Adventures in berry picking!

Your school is closed this week so mommy and daddy are taking shifts staying home with you. Also, it happens to be summertime and absolutely drop-dead gorgeous outside!!! 

This morning we decided to go on an early morning berry picking adventure with our favorite friends, Maverick and Lori! (Before work emails started to really roll in).

Too fun!! Who knew this farm was right in our backyard just up the hill? 

We rolled up to the Skeeters Farm for u-pick blueberries. $2 bucks a pound. Whatta deal. 

At first you weren't so sure. 

Then you started helping pick the berries and put them in the bucket.

Then you realized you could actually eat them right there, and you were done for. 

...and then you got cranky and it was time for a nap - at your request of course. 

We live in such a beautiful part of the country. I'm so thankful that we can take a drive up the hill and pick berries in our bare feet overlooking this gorgeous valley. We are one lucky bunch. 

Now...what to do with 5 lbs of blueberries?!?

Love.

talk to me.

talk to me, kiddo.
talk to me.

I love that you can communicate.
sometimes. hah.
That, and you're so dang expressive. You never hesitate to tell us when you want a "love" (hug) or a kiss. I want you to always feel safe and comfortable when expressing your feelings, and it makes me so happy to see you loving up on everyone. Before bed: "Gimme WUV, gimme kiss, mommy, daddy". My heart sings.

You tell us everything you want and need. and it's awesome. Your daddy, well, he's a talker, and I can't help but feel like this is you taking after him. You talk us through your every emotion, feeling, thought.
You have so many opinions and observations. It's inspirational, really, to join you in your world. It's way more fun through your eyes.

Here's an interview with you yesterday all about your favorites:

Favorite Color: Yellow (later, in a video, it was pink, flipflopper. perhaps you have a future in politics?)
Favorite Food: Yummy
Favorite Teacher: ShiShi (Shannon)
Favorite Animal: Tigers
Who's your best friend? : Benny (and later, it was Dustin)
Mommy or Daddy? : Daddy
Grandpa or Grandma? : Grandpa
(guess you're a dudes dude for now)
Hamburgers or Hotdogs? : Tacos (duh)
Camping or Beach? : Camping at the beach (smart kid, no really, you said this)
Ocean or Mountains? : mountains

Other favorite sayings lately:
When you're cranky and don't want to do ANYTHING: "I JUST NOT" ~whatever that means
cute, agreeable you: "yep"
still: "I'm so happy to see you"
While we were camping, you rolled over to daddy in the morning after sleeping in bed with us (for only the third time ever): "Hi Daddy. You're so nice to me".

You also have books memorized to such a tee that you can read them back to us. Trip out. Your favorite books that you've memorized are: Dr. Seuss' Marvin K Mooney (Go Go Go book), Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, Skippy Jon Jones, Dinosaur Friends, Dr. Seuss One Fish Two Fish. It seriously blows my mind that you can read entire books to me. and you don't know how to read - as far as I know.

Guess what else? You LOVE camping. I mean really, I've never seen a kid more in his element. You explore, you throw rocks in the river, you ride your bike, you build fires (with assistance) - I shouldn't be surprised; from the time you were born, all it took to calm you down was to take you outside. You're just like your daddy.
We've already gone camping a handful of times, there's too many trips to document, but here's a few shots of you and your buds in the great outdoors.

And here's you talking about your favorite things: