Pickin' Berries

The other day I was driving somewhere - to volleyball, maybe - and saw a sign for U-Pick blueberries and blackberries at Milburn Orchards in Elkton. Sounded like a fun idea - Dex and I had a good time picking strawberries a couple months ago. And blueberries are taller and easier to pick. Right? So I made plans to go berry picking on Wednesday. And THEN my friend took her niece and nephew there on Tuesday and sent pictures - they have TONS of cool (and FREE!) fun stuff for kids to do there, besides picking berries. And that stuff is open year-round. Sold! Off we went to Milburn, prepared to spend a fun-filled morning.

(NOTE: Blueberries are an ENORMOUS pain in the ass to pick. They are tiny. Small children pick them out of your basket and eat them faster than you can pick them. You have to get down on your knees in the mulch and search the bottom branches that all the other slackers have overlooked to find some berries. I might go back next week... Mostly because we're going to use all the berries I picked for a delicious blueberry pie that John is going to make. Some time.)

Blueberry stealer

At least he eats what he steals

Dex actually got the hang of picking after watching me for a while

And then he ate his own berries instead

Running to catch up

Cuteness

Then we went to the kids area and scored - KIDS HEAVEN of trucks!

Dex kept signing "truck" and giggling

More cuteness

I am DELIGHTED that Dex wanted to play in the sandbox. Up until today he really wasn't psyched about putting his hands in sand - heaven forbid his hands get dirty!

Could have stayed here all day, but I finally dragged him away to find...

A TRACTOR! So awesome.

Tractor driver

Petting the cute goats

Dex is pointing way up high at...

REALLY TALL goats!

Cute pig was trying to say hi to Dex but he was more interested in...

The balls in the pigs' pen.

Ah, this poor goat. Dex was turning the wheel, which makes these little steel cups go up the line and dump food on the platform. Which the goat obviously knew. Dex, however, was oblivious. There was no food in the cup. And he kept moving the cup back and forth. Back and forth. And goat just kept looking at the spot where food was supposed to fall, to no avail. Sorry, goat!

We found an airplane! So cute - Dex was signing "drive" then "airplane." He LOVES airplanes.

The end of a nice morning at Milburn. I took a tired tired boy home for lunch and a nap. And he slept not NEARLY long enough. Boooo.