the birthday trip, part two.

just in case you were wondering where jonah was while we were at legoland…

cozily snuggled up next to me in the baby carrier.  he loves this thing.  and so do i.  aside from nursing him and diaper change breaks, he was in here for the whole day!

after we checked out of the hotel the next morning, phil had wanted to take the family to the carlsbad flower fields for mother’s day.  i really appreciated the thought, but after driving around the crazy crowded parking lot looking for a spot and seeing the long, long line of people with the same idea, i decided that i reeeeally didn’t want to go there that day.  i hate being in crowded areas.  really hate it.  i wanted something quieter.  something less appealing to the masses.

phil jokingly suggested we go pick strawberries in the field outside of legoland.

i think he thought i would say no.

it was windy.  and cold.

and yet she was determined to pluck that strawberry.

and enjoy the fruit of her labor.  pun most definitely intended.  (don’t worry, phil rinsed off the berries before they were eaten.)

see?

“happy mother’s day.  want a strawberry?”

phil claims that you’re supposed to eat strawberries while picking them.  that’s why you have to prepay the sixteen dollars per bucket before heading into the fields.  if that’s true, then i believe we surely got our money’s worth based on the berries this one alone ate.

meanwhile, the boy was intent on getting his bucket filled with the biggest, reddest berries he could find.

“are these good ones, mommy?”

“happy buhday, mommy.”  (she couldn’t quite get “happy mother’s day” out, so she figured “happy birthday” was just as good.  and please note the half-eaten strawberry in her other hand.  she kept picking the flowers to give to me, but kept the strawberries for herself.  :p)

did i mention that it was cold?  and windy?  yes?  well then, i should also mention that it started to RAIN when our buckets were only halfway filled.  this picture makes me laugh.  (but don’t worry, she was actually having a good time.  i just asked her to give me her saddest, most pitiful face here.)

her saddest, most pitiful face isn’t quite as convincing.

so while i was goofing around taking silly pictures of our kids, phil was still in the fields with jonah strapped to him determined to get that bucket filled.

give me a smile, you sad, pitiful children!  (ok, so now they really were getting cold and wet.  but please note phil there in the background still working on getting that bucket filled.)

so believe it or not, we actually had a really good time pickin’ berries.  er, at least i did.  mother’s day 2011 was the best one ever in a ghetto, child-laborish, muddy sort of way.  🙂 

and back at home later that night, phil came in with a surprise ice cream birthday/mother’s day cake for my boy and me!  a sweet way to top off a really fun birthday weekend.

so happy seventh birthday, my dear boy who started me out as a mother.  you are the best present i’ve ever gotten for mother’s day.  i hope you had a wonderful birthday weekend even though you didn’t get a party this year.  we love you so very much and are so proud of the wonderful boy you’ve grown to be.  not for any one thing in particular, but just because of who God made you to be.  kind, patient, generous, happy you!