Family Business

As my daughter's 4th birthday approaches next month (thankfully AFTER Valentine's Day) I was flipping through old pics and came upon this one. 
Granted, I looked like hell.  Probably because I did not realize I was about to have my picture taken, I was working, and my daughter was a month old.
But the beauty of the picture is it captures the essence of "family owned & operated".  Most people take this phrase for granted.  I do not.  Running the family flower shop has hi's and low's...as every family endeavor does.  It has also allowed me to raise my two beautiful children, day in and day out at work until they were old enough for pre-k.   Challenging? yes. Rewarding? Absolutley. 
The things I learned about having my kids and returning to work immediately:
EVERYONE loves babies.  Employees, Customers, Fellow Business owners, etc.  People are much more patient as they wait for their flower arrangement to be completed if you're sporting a 3 month-old in a sling WHILE designing the arrangement.
My co-workers became my family.  We traded babies while someone took a phone call, waited on a customer, etc.  They helped (and still do) celebrate birthdays, Christmases, etc. 
You accomplish more than what you think you can. 
Your kids will constantly want everything you have on display and will want a balloon no matter what. 
Free Labor.  Ha ha.  No really, my kids have helped stack teddy bears on shelves, handed me flowers, helped decorate the front display windows and entertained the customers and employees alike. 
So yes, I love being a part of "family owned and operated"