I just finished In Her Shoes, and I know I promised a review. Well, at least my opinion. Hmm. I didn’t like it as much as her first. But it got better toward the end. Even squeezed a wee tear out of me on the last page. But then, I’m a sucker.
Moving on…Tre and Max decided with a handful of neighborhood kids to set up a lemon aid stand this afternoon. Many children came charging into my house. Everyone was talking at once, enthusiasm for the idea spilling just everywhere. Lucky for this crew, I LOVE the idea of a lemon aid stand on a hot summer afternoon. When I was a kid my brother and I had the lemon aid stand to beat all. He was in middle school, so he came home a little before my elementary school let out. So he’d come home and set things up, right across the street from the school. When the bell rang and the front doors started hemorrhaging kids, he’d be there with gallons of icy lemon aid. I’d come and help him, and then it was my job to clean up after the frenzy had passed. We raked in the dough. It was a fine example of free enterprise.
One hot summer day my best friend, Barbie, and I decided to set up a lemon aid stand. Except school was out, and we knew from experience that without the market of freshly freed kids, we wouldn’t be able to move much lemon aid. Plus, all the hassle of making it…and getting all the stuff outside…
We were in my back yard, kicking around ideas, when it hit me. What we wanted was money, right? So how do we get money without actually bothering with all that selling stuff? No, we weren’t going to steal, for goodness’ sakes. Sheesh.
What we did do is position Barbie by the street in an old wheelchair, with a blanket over her legs. I waved a sign that read “Give to MS” while Barbie tried to look in need. I wanted to be the one in the wheelchair, but kept leaping up out of it, so it was decided that Barbie was a better choice as victim. She always was calmer. We weren’t sure what MS was, exactly, but we were pretty sure it was some problem that required wheelchairs and money.
Well, our scheme didn’t last long. My mom overheard me yelling our slogan at passing cars (“Give to MS!”) and came out to investigate. Barbie was sent home and I was sent to my room. Seemed like a lot of trouble to be in for something that didn’t even net us any cash.
Of course, I see the error of my ways now! Ahem. That’s why I was so tickled with the kids enthusiastic, and might I add, entirely NON-fraudulent money making scheme this afternoon. I made them some lemon aid, provided them with paper cups and sign materials, and sent them on their merry way.
After about twenty minutes, Max came in to inform me that I should come buy some lemon aid. He was hopping around on grubby bare feet, informing me of their many plans for their profits. Well now, how am I supposed to resist that kind of sales job? I gathered up some money and scooted off to get two cups of very reasonably priced beverage.
Now, as they were filling the cups (one for me, one for Mom), it occurred to me that I was purchasing back my own cups. And lemon aid. That I had made. Of course, I was happy to do it, but it made me chuckle to myself a bit. But then, as I was heading back to the house the same thought occurred to Zachary. He’s the oldest of the bunch, and sharp. As I was crossing the street he called out,
“Hey, you just bought your own stuff!” I smiled at him over my shoulder, and agreed that yes, that seemed to be the case. “It was yours, and now you had to pay to get it back!” Mmm-hmmm, I allowed. “You paid for it twice, once at the store, and again just now!” By this time he was really yelling, because I was at the front door. I waved a cup of my own lemon aid (twice over) gaily at him and went inside.
Little thieves, every one of them.