It seems that summer came and went with a fury. Endless trips to the beach, lake, and mountains seem a distant memory. Everywhere I go a muffled rendition of Don Henley's "Boys Of Summer" fill the air. I feel thankful to have some great memories... Jack, who is 9, now catching his first brook trout in Bethel Maine. Maggie who is four finding her sea legs and confidence in the ocean and lakes. Gus who is two, speaking in full sentences, exploring the world with wide eyes and taking in all that it had to offer him.School is back in session and Cammie has excel files that are color coated with the weekly schedule. I sometimes find myself in the "shuttle van" some mornings pin balling my way through school drop off, doctors, coffee, printer, architect, Gus's gym class, coffee, change a diaper, new product idea at a red light, no mom "I cant Skype right now", Jack forgot his lunch so back to school, more coffee...Then walk into the office at around 10 am and settle in to handle two growing businesses. What a Salvador Dali, tornado, ADHD, web I have tangled for myself.
Think Think Think, Focus focus focus!
I just realized that this April Cammie and I will reach a decade of changing diapers. 10 YEARS of SHIT MAN! Gus and Maggie are in the middle of potty training and I am hopping that this will be it. I don't even want to do the math on that dollar amount. While all our couple friends without kids were in Aruba for the holidays we were deep in the thick of it, as we still are now.
I do believe we are on the tail end of this madness. At this time last year Maggie was having an operation to take out her tonsils and adenoids to help her sleep better. Gus was one and between Maggie's struggle to sleep and Gus waking up every other hour Cammie and I were like the walking dead. Seriously could have been on that show without special make up, and now I'd be touring the country sighing autographs at horror conventions... ..bring it back Kip.
So as random strangers point out to Cammie and I in Super markets that we are "coming out of it" and "that it's going to get better" I am starting to think so too. Not that I want this time to end, I am going to miss it, but I am ready to get my short term memory back, I am ready to remember my customers names and the stories they told me. I am ready to connect further with my businesses as they are growing too.
eco-Kids is about to make some big changes. Kind of like the business is growing up too. Pretty soon the business will be out of the house. Something I look forward to but know that I will miss. Kind of like the sleepless nights with a warm cuddling child uses your face as a foot stool.
So behold costumers, retailers, and vendors of eco-kids and Maggie's Naturals, the times are a changing. Onward and upward small American made business! So as the Government shuts down and our Congress men and woman head home on tax payer funded private jets with there salaries still being payed, eco kids, Maggie's Naturals, and thousands of other small businesses around the US. We will hand out our Obama Care Affordable Health Care package paperwork to our employees, then, we will GET BACK TO WORK, and continue to change the economic status of our employees and community.
Sorry got lost on another tangent there.
OK so we are growing and changing and hiring. It is awesome and scary, but it is happening organically! And it makes for happy people and a "Happy Family". Now back to the grind and getting ready for our trade show in Las Vegas! To all you other parents and small business owners, thank you for "building your life, not just living it!
-Kip Weeks
