Lily and Emmy began planning their big venture weeks ago. They consulted their dad and me on pricing, decided what hours they would work, and made a sign. They even made a list of supplies they would need.
Since they did all their planning so far in advance, I completely forgot about their lemonade stand until we were walking home on the last day of school. It was an early dismissal that day, so we were heading home early. They started talking about what they needed to do to set up the stand when we got home. “Mom,” they said, “You need to make the lemonade!”
In my own little head, I was imagining a picnic lunch with my two little girls, with the whole afternoon spread out before us and nothing to do. “Alright,” I sighed. “I’ll make the lemonade. After we eat lunch.”
“Mom! We’re opening at 1:00! We don’t have time to eat lunch!”
What? No time for lunch? Didn’t they remember how crabby I get they get when they don’t eat?
As I reluctantly dug a forgotten tube of concentrated lemonade from last summer out of the freezer, I wondered how long they would last out on the driveway waiting for someone to come buy their lemonade. I imagined I would be their only customer, and it was a long time before their father would come home to buy a cup. It wouldn’t take long before they would get bored out of their minds and lose interest in the whole thing.
Lily and Emmy soon had everything they needed. They had a tablecloth, napkins, cups, and change. After I delivered their fresh lemonade to them, I went into the house.
Imagine my surprise when Emmy ran inside just a couple of minutes later, letting the screen door slam behind her, yelling, “Mom! We had our first customer!” Our neighbor across the street had just bought a cup. I went outside to thank her, and we joked that I would have to put her dollar in a frame for the girls’ business.
As the afternoon wore on, some very generous people stopped to buy a cup. Lily and Emmy learned that setting their low price of 25 cents a cup paid off. The adults told them to keep the change, and the middle school kids that kept riding by on their bikes were willing to pay a quarter. In the end, they sold out and made $8.00. They excitedly split their earnings in half and were very pleased with themselves. I, on the other hand, was surprised by many things that afternoon. The girls had followed through on their plan, and it paid off!
