It all started with cleaning the little boys room. Jonathan has a nasty habit of wrecking the place before he finally succumbs to sleep, and there were clothes and books on all over the floor. One thing led to another and I was emptying the contents of their small closet (2'w x 3'd), a hodge-podge of random household things, baby equipment and lots and lots of clothes. I started sorting and there was just no stopping.
At first I was determined to take it all to the thrift store, but then I thought the boys might like to host a yard sale. They were very excited about the idea.
Stephen requested to have a lemonade stand as well. We bought supplies and calculated costs; signs were made and the lemonade was mixed. They were ready to go. "Maybe we'll make a thousand dollars!"
Unfortunately a thunderstorm woke me at 6 am on Friday; it was definitely not going to be the best weather for a yard sale. But we dutifully blew up balloons and rolled up the garage doors and proceeded with our plan.
It was a slow morning to say the least. About a half-hour into things, Andrew was ready to call it quits. "No one is coming to buy lemonade." And then Stephen had a brainstorm. "Hey, I have an idea. I can do tricks on my bike and attract people that way." As he zoomed down the driveway into the yard, I could see a truck coming up the street; it parked right in front of the house. "See, Andrew. My plan worked! They must have been so amazed by awesome bike skills that they stopped!" A man and his teenage son hopped out and immediately requested two cups of lemonade. Things were looking a little brighter.
You just never know what you're going to get when it comes to the yard sale crowd. We met some interesting characters, many with lots of questions to ask and others with lots of stories to tell. Several kind neighbors stopped by to pass the time of day and buy a drink.
Our last customer was a neighbor and fellow attorney. She's got a baby girl about Josie's age and they played while we chatted. Jonathan dumped out her first drink and the replacement, and then appeared with no pants. When I asked why he took off his shorts, he replied, "I was dirty" and then flashed us with his stinky little bottom. I decided it was time to close up shop.
The boys came out a lot better than I did (I earned a whopping $4.50 for my morning's efforts!), and I have decided that I should have gone with my original hunch: take it to the thrift store. But I'm glad the boys had a chance to run their stand, and they are anxiously awaiting a hot, sunny day to try it again.
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