Dollar Bills

Way back, for Valentine's Day, my Mom sent each of the kids a card with a $5 bill in it. Which means it's been nearly four whole months that those three Lincoln bills have been hanging out in the fruit bowl on our counter. Waiting for the kids to spend them (clearly they aren't money motivated right now because they opened their cards on Valentine's Day and didn't beg to go buy anything).

While out and about last week we passed a sign for "Big Sales" in the Country Club neighborhood. "Big Sales" must be what the Country Club folks call Garage Sales. I started talking to myself about how I'd like to stop by some of them and see if there's any treasure to be found. Max heard this and immediately wanted to come with. Thinking of garage sailing reminds me of my mom. And then that thought looped my mind back to the lonely $5 bills gathering dust (or at least fruit flies). And last Friday's activity was sparked. I'd take the kids garage sailing!

It was Friday morning. Where I'm from, garage sales opened at the crack of dawn. The crack of dawn with three little kids is somewhere between 5:10am and 5:50am these days (gotta love the long days of summer). Many days I wish I lived on a farm so I could send them out to milk the cows and churn some butter before I want to get out of bed at a more normal 6:30am. Anyway, I thought the sales might open around 8am, but after heading out to find them, it was clear that 9am was go time. So we found some new-to-us parks in our neighborhood (always a fun surprise!) and played for an hour.

9am showed up and we started driving around the Country Club neighborhood looking for signs pointing us the way to their Big Sales. We drove and drove and circled the streets. Ultimately finding only two sales. Two disappointing sales.

The first sale I left the kids in the car, ran up the driveway and took a quick peek at their offerings. Nothing too interesting. I thought I could find something better, maybe a sale with a toy or kid's books or something. So I darted back to the car and let the kids know we were searching for a better sale.

Problem is, I couldn't find one.

The second, and last sale I found in that neighborhood, didn't look kid-appealing either. But I had told them I'd take them rummaging, so I unloaded the crew to see if we could find anything. Unfortunately they only had furniture. Lots of brass and glass and formal-y chairs for sale. Nothing for $5.

By this time I realized that the 103 fever Wren had the night prior hadn't gone away. She was worn out and ready to go home. But the boys (& I) wanted to find a sale with something appealing.

Driving home we lucked out and spotted a sale a half a block from our house. We quick stopped, ran to their garage in the alley and I urged the boys to pick whatever they wanted most that was $5 each or less. Again, the pickings were slim, greatly over-priced, and not exactly kid-friendly, but that did not deter Max or Otto.

These are the items they happily selected from the card tables of wares. I was secretly wishing one of them would want the cute Wisconsin Dells and Itasca State Park juice glasses, but alas, we left with a dusty bag filled with different kitchen items.

Those items above - they cost $10. Rubbish! I could have hit up Target or Ikea and got more for that price. But this particular garage sale experience was for the boys to pick out $5 worth of treasures regardless of value. We've got time to go again and, when no one's sporting a fever, we can begin practicing the art of negotiating (technically those items were marked at $11 total and the boys pulled out the two $5's and I said that's what we had).

Otto couldn't be happier with his stained ladle and spatula, rusty and chipped green teapot and bead necklace. Max is super excited about the copper item (not sure what it is exactly) and elephant salt and pepper shakers. Wren decided to hold on to her $5 for a better sale and get herself home for some Tylenol.

Saturday morning we were headed to a Birthday party and happened across another garage sale. A cute one, too (fabric pennants! homemade lemonade stand! balloons!). Joe, aware of my disappointing rummaging from the day before, pulled over and suggested we all see what we could find.

For $1 we were able to get the boys each a lemonade and cookie. For another $1 I found a swimsuit for Wren (picture to come later because she wore the suit swimming and I left it at the pool).

All in all, a much more fun way to have the boys spend their Valentine's$5 from Grams than just letting them pick something at Target! Come visit soon, Mom, so you can help us step up our garage sale skills!!