones on the inside." Needless to say it didn't last very long and mommy was the one to pick a good majority of the strawberries, although Tanner was pretty helpful also!

Poor Tanner slipped and fell and got mud all over the side of his leg. He says, "Mommy clean it off!" Here we are in the middle of the strawberry fields, me and the three kids, no diaper bag and he wants me to clean it off? "Sorry, you are going to have to wait till we get back to the car!"

Also, while we were out in the strawberry fields I hear, "and our next door prize winner is....TYLER BOWERS!" "What, are you kidding me!" Of course, it figures, I am out in the strawberry fields with the three kids by myself and we win a door prize, which you must be present to win! Needless to say, I didn't get it, I debated running in for it, but I couldn't just leave the kids in the fields all by themselves...no telling what they would have done or in the case of Tapanga, eaten!

Yes, every time I put a strawberry in Tapanga's basket and turned my back she would pick the strawberry up and take a little nibble! After awhile, the little nibble turned into bites, then the whole berry was gone. Tyler saw what Tapanga was doing, "Mommy, I want to eat one...just one mommy? Please?" So all the kids had a couple nibbles out in the fields.

Overall, I think the kids enjoyed the day. They love to eat strawberries and it was an experience, although, I think next year I will bring Thomas!