Another Isabelle story

Here is a happy little story from this week.

*No wild animals were harmed in the making of this story*

I have a tiny little strawberry patch in my backyard.

Last year I got exactly zero strawberries from it.

This year I have learned to get out there early before the birds come and eat all my strawberries.

I have gotten several handfuls so far.

One day as Isabelle and I were out in the backyard, she started picking strawberries.

White ones, half ripe ones...it didn't matter.  

So I explained to her that we can only pick the red ones

and that the other ones were babies and we had to let them grow.

(she's really into babies right now and anything small is a baby so that worked for her)

So she started looking for "red"

We found a few and we ate them right there sitting in the yard.

She loved them!

Up till now she really hasn't liked strawberries much so this was a new thing.

About 3 times since then she has come up to me and said "red"

and so I say "do you want to go pick some strawberries?"

and she gets all excited.

I wish I had pictures.

We sift through the plants and find only the nice red ones that will be sweet.

We take them inside and she sits on the counter and we wash them under the running water and set them on the counter.

Then she hands them to me one by one so I can cut off the tops.

Then we eat them.

She gobbles them down and has juice running down her chin.

She is never satisfied when we are done and wants to go pick more so I always have to explain about only picking red ones and the others being babies.

It's a little confusing since there are some that are pretty red and she can see that but I know they aren't quite ripe and will be sour.

She's tried to eat a couple of those and regretted it.

I tried to keep her happy once by pulling out the strawberries in my refrigerator that I got from the grocery store.

Guess what? They aren't even close to as flavorful and sweet as mine.

Now I can see why she likes my garden strawberries but not the store ones.

Neither one of us were too impressed.

Now she is gone on a family vacation to see her other Grandparents.

And today I couldn't help but think of her as I picked the red.