just keep swimming...

So it's kind of a running joke around our house that I call my mom and Matt "Dori Fish"... (if you've watched Nemo you'll get this, if not skip this post:)!) Anyway I'm not going to go into great detail on why they have acquired this nickname, but let's just say, they're well.... a bit forgetful. So, when things get a bit stressful at the shop Mom and I always sing to each other "Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming..." For some reason it just makes us feel better.

The last few weeks has been hectic. Especially at the shop. I exaggerate not when I say we have gotten hundreds of boxes just in the past couple of weeks. We usually close the shop this time of year and completely re-do the shop for fall, but we are going at things from a new angle these days, and are changing the way we've done things in an attempt to make things run as smooth as possible. (if that is even a possibility) Finally today I think we're finally on top of things; at home and at the shop! YEAH... it feels so good. Maybe the coming week won't be quite as hairy??!!! The garage sale that we are having this coming weekend is 89% organized. The attic is completely cleaned out and organized. The girls closets are cleaned out, re-organized and switched from summer to fall. The house is clean-ish. The shop is set for fall; two new front windows, brand new racks of steamed, beautiful fall fashions, all the displays are changed, and cleaned, all the sale stuff has been inventoried and put away (hallelujah, and the angels sing), the back rooms are clean and organized-ish (and we'll be even better after Tuesday when Sarah comes), and the other shop to-do's on my list are DONE! WooHoo. School shopping was done online this year... and school supplies bought months ahead. I almost made that too easy... almost. It should be smooth sailing from here! (I hope!)
Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming!
I just keep singing that song!
For today, I feel I may just be on top of things... Just maybe.

playing catch up....

I think this will be my motto for the day...
I am playing some serious catch up this week...
I'm back from Seattle, and everyone survived me being gone, or so it seems....

This is always a busy time for us, no matter what. Trying to savor the last of the summer days, squeezing in anything and everything that hasn't happened in the summer that you hoped would. Preparing to get back to school.

Then there's the store. This time of year is more hectic and more chaotic than even holiday time. This is when we have everything coming for fall, Christmas, hundreds of boxes, tons and tons of racks of clothes that need to be steamed and priced, and even more that needs to be un-boxed but where??? Oh, where? The back rooms overflowith!

So for today, I forget about the home stuff, the end of the summer stuff, the back to school stuff, and all the other "stuff". Today is kick some butt and get some stuff done at the shop day! :) As Bob the Builder would say, .... "we can do it.... Yes we can!"

(can't help but hear Lila in my head when I think of that one!)
(that's the one she and I say to one another during these times)
(Boy I've missed you Lila, so glad you're almost back!!!:))

I made it!

It's Monday again... I made it! Made it through Crazy Days at the shop. It's just what it sounds like.... CRAZY. We have a really great group of girls that work with us. Kind husbands that help haul all the stuff back inside at the end of the day. We have found an awesome babysitter that handles 10-12 hour days with the girls just fine, and after 9 years in business we (almost) have a system to our madness! Just wanted to say thanks to my mom for pulling more than her weight, I know it's not always easy. It's a job that goes without a lot of thanks, but I am thankful for all you do!

This weekend Meritt also discovered how to climb out of the crib....... oh no. That was the only safe place I had left. Any advise out there on how to keep her contained would be really appreciated!

Today, I hope to get caught up. Cleaning, errands, hopefully some food shopping, and my biggest hope of all is that I can take a nap when Meritt does (if she stays in bed).

Happy Monday!

farewell...

We're off for an adventure, an 10 hour car ride adventure! There won't be any new posts for a few days, but when we get back I'll be sure to share some photos of our adventure! It's almost 10 o'clock, and I have as much packed as I'm going to for tonight... tomorrow morning will do just fine. It's been a stressful and crazy week trying to get this patio thing wrapped up before we go, getting everything lined up for Crazy Days at the store while I'm away, (I know you girls will kick some booty, I'm sorry I can't be there to help, you will be in my thoughts!... Can't wait to hear how you do.) (By the way Crazy Days is like our Biggest sale/event of the year, we do in three days what we do in a normal month, so I'm feeling a bit guilty to leave, but I know I leave it in the best of hands!) trying to pack and get everything ready with two little people that like to get into everything, but it's done, and what isn't... will anyone know? So, anyhow, have a wonderful week, and we'll share all the fun when we return! Good luck my Emma Girls.

a window into a week

Someone asked me this week, how do you do it all?, which got me to thinking that it would be fun to write out what a week is like in our lives; with running the shop, the girls, the remodel, and all that life entails, so I thought maybe I would type it out.... just for fun! So, here goes.... this is what my week was like.

Saturday 10/27~ We our officially closed at the shop to re-do the shop for Christmas. (hard to wrap ones mind around before Halloween I know, but that's reality in retail) We papered the windows Friday when we closed, so that we were ready to rock and roll early Saturday, we must be up and running Thursday by 12:30 noon, so the count down officially begins. Did some house cleaning before leaving home while, two of my employees got started, then Matt and I took the girls to our downtown's trick or treating. We got done with the trick or treating festivities, swallowed some lunch, put Meritt down for a nap, and got busy. I made a schematic of my plan for where I wanted furniture moved, and how I was planning on setting displays and where I wanted to place trees, and off we went. 5 days to decorate, clean, organize, and display a 2000 sq. foot shop doesn't feel like much, but luckily we have a great crew, wonderful husbands, and for the most part pretty good senses of humor! We worked this day until about 8pm when we decided babies and little girls would be much better if we stopped, and put them to bed. We got home bathed the girls, put them to bed, did some house picking up, folded some laundry, and off to bed........ (of course until Meritt wakes up!)

Sunday 10/28~ High Ho High Ho it's off to work we go..... early day... today we finished setting furniture, setting up and lighting 8 Christmas trees, and getting ready for the official decorating to begin. We also brought 5 van loads of Christmas boxes from Mom and Dad's garage that we had no room to store, and organized it onto huge rolling racks. (By the time this week is over we will have filled 3 cardboard recycle bins approx. 6'x8' & 1 van load to the recycle center, and 2 big dumpsters of trash). The girls were troopers, and helpers, sometimes I have no idea how we accomplish anything with the two of them, but we do! Meritt is super cranky, we think there are teeth a coming.... Got out about 7 or 7:30 so we could get Bella ready to get to school in the morning. After bed times we got to be too... (until Meritt wakes up!)

Monday 10/29~ Got Bella to school by 9, back to the shop we go for more of the same, I get started and get some actual displaying done, good thing, time is getting numbered....... Pick Bella up at 11:30, sit and have some lunch, back to work we go, everyone keeps saying that we're ahead of the game, we are making great time. (In my heart I know we are never to say that out loud, it's always the kiss of death!) Basically this day we are lighting things, unpacking things, as I am doing displays, decorating trees, etc. Home we go, about the same time, my fatigue seems to set in. (Long days on my feet, and I never sleep during these things, my wheels never stop spinning.)

Tuesday 10/30~ Back at it early, the plumbers finally show up today to finish there work at home, so our guy Robert can get back here to get this home project buttoned up. Today, is more of the same.... running like a chicken with my head cut off, I sat once between 7am and 7pm, it was to inhale a little lunch. Meritt has officially got 1/4 of 2 teeth poked out, she did not sleep all day today, but luckily Bella entertained herself well. Decided to stay a little later tonight, my time is shortening, and tomorrow is Halloween.

Wednesday 10/31~ Happy Halloween, Matt had to be at a work meeting by 7:30am, so that means I'm it to get Bella dressed and ready for her school Halloween party by 9, got her to school, and off to it I go............ the stress heats up today, two of the huge shipments we've been waiting for either didn't show or came in wrong, which means, I have to come up with a new plan on some things, and tomorrow is the day. I have our Cable station here at 12:30 tomorrow to take video for our new Holiday ad, and at 4 we unveil our newly re-decorated shop for Christmas (only problem is we're not done, not even close, and I have promised Bella I will take her trick or treating.......ahhhhhhhhhhh) I work, fast and furious, it's time to get bossy, everyone gets jobs, we work and work like little Christmas elves. We stay until about 7, when I say I have to go take the girls trick or treating, I have decided the only way to finish is to show up early, and beg Matt to take the morning off to help me. Off we go, home to put on costumes, grab a big flash light, and go. Bella, was in heaven, and oh my gosh how she has changed in a year. Last year we had to walk her to each door, and help her as she quietly said "trick or treat"... "thank you", this year she runs to each door, pushes the button assuredly and says "TRICK OR TREAT"... "THANK YOU". Her dad and I are amazed, we watch in awe and say to each other, it amazing to see that we are doing our jobs with her, and that she is turning into such a lovely little girl. After walking to as many houses as we can, Meritt falling asleep on the way home, and my feet aching like no tomorrow we are finally done. We laugh, that we stay up late (late to us is 9 0r 10) a few times a year on special holidays and this will be one of them! We laugh, because having kids has made us real soft! Off to bed (until Meritt wakes up!)

Thursday 11/1~ I wake to blisters and bruised feet, I talk to God, and tell him I can't deal with this today, and ask him to help me through..... Today's the day... I get lucky Matt takes the morning off, Mom shows up early, as well as two of my employees, and we work, sweep, clean, vacuum, hurriedly finish lighting everything we can with twinkly lights, and we are done, ready or not... 12:30 my cable crew shows up, they work until about 2:30. I run home after to get dressed (of course I have wardrobe malfunctions) I get back to the shop about 3:30, half hour to go....... the stress mounts, we get the refreshments out, get all the finishing things done, remove the paper from the windows to find shoppers anxiously waiting outside. 4 o'clock comes we unlock the doors, the people have come, this is the part where my stress goes down, it's all worth it.... Matt shows up to take the girls for me, but we are so busy he gets put behind the counter with me. (That's a good sign when you have 6 employees plus yourself and it's not enough!) What a buzz, this is one of those times when you know all of you hard work put into this place is all worth it!!! We have quite the Soiree, about 9pm it's all over........ I go home, Matt has put both girls to bed without me, I go up see there little sleeping faces, and curl up in bed.... my head is tired, my feet are beyond tired, I start to come down from my high.... yes, sleep is what I need...

Friday 11/2~ Matt's off early again for a work meeting. Getting Bella ready for school today leads us all in melt down mode, she's been fitting over clothes, and I'm way too tired to put up with it. I think I'm all out of patience. About 8:30 the door bell rings, it's the insulation people, here??? No one told me. I call Matt, oops, he'll be home soon. We get this taken care of, and off to school and work we go... It's open house day at work, this is the fun part to help the customers, the bad thing is I am so tired, and my feet hurt, but oh well, I work until 8pm. Bella stays with me tonight, Matt goes home and puts Meritt to bed. Always after a week of no attention and hairiness, Bella is always a pill, so some special mommy time is always helpful!

Saturday 11/3~ I stay home until 11 to get a couple of things done around the house, since it has been so neglected all week. Meritt and I go off to the shop for open house day #3, while Matt, Dad, and Bella, stay to take out the bathroom ceiling and do home chores. I think today I would rather be where I'm at! I get off early about 4:30 and we go grocery shopping (something I haven't done for 3 weeks), we come home put our food away, put the girls to sleep, and crash! (until Meritt wakes up!) (3 times tonight)

Sunday 11/4~ Dad got tickets to Disney Princess on Ice, so we head off to do that today... of course not without a fit about what to wear from Bella (which honestly puts us all in a bit of a sour mood)(if Dad hadn't gone through so much to get the tickets I'm fairly sure we wouldn't be going) We head out, go and see a great show, eat hot dogs, & popcorn. The girls loved it! Bella more than Meritt of course. We stop and do a bit of shopping, and proceed home. Mom had dinner waiting when we got back to town, fresh crab cakes, and rice....... yum o - We get home bathe the girls, and do the bedtime routine and here we are, another week has passed. My eyes are heavy, and I can't wait for tomorrow, my first day off at home in 3 weeks....... nothing better!

So, to answer who ever asked how do I do it.... thank heavens for answered prayers, good little girls who put up with a busy mama, an amazing husband, supportive parents, and an amazing crew of gals that work for me! Without all of these people, and mostly God who blesses me, I COULDN'T DO ANY OF IT!