Put my guitar away after the first song today. Never did that before.

It's a drag but a show is two parts, audience and performer, if the crowd isn't with us, we shouldn't be there.
They made it clear that they weren't into the show so I quit. Olive was miffed but she understood. In the past we would do Olive's style, plow on. It's humiliating to get all dressed up, do an hour show with fantastic balloons and personalities on 10 and then hardly make $15 at the end. I saw that comming and wasn't having it. Feels good to stand up for myself but it's a long time till cold season again so I can't make a habit of throwing in the towel.
Luckily it's just a symptom of the heat and the same kids coming for a long time and getting used to the act. We change some part of the show every week but I understand how they can get accustomed to us. Normally there is a large crowd to mask the jaded kids (who still love us but spend the time playing and listening). Our busy Storytimes are during the worst weather. Our crowds thin out quite a bit in hot weather, makes sense, we are artificial sunshine; way more useful in cold weather.