A Treasure Hunting We Will Go

This weekend I had to somehow get my 2 year old aboard to go to a community yard sale at the not so early time of 7:30 am. Not so early since the girls were awake at the crack of dawn with their list of demands including feeding, diapers changed, and the need for hugs and kisses.

I told Emily that we were going treasure hunting for treasure.  Needless to say, that was all it took to get her on board.  My husband took a little more convincing as in the promise of breakfast and there were still a lot of long suffering sighs.

Growing up I remember being dragged to yard sales in VA when we were visiting family so my dad could sift through junk.  He was a sucker for some antiques (such as bottles which I still don't understand his fascination with) and vintage LP records (which I inherited after he passed away and which still sit in their boxes in the spare bedroom closet).   

In high school and college I would go to the local farmers market on Sundays when they had their flea market to find old collectible books.  I have a small armoire filled with them.  My favorite is an old German hymn book. Once I filled the armoire I stopped buying old books since I had nowhere to put them.

For many years you couldn't pay me to go to a yard sale.  Then, I had kids.  This is apparently what parents do.  For good reason considering how expensive kids stuff is and how fast they outgrow it.

On the way to our treasure hunting destination, I sang "A Treasure Hunting We Will Go" to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell".  My daughter was pretty hyped up by the time my husband parked the car.  Emily begged to get out of the car to hunt for treasure.  Once my husband unbuckled her car seat, she was off, tugging on his hand, pulling him along.

We were searching for the "Deal of the Day" as my husband jokingly referred to my purchases.  The best "Deal of the Day" was the two pack DVD of Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 which we picked up for $1.  I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Emily had fun "testing" some of the toys.  I expected a tantrum or tears when we didn't buy her toys but she just held her hands up, tilted her head to one side, and said in a serious tone and a pout, "those for udder kids have no toys".  Translation: "those are for other kids who have no toys".  Uh, yeah.

I have a feeling the best customers at community yard sales are other parents in the development.  One girl went running up to her mom, who was manning their own yard sale, and proclaimed that she got a bike.  Her mom asked her if it was so-and-so's bike.  Yes, her daughter proudly proclaimed.

I broke my rule of never ever buying anything that was broken or needed any kind of work no matter how good of a deal it was (this rule was put in force after I bought a kids rocker for $2 that I envisioned as the perfect refinishing project but which got tossed after sitting in the garage for two years).  I bought a vintage silver plated tea set (in all its tarnished glory)  with some extra pieces for $30. It was actually my husband's find.  I couldn't resist.  Now I have to clean it (how many calories do you think I can work off with all that elbow grease?) and then find a home for it.

 

 I am such a sucker.

When we left the development, Emily begged to get out at the next stop.  She then kept asking later in the day to go treasure hunting.  I think I have her hooked.  At least I have a treasure hunting buddy now. The youngest slept through the whole thing. 

All for the whopping price of $21 (everything looked brand new):
Disney Cinderella costume
Disney Pocahontas costume
Gap winter coat
3 Melissa and Doug puzzles
Monster, Inc. book
4T Osk Gosh denim jumper
Fisher Price Roll a Rounds Drop and Roar Dinosaur
Sit n Spin (I can't believe they still make these)

I am now off to play yard sale.  I have created a monster.