Berry Fun Day

We finally had some humid-free beautiful weather this past weekend and wanted to take advantage of it.  Mike has been talking about berry picking for months now and we finally got our act together and went.  We found a place all the way out east on Long Island (about 1 1/2 hour ride from Queens) and took along Jenna's grandma, aunt and her #1 favorite first cousin (Jenna seriously ADORES her cousin Ella, who is 3 1/2 years old).

I found the farm by checking out this site which gives lists of local farms in your area. We picked Patty's Berries and Bunches because they got the best reviews and talked about some "family fun" being across the street. They did not disappoint.  This was seriously a highlight of our whole summer.  We got to pick the most amazing raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries I have ever seen and eaten.  It was like candy.  The girls had a blast - The bushes were right at their eye-level, so picking was easy for them and since they don't use pesticides or spray, they could eat right off the bushes.  Needless to say they both had messy hands and faces!  Mike apparently knows a bit about berry picking (which was news to me) and "taught" the girls how to know if the berry is good for picking and they both filled up their own baskets. 

After about an hour and a half of picking berries, we headed across the street for some "family fun" at Harbes Farm and Vineyard. And it was awesome. We had some great snacks (corn on the cob, muffins, cookies) that were all delicious.  And then we went to the farm area where the girls could pet the animals, do a potato sack race, watch a pig race, ride a pony, check out a bee hive....the list goes on. 

I feel like an advertisement for these places but they were really that good.  It was a bit of a drive for us, but well worth it.  And we stopped along the way at some farm stands and picked up some amazing cucumbers, tomatoes, and peaches. 

I picked the winning pig &  won some kettle corn!

Do you hate parenting?

My favorite magazine, New York Magazine had this as it's front page this week:

I Love My Children.
I Hate My Life.

Online, it is a little less harsh:

All Joy and No Fun
Why Parents Hate Parenting

Umm...eye catcher much?! I got the magazine Tuesday afternoon and read the entire article before bed. (for those with kids at home, that's kind of a big deal)

If you have a chance, check out the article - and not just parents will be interested in what it says, I think, if anything, non-parents, or people comtemplating kids should absolutely read this article. 
Not that I agree with or feel the same way that the people in the article feel...but as with most things, there is some truth to it (at least for me).

Do I love my daughter?? Oh my god, words cannot express how much.  Seriously my heart fills up when I'm near her or even thinking about her.  It is the most overwhelming feeling, the love for your child.  Even when she's isn't being ahem perfect and I'm at my wits end, my love for her is immeasurable.

Do I hate my life? In a simple answer: No. 
Do I hate parenting? Ummm...being 100% honest here...sometimes.

But here's the thing, I was/am a 30-something new parent.  This may be controversial, but I think there's a big difference between a 20-something and a 30-something year old parent.  I had lots and lots of fun in my 20's.  I went out a lot. I drank a lot. I dated a lot. I lived on my own. I started my career. My motto was work hard play harder.  And 10 years, that's what I did.  And you know something, after 10 years, I was kinda over it.  And it just so happened that around that time I met my husband (and initially we partied hard together) and we started a life together.  One that was a bit slower...not as much partying not as much going out.  More nights in with sushi and wine. More one night "out" and the rest "in" and we were okay with all of that.

For us, it was a gradual change of lifestyle.  A change that we initiated. And one that continued when we had a baby.  Everyone says that everything changes when you have a baby and it does.  But I can honestly say that we were ready for the majority of those changes.  We welcomed most of them. 

Now are there days when I miss my 'former life'? Of course there are. I don't think I would be human if I didn't wish once in a while for a day when I all I had to worry about was myself and had little (if any) real responsibilities.  But that's not real life and that's not how I want to live.  So I welcome the nights when we drop Jenna off at grandparents for the night and go out and "party" and I think I've come to appreciate them more now than I ever did before I had a baby. 

But here's the thing, this whole parenting thing is not for everyone.  The sacrifices you make are astounding and for many (like me) are totally worth it.  But if you don't think it's for you, then please, don't have a kid just because it's the socially accepted thing to do because noone benefits from that. 

Check out the article and let me know what you think!