Red Screen Door: Rain and Strawberries

I survived!

I'm back!

California was great. I just have to sift through about a million and one pictures and let my mind and body readjust to the freezing cold, pathetic attempt at summer we have going around here. Let me tell you it was a SHOCK to the system to come from 105+ degree days spent swimming and drinking ice cold beers in the sweltering shade to this jeans and hooded sweatshirt kind of July here in Eugene.

So I'll just back up a bit to before the California Epic Road Trip Adventure Extravaganza '10. It was raining in June. Like, seriously raining. A lot. Even for Oregon.

So we taught Jack how to write. Can you see the J and the C? That other squiggly looking thing is a K. (He has better handwriting than some middle schoolers I know, even if his letters are backwards.) Jack is fascinated by the idea of reading and writing and I'm hoping he'll be able to continue to embrace his inner nerd as time goes on. I'm already saving for TAG camp...

And speaking of the uber hip genetic predispositions that the children will probably inherit from me, Jack's been experimenting with his wardrobe. This is his fireman outfit- tres chic, non?

'Cause you just never know when a spontaneous fire might combust in your backyard. Better safe than sorry.

Finally we got a break from the rain and went to the strawberry patch for an all-you-can-eat feeding frenzy, known in some circles as strawberry picking. I guess all this rain has been good for something- the strawberries are like explode in your mouth kind of delicious. They are the very taste of summer. Jack was helpful and filled his bucket with juicy red ones as Brent and I alternated between picking berries and chasing after Sawyer, who assumed that we were coming to take away his strawberries every time we came near him. He was like a ravenous mongrel who snapped and snarled if we got to close. What can I say, the boy loves his strawberries.

I don't know how many pounds we picked this year, but it was a lot. We froze a ton of berries and I made a pie. We've been having smoothies on a daily basis and putting strawberries on top of everything. I even smuggled some across the California border by telling a BOLD FACED LIE to the Very Official Looking Agricultural Inspection Lady. I am such a rebel.

Sawyer was a total menace to our strawberry production. He kept stealing berries off the counter and stuffing his face out on the deck all the while shrieking with laughter and running away off into the yard where he raided OUR strawberry patch with glee. The kid is out of control with the strawberries.

But I did make some jam! And it is delicious! And today the sun was shining! And Brent made a picnic table while I was gone! So yay! I guess maybe summer is finally here?