The Disastrous Lemonade Stand - A Right of Passage

For the past week Mia has been incessant about having a lemonade stand at our neighborhood park.  It's only 106 degrees outside no naturally I thought this sounded like an absolute blast.  I like nothing better than to sweat buckets while attracting every insect in the county with luke-warm sugary lemonade.  "Let's do this!" I exclaimed enthusiastically.

Mia set right to work planning every last detail.  She wrote out specific instructions for each of her friends on 4x6 index cards.  Let me repeat that for emphasis: She wrote out specific instructions for each of her friends on 4x6 index cards.  The neighborhood kids were lined up to get a piece of the action.  They were all, "Yes!  I would love for you to boss me around and control my every move. Count me in!"

After exactly 22 second with no customers, the girls took matters into their own hands and personally delivered the lemonade to some unsuspecting roofers.  They then demanded payment.

As you might have guessed, things did not go as planned.  Mia spent the first half of the morning crying because "No one is doing their job.  She was supposed to hand out the napkins NOT THE CUPS!!!!"

Notice Mia's friends raking in the dough while she stomps off in a fit of rage.  It looks like someone didn't read their index card.

Finally, Mia's temples stopped pulsating at rapid speed and she calmed down just enough to pour a couple of cups of lemonade.

I could have written this post before this event ever occurred because it happened just like I knew it would.  

And that is exactly why it had to be done.  It was too good of a learning opportunity to pass up.  Sometimes a mom has to get sweaty and allow her child have a meltdown in public.  We all have to learn that life never goes the we we plan it.  And some people have to learn to reserve the index cards for math problems.

Thankfully, her friends are still speaking to her.  I guess they learned to take one for the team.