Spring means strawberry picking! We’ve done Tanaka Farms in the past, but this year we decided to try out South Coast Farms along with the Smith family. It was crazy hot and windy in San Juan Capistrano, and we had four little red faces by the end of the afternoon– half from the sun and half from strawberries.

Jake stood back in the shade with Meredith in her wrap while I went out with Lucero, Ryan and the kids. Kennedy is always such a good friend to the twins and helped them find some of the juiciest strawberries out there.

Amelia and her pickings.

Samantha found a very small, green, unripe strawberry, which she picked and told me it was a “baby strawberry for baby Meredith.” She was very adamant about protecting her baby strawberry so that she could give it to Meredith later. Unfortunately, after filling her carton with her pickings, she tripped on the way back, with the strawberries flying everywhere. Many tears, scraped knees and wipes later, her main concern wasn’t refilling her carton, but finding the baby strawberry! Samantha is a sweetheart to her sister.

Rosy cheeks!

Watch out for Kennedy and her tractor.

Backseat driver.

I wonder what it will be like when the twins start learning to drive for real!

Next door at the Ecology Center, we got some refreshing strawberry basil lemonades and the kids learned all about gardening.

Watering the plants they arranged.

We need a water pump like this in our house– seems like the perfect multi-purpose way to get some energy out.

It was an incredibly hot and windy 86 degree day and I was paranoid about the less-than-cleanly environment (e.g. the porter potties were overflowing and there was no running water/soap for hand washing on site, unlike Tanaka Farms), so Meredith stayed safely in her stroller/wrap while we were out, while I guarded her from sun exposure, dirt-caked hands and prying well-wishers.

One thing we found so funny was the amount of people with babies, some as young as Meredith, in carriers, COMPLETELY exposed (no hat, blankie, cover) to the midday, sweltering sun. Compare them to me darting at lightning speed from tree to tree and constantly scanning the environment for the next shady location I could move with Meredith, and I probably looked like a basket case. I have a dermatologist friend, so maybe that’s made me paranoid! Either way, shade-finding was my major source of exercise that day.

The girls had a great time with the gardening and strawberry picking, but due to the fact that they had been running on only some snacks I brought, plus the lemonade and falafel for sale (they wouldn’t touch the other vegan options there), it was pretty much a scream fest all the way to the car when we were done. In the words of Jake, “This place is obviously run by hippies!” No complaints from Meredith though– she thought the whole experience and being out in the fresh air was great!

Granola baby!

We had a babysitter arranged for the evening, but because we were too exhausted from sanitizing the twins/running around in the heat all day to go out for a proper date, we left the twins (who had collapsed upon arriving home and were still napping at 5 p.m. when we left) with the sitter and grabbed a quick bite to eat after grocery shopping with Meredith for our “date night.” Good thing being out with just Meredith is always a treat– she’s a star!

While out, the stars aligned when we spotted some rhubarb and knew we were destined to make rhubarb strawberry pie for dessert. It was gone before I could take any pictures.

Lots of love,