More berry picking

We went berry picking yet again this week.  Ryan really enjoys it, and talks about picking strawberries constantly while at home.  With the farm so close, it's easy to go often on the cool mornings.  Today was the last day for strawberry picking, and the pickings were slim.  We really had to hunt around for little berries, and finally gave up after 10 minutes and only 1 pound of berries to show for all our hunting.  I had success with Ryan waiting to eat any berries until later.

Lucky for us, the raspberry, cherry, and blueberry picking are now open as well.  We went to visit the chickens (necessary when we go to the farm to berry pick) before heading across the street.  "Black chicken!  Lay down!  Run away!" 

We had great success picking cherries without eating a single one.  Cherries are easy to pick and great for picking with littles, since the tree branches hang low and there are lots to pick.  We then proceeded to pick golden, red, and black raspberries.  That didn't go nearly so well.  Mama made the fatal mistake of eating one raspberry at the beginning, trying to determine what ripe golden raspberries look like.   As soon as I put it in my mouth I knew I was doomed.  "Ryan want one.  Ryan want to eat one!"

The next 15 minutes were spent trying to keep Ryan from picking unripe raspberries off the bushes without getting pricked with thorns, trying to console his crying by rationing a few raspberries, and furiously picking raspberries for our little basket.  The kicker is that raspberries are the one fruit where you pay to fill one pint instead of paying by the pound.  So I had to fill that little pint up or forfeit my 5 bucks and go home with 15 berries.  I stayed the course and juggled as best I could.  We had at least 3 episodes of Ryan sitting and crying loudly in the middle of the rows of raspberry bushes, "Ryan wants a raspberry!!!  Want to eat one!!!  Want a BERRY!!!!"  I picked berries as fast as I could without getting jabbed by the thorns.  Other times I sat him on my lap while he sniffled and I told him how I was picking the ripe ones for us to wash and eat at home, and I would give him a few berries to eat while he calmed down. 

We finally filled up our pint and we got outta there.  The whole ride home he was trying to reach for the berries on the seat next to him.  Once home, we ate his fill of more raspberries and cherries.  He enjoyed watching me take the pits out of the cherries before handing them to him.  Overall, it was a great day picking lots of yummy, local fruit.

Now I know the strict fruit-picking rules: 
1. No raspberry picking with toddlers -- stick to the strawberries and cherries (and maybe blueberries)
2. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you eat a berry in front of Ryan while picking