The Red, Ripe Strawberries and the Little Hungry Bears



Sorry, Noah....I forgot my favorite pre-read for strawberry-picking!  Next time!

 Over Spring Break in April, the Little Nguyens and I headed to Charlotte to see Annie, Kris and Noah.  Coincidentally, Noah was celebrating The Big 3, and the Little Nguyens were thrilled to be able to spend it with him for a second year in a row. 

Noah had never been to pick strawberries before, so Annie thought it would be a great idea to visit a local strawberry farm to do just that.  Geez! I thought.  I need to start traveling with my books.  When the Little Nguyens were younger, we always read The Little Mouse, The Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear as a pre-cursor to strawberry-picking.  I kinda missed doing that with Noah, but will have to send the book to his mom so she can read it with him next spring (since she will have SO much time with a 9-month old and a 4-year old to pick strawberries!).



Two Little Nguyens and The First Little Smith

It's a time-honored Spring tradition around here to pick strawberries, and Aunt Susan has come with us many times. The Little Nguyens loved accompanying Noah, Annie, and Aunt Suzy on their cousin's (okay, second cousin, but as Benjamin says, Who's counting?) first strawberry-picking excursion.    

Grandma Suzy and Noah, finding a really red one!

Aunt Susan was a very good teacher, and Noah learned the fine art of sorting through the berries for just the right, red, ripe ones!  Before long, he was sampling, juicy and sticky, and filling his box with an assortment of strawberries to take home.  

...and the Second Little Nguyen finding a really JUICY one!



Noah, going rogue.



One of my favorite lessons to teach!

 

Thank goodness his mom dressed him dark colors!



That's a LOT of strawberries!!

After all of the hard strawberry-picking, the boys enjoyed a strawberry slushie before heading out.  What a fun time with Noah!  I am sure Annie has years of strawberry-picking ahead of her, and I know Noah with remember exactly what to do!



Thomas and Noah

   

Sampling some strawberry slushies.

Thanks for remembering your camera, Annie!  I never do...