Dumpster Dive!

Jennifer and I (and Duncan as it turned out) had quite the adventure today.  It was our first, but definitely not the last, dumpster dive.  However, since dumpster infers trash, I've hereby renamed it, "recycle bin" dive.  As I've mentioned, I've spotted some dumpsterish looking objects at various places (three schools and a church) over the last few weeks and today was finally the day that we could go and spend some quality time digging around.  Duncan took the girls to Target so I was able to go solo.  As it turned out, Jennifer had to bring her boys.  We met at the first place I had found a bin which was a school in Maitland.  Interestingly enough, Jennifer ended up at a different bin at the school than I did (I had just given her the address for her GPS) so that's how we found out there were two there.  I went over to hers and we started looking in the bin.  After about 2 minutes of this, an SUV rolls by with a light on top and we though it looked like security so we hightailed it out of there.  These particular bins say you can get inside but it doesn't say you can't poke around through the holes, which is all we were doing.  So I don't know that we were necessarily doing anything wrong but nonetheless, we decided to leave.  We went back to the bin I found and started poking around that one.  Unfortunately it's right "out there" where everyone driving by can see you and sure enough, some minivan that was driving by, slowed down and was looking at us and started to pull in to where we were.  Okay, that was our signal to move on again.  On to the next one.

For obvious reasons, we skipped the one at the church and went ahead to the next school. This one was perfect because there were no signs on it at all that indicated you weren't allowed on the inside.  The only trouble was that all the stuff was way down on the bottom and there was no way for Jennifer nor I to get in.  We could have backed the car up and Jennifer would have stood on the hood to get in but she wouldn't have been able to get out.  Jennifer then got the bright idea that we should get one of those "old lady" tools that has a claw on the end so that we could lean down in and grab the papers.  So off we were to Walmart and a little bit later, we were back with our claw.  Seriously, I felt like I was part of one of those arcade games where you try to grab a stuffed animal.  We found it to be a very slow and tedious process.  We found a few inserts but it was like torture because you could see all the hundreds of newspapers just lying there but we couldn't get to them.  The next idea was to lower Blake, Jennifer's son, down in there so he could go through things.  Now, let me remind you, this is not trash.  The only thing in there was mostly newspapers and a few magazines so it wasn't like it was dirty and nasty or anything.  She got Blake in there successfully but then, he's four and doesn't really know what he's looking for so that didn't work out too well.  Finally, I decided to call Duncan to see if he was back from Target yet.  Yup, he was on his way back and was able to meet us there in a few minutes.  Yes!  We finally had a man for the job.  Duncan was in the bin in no time flat and that's when we started hitting pay dirt.  We found some odd and end inserts and then jackpot!  He found like 40 advertising sections from the 3/13 paper.  Someone with access to a lot of papers must have throw them all in.  There were two different kind of inserts in that paper so we got almost 80 inserts from those.  I'll tell you, it's quite a high.  The only downer is that we had wished we could have gotten it earlier in the week because there were a lot of coupons from it that were good for sales that ended yesterday.  But that's okay.  It's still very valuable.  Now we're thinking, do they dump those in there every week?  You better believe we'll be back next week to find out.  Incidentally, the kids were all happy with the arrangements.  Calleigh and Aubree got into Jennifer's van with Blake and Evan and they had a grand old time.  

Let's see...what else is happening?  On Thursday we headed over to Old Navy at Waterford Lakes since it was Friends and Family weekend where you get 30% off you purchase.  We got a few things including matching sandals for the girls so they were happy about that.

Friday, of course, was yard sale day.  No big finds this week as far as baby clothes but Calleigh got some new "paper dolls" as she calls them.  A better term would probably be cardboard dolls.  At our last stop, the lady running the sale starting talking to another shopper about how she was from Freeport, Maine and they were gabbing about it for a good five minutes about how beautiful it was up there and how they loved Acadia National Park, etc.  Of course, I couldn't help but mention to them that ironically, I was about to be up there in another week and a half and that my little niece was named Acadia.  It's not every day you run into someone from Freeport, Maine so that was strange!  At this same stop, there was a little girl who was probably around Aubree's age and she was trying to be very friendly with the girls.  I was looking at some clothes and then the next thing I knew, Aubree was bawling.  Now, let me just say that Aubree sometimes starts crying when someone just looks at her funny so I had no idea if something really happened or not.  But the mother made the little girl apologize.  When we were walking back to the van, I asked Aubree what happened and she said "The baby pinched me.  I okay."  It cracked me up when she called her a baby because she was definitely the same size as Aubree if not bigger.  And then, in typical Aubree fashion, she continued to repeat what happened like a million times, "That baby pinched me.  I okay."

After nap time, Duncan and the girls zipped around town with me.  I had to go to Winn Dixie to get some more of their coupons booklets, on to Walgreens to get some more free deodorant (would have been able to get dozens of freebies had I had the inserts we found today, then.  But then, you're probably asking, what would I do with all that deoderant???), to CVS to swipe my card to see if I could get any good coupons to print out, and then finally to Publix for the weekly shopping.  Duncan got to see the giant stack of coupons and how it all goes down.  Without the great gas deal, there was no huge savings this week although I think spending $34 for $114 isn't all that shabby.

We got home and had dinner and then it was time for a Skype with Uncle Ricky.  Aubree, especially, was quite into it.  She kept saying "Hi Ricky" over and over again and wanted to be front and center of the computer.  Between the two girls, I barely got in a word but then, I think Uncle Ricky mainly wanted to see the girls anyway.

Showing Uncle Ricky her new paper dolls.

Church and Sabbath School went very well.  Aubree is coming out of her shell a little bit more in her Sabbath School.  She's a completely different person when she isn't around Calleigh.  She just kind of clams up and doesn't want to participate in anything.  The first week she was alone, I couldn't get her to give her offering, go up to the felt board, nothing.  It was so strange.  Slowly, but surely, she's coming around to where she's able to do all that stuff by herself although she still wanted me to go with her when there was a parade around the room.  I guess it's probably good for her to be on her own like this so she can learn to function out of the Calleigh spotlight.

Calleigh was quite taken with the ruffles on Aunt Wanda's suit.

With her craft from Sabbath School.

After our naps yesterday, (might I add, after I wrote the post about Calleigh napping every day, the only day she did nap this past week was yesterday.  Seriously, what's the deal?)  we went to the playground and brought a picnic supper.  It was such a beautiful day out.  These are the days that I'm so happy to be in Florida.  Later, after sunset, Duncan went down to the outlets so he could use his birthday gift cards to Banana Republic.  Meanwhile, I worked some more on my remedial driving class.  Hey, it's fairly boring but I'm learning a few things.  For instance, did you know that the law in Florida is that you have to wear a seatbelt ONLY if you're in the front seat?  Did not know that.

This morning we went to First Watch as usual but it was just the four of us as Ron and Elaine are still up in Michigan.  Well, actually as I write this, they have just landed at the airport here.  As we were walking into the restaurant, Duncan noticed this tiny object creeping along the sidewalk.  It turned out it was a little teeny baby turtle.  It was so adorable.  There's no water right around there so we were a little stumped as to how it got there.  We moved him to a grassy area, not sure about what else to do.  But then one of the waitresses saw what we were doing and she put him in a little bowl with some water for us and held him in the back until we were done eating.  We then took him to Lake Lily and let him out down by the water.  We're a little concerned because he's so small but what else can you do?  Calleigh was concerned as well because she asked a couple of times "Where are his Mommy and Daddy?"

After nap time (wherein only Aubree slept), we headed to the Isidro's for Braelyns' birthday party.  She turned 4 on Wednesday.  They had the party in their backyard and you could not have asked for a better day for it.  There were lots of people and lots of activities.  The main event was crafts which, of course, Calleigh loves to do so that was a winner.  They also had a sack race for the kids.  Calleigh put one on but didn't realize you needed to hold it up so within about two hops, the sack was coming off and the next thing you knew, she was crumbled up on the ground crying hysterically.  So that didn't work out too well.  But other than that, things went well.  She even ate a slice of pizza which was odd because usually she doesn't like pizza.  I know, how could someone NOT like pizza???

The men did a three legged race.  Unfortunately Duncan and teammate were not victorious.  But fortunately, he didn't cry hysterically like Calleigh.

Whenever Calleigh hugs someone, Aubree must do the same.  Hence, she's hugging Braelyn right after Calleigh did after Braelyn opened her birthday gift from the girls

So, I think that wraps up where we are.  Hope you have a great week!