Things I Want To Remember From Today

This morning, while picking strawberries with the kiddos:

• 7 minutes in: Josh exclaiming "I like picking strawberries" after having complained during the entire 25 minute drive that he did not want to pick strawberries.
• 15 minutes in: Josh asking why we needed to pick so many strawberries. "Well," I explained, "I like to make lots of jam.  Plus, I like to freeze them so we can have strawberries in our smoothies all winter."
• 17 minutes in: Josh bursts into tears because Spencer has convinced him that if we don't pick enough strawberries we will all starve to death this winter.
• 30 minutes in: Cole and Tess's smiling faces are happily covered in strawberry juice.
• 60 minutes in: Spencer and Josh get into a fight about who is picking more and who has picked the biggest berry.
• 80 minutes in: All hell breaks loose.  Cole is tired.  Spencer doesn't want to pick anymore.  Josh is whining, and Tess wants to sit on my lap.  While I'm picking strawberries.
• 81 minutes in: Tess falls down - hard - into my full basket of berries.
• 90 minutes in: I realize that there's no winning this war, and we head home.

Lunch time:

I really needed to mow the lawn, but not all of the kids were hungry, so I made lunch for all of the kids, had Cole and Tess eat, and then put Tess down for a nap.  Then I put Spencer and Josh's lunches on the counter so they could eat when they wanted.  About an hour into mowing the lawn, Spencer came out to complain about his lunch.  "Why did you only make me half of a sandwich?  And where are my strawberries?"

What?

I went in to discover that Cole had eaten all of his lunch, most of Spencers, and was working on Josh's, too! Apparently that boy was HUNGRY.  Then he asked if he could have a banana.  I feel a growth spurt coming on.

This afternoon:

I went out the front door and noticed some odd and rather large weeds laying in the flower bed.  Upon further inspection I realized they were some of the little plants I had planted just last Saturday!!

After a bit of investigation and interrogation, I discovered that Josh had thought they were weeds and had pulled them out to "help" me.  Unfortunately, I yelled.  But then I quickly repented, apologized, and explained that, while I was glad he wanted to help me, he was not to pull anything out of the flowerbeds without my permission.  Ever.  

He scowled and growled.

Dinner time:

We had strawberry shortcake pancakes for dinner, with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream.  You've never seen kids so happy.

And then Josh asked what we were having for dessert.

I scowled and growled.