Treasure Hunting

I spent twelve cents on this boat at our local Goodwill today. It provided me with 2 1/2 hours of entertainment as my boys watched it get wooshed around in a fountain.

I took them "treasure" hunting in hopes of imposing my joys of second-hand shopping on them at an early age. "Almost all the toys here are broken," I said, "but if you find one that's not, now that is a treasure." The hunt was on, and despite the fact that this kayak probably came with a person and a paddle at sometime, it was not broken. My boys were ecstatic.

In their ecstasy, they run out on the sidewalk with their new boat, only to bump into a homeless person, who they greet by saying, “Hello. Look at our new boat!” Their smiles were big. The smile it produced on him, was even bigger.

We turn to walk down the street, when the homeless man with the grocery cart stops us and says, “Here, this is for the boys.”

He proceeds to give each of the kids a large, white, stuffed Christmas teddybear. They are brand new, both with tags. My two year old tries to hand it back. He thinks either he gets the boat or the teddy. My three year old says, “Thanks!”

I tell the man, “Really we would be fine with one, would you like to keep the other?”

He says, “No, no, I still have one. I gave you Snowball and Ice. Fluffy is all I need.”

I look up and sure enough under mounds of dirty sleeping bags is another white Christmas bear. We thank him and walk away.

My three-year old says, “Mommy, do you think that man gave me the bear because I threw salt over my shoulder for good luck today at lunch?”

I said, “Perhaps.” And we headed to the fountain, bears in tow, to launch our treasure.