The Popsicle Stand

As summer comes to an end, I keep remembering that I need to blog about the popsicle stand that the boys had a few weekends ago. The boys had been begging me all summer to set up a lemonade stand. I kept telling them no, no, NO! There are many reasons that I didn't want them to have a lemonade stand, but it all boiled down to one main reason: Rejection. I didn't want my boys to feel the sting of rejection. I, myself, have never handled that sting very well and avoid it at all costs. Working hard and setting up a stand is just asking for an hour of rejection with every drive-by and it stung my heart to think of them out there, hopes high, and no buyers.

I am aware that I am overprotecting my children and that it would be good for them to learn these life lessons. But we're all allowed some weaknesses as a mother, right? Well, my boys have their father's blood flowing through them as well, and that man has no fear of rejection. He has stories of selling things door to door from the moment he could walk. So, after reading numerous blogs of mothers who DID let their children have lemonade stands this summer and feeling extremely guilty about it, I finally agreed to letting them have a stand. I talked to Jakob and made a couple of conditions:

1. The stand needed to be on a busier road. We live on a cul-de-sac with no traffic flow. I needed to help their odds as much as possible so I wanted the stand on a busy road. So Jakob had to be with them the whole time. Sorry, Jakob.

2. No lemonade. I know it's a classic, but I just think, in this day and age, it's gross to drink anything that isn't sealed in bottle, especially something made and served by children. Maybe some people would buy it, but I thought maybe their chances of selling would be greater with some factory sealed products.

Here's what the boys scavenged from our kitchen and chose to sell:

They worked so hard on their signs. I had to take Tate to Urgent Care that morning, but when I was on my way home I came upon my sweet boys and their popsicle stand. I almost started crying. Not because it was cute, but because they were out there, waving and trying to flag down cars, and not making one sell. Why are you putting yourself out there like that, boys!?!? I stopped to buy some things from them. And they were so excited. So cute.

That day one other car stopped besides mine. A sweet older man and his son. They bought a fudgsicle and a beef jerky. This man is going straight to the celestial kingdom. :) I hope that this man is blessed because I prayed for him that day. What a sweet, charitable thing to do. I wish I knew where he lived. I would bring him some brownies. Kind people make me want to cry. I could write a novel about this man if I knew more about him. But I will close. Thank you, sweet gentleman, for seeing young boys and lifting their spirits.

They packed it up after that sale. I was secretly hoping that only one sale other than Mom would end this popsicle stand nonsense once and for all. But they came home wanting to do it again the next weekend. They were introduced to a new house rule: One popsicle stand a summer. It's all my heart can take.