A few days ago Jude woke up with the wish, NO, make that the NEED to go blackberry picking so we could make a blackberry pie.  We are all for getting that kid to eat fruits, vegetables and to try new things, so we loaded up the kids, washed the pails, and set out to find a blackberry patch that would make Briar Fox teem with jealousy.

Finding the patch was more difficult than we expected.  We don’t have very many patches in our hood, so we actually had to drive quite a bit to find some.  Most blackberries around here seem to be on private property, and while I’m sure most homeowners wouldn’t mind us picking them, it feels weird to wander uninvited in someone else’s yard!  We finally found one near my school, under some power lines.  We unloaded and headed out, picking berries for an hour or so until we had PLENTY of berries to make pies AND milkshakes!

Jude chirped and talked all day long about the delicious blackberry pie we were going to make.  It was going to be so yummy and “dewisis”, we would cut it up ‘like a pizza’ and eat it all up, all gone.  When the time came to make the pies, Jude had difficulty following directions (he added enough flour to the crust that we had to make three pie crusts instead and kept poking holes in the crust as I rolled it out).  It wasn’t his fault, really, as we had neglected to give him a nap, but rest assured each of those pies has that special three year old ingredient that many call love.  I call it spit.  From licking his fingers so much. Gigi had the job of pinching the top crust to the bottom crust, and she did a lovely job with her sweet little second grade fingers.

Finally the pies were done.  We placated ourselves with the milkshakes while we waited for the pie to cool and we could try it.  Jude was busily dancing around the pies, still talking about how delicious it would be and how he would eat it all up.


 

He took a bite and promptly spat it back onto his plate.  He looked at Bradley with a sour look and said, “I don yike backberry pie!”  Then he was off and running.  We made two pies that nobody wants to eat now.  Even still, we had a super fun day, playing outside, baking, rolling dough.  I might even say it was perfect.


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