A new venture

Coming home from swimming on Sunday Adelaide asked for a treat from the concession stand. She was told no, the same as the other 15 times she asked. We were headed home for a popsicle, so her ordeal of deprivation was not going to last long. She was quiet for a while, and then began this conversation:

A: Mom, can we have a popsicle stand and sell popsicles?

C: That sounds like a fun idea.

A: Because some people don't like to eat chemicals. And they are sad because they want a treat.

C: But the treats at the concession stand have chemicals in them, you're right.

A: Yeah, and so they are really sad.

C: But there are good treats they can have that don't have any chemicals, right? Like juice popsicles and apple pie?

A: Mom, can I have some apple pie?

And so on. So mostly it was about her being sad about the concession stand thing, I get that. But she knew there was a popsicle waiting at home for her. The part I thought was cool was the fact that she was concerned for the others out there, those without juice popsicles waiting in their freezers, those whose sadness would just go on and on until it left a hole in their treat-desiring hearts and stomachs that could never be filled.

So all week long we worked on the popsicle stand. When we got home on Sunday I set her up with a sign to color and embellish:
Next I made a list of the things we would need for the popsicle stand. (This was after tears and accusations that I would "forget," something I am being accused of more frequently these days. I think the truth of the matter is that I usually remember, but choose not to bring it up again if she forgets and I'm content to leave it at that.) So list was written and secured to frig door, and over the course of the week various items were procured to allow for popsicle production.

On Wednesday I made a prototype, flavor blueberry, and my boss approved. She helped make the inventory last night, and then we spent the morning setting up and waiting, waiting, waiting for customers.
Finally, after the marketing department (me) set up signs on the car and at the store across the street (thanks, PCC!), plus upped our walk-in business with the help of the Fisher-Price microphone and lots of smiles and waves, the customers started to trickle in. Close to lunchtime, we had quite a rush and then sold out. I encouraged the shareholders to re-invest in the company and so we took our profits to the store to buy more juice. My guess is that we will be open for business again later this afternoon and possibly tomorrow. I know I am pretty content to sit and watch people go by, and soak up some of this energy: