I sort of left you guys hanging, didn't I?
The week after the gift show is always super hectic. There are so many new catalogues and products to think of work-wise. And somehow there are ALWAYS two employees away on vacation at this very time, creating the necessity for us to cover shifts. The small store also participates in a yearly street festival with a huge outdoor sales, which means going through TONS of stuff and reducing it to bargain basement prices to Sell, Sell, Sell! You'd be amazed the stuff we find in the back of the warehouse when we empty the shelves and take the time to look at everything! You can literally find a full box of 24 (or worse, 48) of something you just shoved aside and forgot about and ooops, you have tons of stock on your hands!
But as if this wasn't enough, it's also back to school times for the girls, and by that I mean the girls who work for us.... Which means the entire schedule has to be re-invented, to account for the reduced fall/winter opening hours, but mostly to accommodate all the new class schedules. Amazing manager D magically put a workable schedule together and ooops! Somebody announced they wouldn't be coming back. Somebody that was in fact going to be full time.... which means we now need 2 part time people to replace this one.... Add *Interview Candidates* to the list of things I need to squeeze into my waking hours!
And my own girls are also going back to school, so this is their last week to do anything they wanted to do over the summer.... Mental note to self: don't make so many promises about cool outdoors arts and crafts because a rainy summer will leave you scrambling to do A LOT of stuff during the last week!
Finally, to make sure this week is nice and stressful all around, Friday is going to be a very, very sad day around here. After a year and half that feels like five, the Amazing Super Babysitter M will be leaving us.... She has one year left in her program and has to do her internship at the same time, so her schedule doesn't gel with ours.... I can't even begin to tell you the sadness the girls (and their parents!!!) are feeling over this departure. We've had summer sitters before, but M is the only one who stuck around for two of them, who went on vacation with us, who had sleepovers with the girls... She will be missed deeply.
We are going to try to go it alone, since both girls will be in school 8 to 1:30 this year (BB is going to do Lunch Bunch! She is SO excited about that!). We'll see how it works, we might need to find someone to come hang out a couple of afternoons a week, because at this point, if we have to cover the shifts of the employee we haven't replaced, we can't be home with the girls AND at work at the same time!!!
In the mean time, we have already booked M. for some evening babysitting about once a month, so that she can stay in the girls lives. But I tell you, that is going to be one big whole around here.....
Am I forgiven for not posting so much?
That's too bad about M. leaving. I always hate the empty feeling you get when someone who has taken care of your children for so long moves on. Hope the changes do not upset the household too much. Anyway, we'll see you tomorrow. CL is really looking forward to her playdate with Dumpling!
Posted by: Susan | August 19, 2008 at 09:18 PM
Your forgiven. ;o)
Posted by: susan | August 19, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Um, I meant to type YOU'RE. Because its two words. Made into one.
Good luck with all the madness!
Posted by: susan | August 19, 2008 at 09:28 PM
The girls and their parents are not going to be the only sad ones on Friday that's for sure! :( I'm dreading it just as much as you guys...you've been an amazing family to work for!!
Posted by: Babysitter M | August 19, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Forgiven. I haven't been blogging as much and I don't have nearly the reasons you do. I think it's also a summer thing. Sorry to hear about M leaving but I'm glad you're going to keep her in the girls' lives. Awesome. Good luck with all you're going through right now and make sure to do some things for you, ok?
Posted by: Katie J | August 20, 2008 at 08:44 AM
yup, forgiven.......hope you find a moment to take a breath! good luck- mostly with finding someone to replace M.......rare find I'm sure.
Meg
Posted by: meg | August 20, 2008 at 09:29 AM
You are definitely forgiven. Heh, until I read your post I had completely forgotten that I have a blog.
Good luck with the hiring and remember to take some time for yourself.
Posted by: Harry | August 20, 2008 at 10:47 AM
after reading this I think I need a nap.
Posted by: Beverly | August 20, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Sorry you are losing the babysitter. But happy you have kids going to school. Groovy.
Posted by: Nicole | August 22, 2008 at 08:48 AM