Sweet Berry Farm

A few weeks ago, some friends and I drove out to Marble Falls to Sweet Berry Farm to pick strawberries. There were 8 kids under the age of 5 (4 months, 10 months, 13 months, a 2-year-old, 3 3-year-olds, and a 4-year-old). We had a blast! Peter, Danielle, and I joined Stephanie and her two kids in her van so that we didn't have to take an extra car. It was helpful because I still get really sore from sitting in the car for a long time, so I was able to move around and stretch out a bit instead of having to sit in one position to drive. The two boys (Peter and Sam) loved being next to each other, and the girls did pretty well in the backseat once they fell asleep.

The boys were so silly. They shared books and toys and actually carried on a conversation.

Sam: Peter, where are we going?

Peter: To the berry farm!!

Sam: Peter, where are we going?

Peter: To the berry farm!!

(short pause)

Peter: Sam, where are we going?

Sam: To the berry farm!!

Peter: Sam, where are we going?

Sam: To the berry farm!! Once we got there and had all three little ones in strollers, we set off to find the strawberries. This was a milestone day for Danielle because she was able to actually sit in the stroller instead of me having to put her carrier in the stroller. I think she enjoyed being able to see everything going on. She did great and didn't get fussy at all. After she was tired of the stroller, I wrapped her in the moby wrap for the remainder of the day.

All of the kids had little boxes to hold their strawberries. Peter was excited to find the sweet little berries in the strawberry patch, and I was excited to teach him about where our food came from before it got to the grocery store. We soon discovered that the best berries were found by digging down under the leaves close to the ground. Peter picked a few, and then he was content to help me by putting the strawberries that I picked into the box. I guess picking berries out of someones hand is much easier than pulling them off the plant. :)

Gabe, who just turned a year old, enjoyed picking the berries as well. He also enjoyed being able to eat them (stem, leaves, dirt, and all!) before Audrey put him back in his stroller.

After the kids had their fill of picking berries, we carried our boxes over to the cashier to pay for them. Abby entertained Danielle while I payed for strawberries and bought goat food. The boys entertained themselves by climbing into a very small space and laughing at each other.

There were plenty of picnic tables in the shade, so we enjoyed lunch outside. After eating, the kids enjoyed feeding and petting the goats who were in a pen near the tables. They also discovered the donkeys and horses.

We had a great time, and I can't wait to take Peter and Danielle again. We finished off the day with ice cream at McDonald's so the kids could play on the playscape and hopefully tire themselves out enough to sleep the entire 1.5 hour trip home. Um, not the case for our boys. The babies in our car fell asleep quickly and slept the entire way home. The 4 kids in Audrey's van fell asleep quickly and slept the entire way home. Peter and Sam, on the other hand, entertained themselves with snacks and conversation all the way home.

Sam: Peter, where did we go today?

Peter: The berry farm!!

Peter: Sam, where did we go today?

Sam: The berry farm!!