Fledglings chatter and try to FLY through July

[BlueEyeshadow]

Following June's chatty thread, welcome aboard another month of vaguely trying to follow FLY Lady's housekeeping system. There are still babysteps and missions for each day and the little and often system for decluttering and keeping chaos at bay.

It is still a long running thread and newbies will always be welcome. Usual disclaimer still applies "Don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey, we really aren’t! Some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome"

But for another month we'll try to fly without daily links. The Big link you will need is the launch pad which will take you to all the daily reminders/missions/zones etc...

The first link for the babysteps is the particularly waffly introduction to the system, and through it you can get to all of the other links.

So it only remains for me to thank DEM for setting up the last thread , and stock up the naughty corner bar for when it all gets a bit much. Plenty of and to see us through.

Thanks blue

Thanks Blue, and thanks DEM for last month

Thanks for the new thread, Blue (great news about the house offer, by the way ) and also thanks to DEM for thread-running duties last month .

Was going to do lots of worthy, housework-type things today, but we took one look at the weather and decided to go to the beach instead . Ended up having a BBQ on the beach for lunch and then another in the garden for dinner.

DS1 came running out of school with a huge smile on his face: happy to be going home, but also happy because he'd had another good day at school. Only three more days to go, then he's completed the term and can relax for the summer.

Morning all,

Thanks for the new thread Blue (and glad to hear you're making progress with your move) and for last month DEM. Apologies for going AWOL towards the end of last month; I just didn't have time to post, although was lurking. DD1 came out of hospital on Sunday and is getting on well with the pump; she's eating normally again now and not avoiding foods that would mean an injection, which is a big relief. She'll be going back to school tomorrow, although I'm not sure that it's worth it - IIRC she'll be at school until 9.20am tomorrow and then on Friday all three of them just have to go into school to pick up their certificates (and can go to church if they want, which most children do).

So pleased to hear that your DS1 is settling in well at school, Toffee. of your barbecue on the beach; I miss having the sea nearby.

SC I'm sure I wanted to say something to you about pretzels, but can't remember what now.

Must make a start on work (DD1 and I have just been out shopping), which seems to get busier the less time I have.

Good morning all!!

Blue thank you so much for setting up this thread! And great news that you have accepted a raised offer! If my memory serves me correctly, I don't think we have ever had "sold my house" included in a ta da list before!

DEM thank you for keeping us all going throughout the hectic month of June! Hope you are ok in this muggy weather x

Apologies, I didn't go AWOL deliberately yesterday! (Attended dd's primaire 'graduation' and then went to birthday tea party which went on rather late) Fwiw, I think it is a great idea to have chatty threads as DEM suggested throughout June, July and August and then go back to links (if everyone wants to/agrees) in Sept. I don't mind taking up the reins again then (for Sept or Oct). Also like Whoknows 's idea of just Monday links.

Whoknows Well done to your dcs for their sports day success and I have shed envy too! The list of things you have ahead of you (dance show, leavers party, summer fair etc) sounds exactly like the last two months here) although more demanding for you when working + with 2 dc!! Good luck with it all!

Greymalkin Urgh at the 3.55 am starts! That must be hideous on a regular basis. Arf at sewing a new crotch in your your dh's trousers

Your ds1 is doing so brilliantly Toffee!!!

Linzer great positive news about your dd and her pump too!! That must be so wonderful for her to be able to eat normally again and such a relief for you both!

Thank you for the but I'll pass on the Diet starts today! (Something drastic must be done!!)

Waves to Swan (hope you are feeling less shattered than previously) and to everyone else I've missed!

Had a really lovely day yesterday. Went to dd's "graduation" in the morning (complete with mortar boards ) where each child was presented with their certificates and a personal small speech from their form teacher, followed by benediction and prayers in the chapel, followed by champagne! (Which was fun before 11 am!!)

Rather sad saying goodbye to all the parents and teachers and staff members though whom we have known since dd was 2.5 yrs! (Thanks Toffee and DEM yes, dd and I did get presents finished in time - just! - and everyone seemed to like them!!)

Was anticipating dd being very upset and crying when we finally exited school for the very last time, but it was all very calm and positive and she skipped down the street happily afterwards (also helps that her two closest friends are continuing on to same secondary school as her).

Then dd, dh and I all went for a quick lunch (where wine was consumed) to celebrate as dh had to get back to the office, then went on to friend's birthday tea where the champagne was opened again!!

My sort of day

However, however, back to reality today. Up early to pack dd off to her annual art and design workshop (which she loves) and now need to face the downstairs which (in after-math of teacher present construction) looks like a fabric shop and haberdashery has exploded across the ground floor!! And the hall is full of carrier bags brought back by dd with empty files, art works, sports equipment, books, sports kit, dance clothes, and stacks of empty tupperware and biscuit tins!!

And I have a million e-mails awaiting me about holiday arrangements: sisters coming out, English children coming out to practice French, French children coming out to practice English, other Belgian friends children coming to practice English and so on and son on... .

[groan]

Had better get to it!!

Don't mind too much though! The pressure is off now! The exams are over!! Nine weeks of school summer holiday starts today!! Yipppppppppppppppppppeeeeee!!!!

Job 2 of 3 finished, so time for a coffee break. (No for me either, SC - it's a bit early for me - but I have just had a .)

Your DD's graduation sounds lovely. As does lunch with wine. Glad she's feeling so positive and happy about it; I think I was more upset than DD2 was when she left primary school last year! And it's great that her two closest friends will be going to the same school.

Our hall is exactly the same atm: full of arts & craft supplies, text books and exercise books, and various other items that the DC have brought back from school (they come home with a huge bag of stuff every day in the last week). We used to have a big box per school year for each of them, but managed to get it down to one box per two years a while back - still way too much, though.

I can't wait for the holidays to start either (we're three days behind you, SC) but am not sure I'll feel the same a couple of days weeks after they've started.

Time to get back to work. We have a fairly busy day ahead of us; after I've picked up DS in just over an hour, we have to go back to the hospital for DD1 to have a check-up and then have a "wine tavern evening" with her class (parents + DC plus her teacher) later on today. Very few families normally turn up; the parents are much less involved than in DD2's class, almost all of whom came along to the hike a couple of weeks ago. This could be taken as a sign that Austrians prefer hiking to drinking wine but I don't think that's the reason.

I'm back! (again...)
I've run out of excuses for not getting a grip so here I am. So pleased to see old friends still here, it's like coming home
Really little baby steps for me or I will disappear again so today my list is
Shine sink
Finish ironing
1 load of washing
Make miniature teddy bear
Finish dad's quilt
Find something for tea
If time finish star quilt
Back later

Yeah! My Mummy's back

[puts up bunting in naughty corner!] [puts Pimms on ice]

How are you Droitwich?

(There really should be a celebratory champagne flute emoticon on here)

I like the miniature bear item on your list btw!

It is sweltering here. I'm v lucky as lovely fortnightly ironing lady has been (more like monthly in reality!) yay! And I was just carrying the fruits of her efforts upstairs (four paniers of ironed washing - bliss) and carrying a few things downstairs and folding up bolts of material and tidying around generally and (sorry for tmi) but perspiration was literally running down by back And this is a cool house! (Partic on lower floors) Not looking forward to weekend when it will be even hotter!

DD has had a good morning at art workship working on 'gravure' techniques. But has declared herself bored this afternon (I am well accustomed to this annual phenomenon - they are so under the cosh at school and used to working at such a pace - that when it all stop she is still 'hyper' for a week or so and then flops ... .) In the meantime however I have given her a few domestic chores to do [mean mother emoticon] but we are going out later.

Sympathies ¨Linzer it was exactly the same here! DD came home with one or two bags full of stuff every day last week! I'm not looking forward to investigating their contents in detail tbh! [At least I have tackled the supporating tupperware boxes with sprouting things in them - shudder!!!] Have fun at your wine tavern evening -all the more for you if only a few people turn up Hope hospital check up goes well too!

Ta da:
animals
emptied dw and filled dw X 2 (once for tupperware and once for jam jars!)
stacked and put on again
loads of e-mails about holiday arrangements
downloaded photos from USB stick and from camera on to computer
(this takes me ages as I am such a dunce at these things
walked dog
collected dd
wrote food list
wrote list for doctor
quick supermarket shop
made spicy oriental styale broth for lunch with those tiny pasta shapes that looks like grains (not sure of name) with shredded chicken, leeks, carrots, lemon juice etc
cooked furry one some chicken and rice separately
carried a load of things upstairs and a load of things downstairs
folded lots of of bolts of material
swept threads and fabric cuttings up off "dining room"/"sitting room" floor
played 'Uno' with dd
laundry on
washed bin
ironed three tops and two scarves

Now the worst of the fabric mess is off the floor, I am going to empty out all my sewing boxes and tins and completely reorganise them all!

Keep cool everyone!

Ugh, it's sticky here. Everyone is bickering and grumpy. If I open all the doors and windows we get some air in, but next door's radio is too loud. Grr!

Trying to decide if I can bear to go to Zumba later or if I'd just melt.

Hi all, wondering if you have room for one more? I used flylady in the past (10yrs ago) with great success and I feel it embedded good habits and taught me how to care for a house for the first time in my life.

However at that point I was a married sahm to 2 children. Now I am a working loan parent to 3 school age children and over time my house has become a shambles. I spend most of my evenings ferrying the kids to after sch clubs, listening to their recount of their days, helping woth home work, cooking dinner, etc. By the time they go to bed I am shattered and ready for mine!

Every now and then i manage to get a grip on the majority of the house but more often than not I would have a panic if the doorbell rang. I feel I spend all my time trying to get stuff done but actually achieve very little over the course of a week. So I then waste our weekend trying to catch up and never getting there.

I am not sure I have enough time each day for flying but I need her system to help me lose the feeling of never having enough done. I get overwhelmed and then don't know where to start so I pootle about achievening little. I need the system to point me in the right direction each day, and I have faith that if I stick with it, in a month the house and my head will feel a lot better.

Sorry for the rambling thoughts. It helps to share with people who get it.

Right off to check today's jobs and get them done. Hopefully tonight I will have time to check out th e last thread and get to know you all a bit better.

Apologies for the typos, on phone and difficult to proof read.

Welcome, Zapp . We all know that feeling (CHAOS - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and following the Flylady system does help when we remember to keep up with it.

Have had a difficult day. Time to flop on the sofa now.

A very warm welcome to ZappDingbat You have come to the right place! You sound as if you have a lot on your plate so no wonder you feel overwhelmed (and looking after dc more important than chores so don't beat yourself up!) Hopefully the Flylady system will enable you to get back on track bit by bit but don't worry if progress is a bit back and forth - we all have good and bad days on here - but the good thing about Flylady is she gives you permission to forget the bad days and jump right back in. And remember, even doing one small thing for 15 mins per evening (or for however many evenings per week you can manage) is better than nothing and does make a difference! Good luck with it!

Sorry you've had a difficult day Toffee [proffers ]

Even the thought of zumba in this weather fells me Blue!!

Stifling here tonight! Noise at the back (people chatting on apartment balcony). Noise at front - someone moving out of apartments and huge containers being packed in to long container vehicle with their stuff - and individual containers being hammered down noisily - for the past five hours!!) [grrrr]

Welcome Zapp
It is great that ds has settled at school Toffee. I hope you have a better day today.
Your dds graduation sounded lovely SC

Yesterday I was at a conference all day in a lovely air conditioned room instead of being in a sweaty classroom, which I was very grateful for.

To do
Hoover downstairs done
Hang washing out to dry done
Wash up
Make packed lunches
Dust downstairs
Make beds
Clear living room hotspot done
Iron clothes for today
Ss bathroom
Ridiculous amounts of data for deadline tomorrow

If I don't get back on today - enjoy the sunshine everybody

Errrrrr...,,I'm back. No excuses....just elliepac uselessness/busyness. I am not going to promise to do any flying...that would be too much. Will just post random updates about my life which is rather fantastic at the moment. That I can do. Hope everyone is well...clearly I have missed linzer's dd being unwell so sending lots of love to Austria but it sounds as if she is on the mend? And dwm is back...this makes me smile too.

I am still at my mum's, work os crazy as ever, ex is being a twunt and I am now at the point where I am wondering why the hell i spent 20yrs with him. But I am not looking back because that would be pointless. Instead I am looking to the future...and have a fabulous new man who is making me very happy and who induces teenage like feelings in me.

Back later

Lovely to see you again, ellie, and glad to hear that life (and your new man) is treating you well. Yes, DD1 was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in April but is coping well and her new insulin pump definitely makes life easier. (And ssh, don't tell anyone but I rarely do much flying either. )

Mercury I don't think it's quite as hot here as it is in the UK (yet - have just checked my phone and seen that we're forecast 37° next week; help!), but it's at times like these that I really appreciate air conditioning.

Toffee Sorry to hear about your difficult day; hope today is better for you.

SC Glad to hear it's not just me whose house is overrun with school stuff. DD1 is back at school today and took about five big bags with her to carry everything home - am expecting a phone call from her in about an hour as she's already said there's no way she'll be able to carry everything. I think I may need to steal your idea of giving domestic chores as soon as anyone complains of boredom (which, in DS's case, usually means "I want to play on the iPod and will reject all other suggestions" ). Very impressed by your ta da list, btw.

DWM Good to see you back too!

Now have less than an hour to get some work done before DD1 is out of school - deadline is tomorrow but with the DC at school for all of about half an hour tomorrow morning I really wanted to get it finished today. DD2 has gone for a "hike" (aka walk, but that doesn't sound quite as impressive) with her class this morning, which is due to end at 10.30am and parents have been asked to meet them at the end of their walk and bring a picnic. Won't be able to stay long, however, as I then have to pick up DS and friend from school - for once, he's finishing later than the other two. DS and DD2 will both have friends here this afternoon, so I'm hoping to be able to fit in a bit more work then.

Lovely to see you again, ellie. Am very happy to hear about your new man and jealous of the teenage feelings . Flying is pretty sporadic in the Toffee household too.

DS1 is flagging, which is not surprising considering he hasn't done full days at school for years, apart from his two attempts at mainstream. We had to pick him up early yesterday (interrupting our second attempt to take DS2 to a local park/garden that we've been wanting to visit for years; the last attempt was disrupted by DS1 having an anxiety attack, which meant we had to go home). I was cross with him because I'd been up till 2am that morning, trying to get him to go to sleep, so it was no wonder that he was so tired. And I was tired too because I'd only managed five hours' sleep.

Anyway, sleep was elusive for DS1 last night too, although he did try, so he was really tired this morning and didn't want to go in to school at all. In the end, he agreed to a half day. Then he just has to get through tomorrow and he's finished for the school year.

Today I'm at home with DS2 and tackling the house. A crisis clean is in order, I think.

Morning!

Good luck balancing your work with all the chauffering/pick up responsibilities Linzer

Great to see you back Ellie And great that life is going so well for you!!

Hope you managed the data deadline Mercury it all sounds very full on - don't know how you sustain it!

Toffee I'm sorry yesterday was so difficult for you and ds1. I hope this morning goes better.

I've already done dog walking and food shopping (while its relatively cool) this morning after dropping dd at her workshop. Just about to tackle morning routines, more laundry, and continue sorting sewing materials [tedious]

Today I am overwhelmed by the to do list I refuse to write, so I guess I should write it so I can organise myh thoughts and then get on with something rather than feeling just frustrated with the whole situation.

ta da
put ice pops into freezer - lakeland do ice pop making bags, shove in some fruit juice and bam healthy ice pops with no funky colours
remove mince from freezer to defrost for ds' tea
Put bread machine on to make dough

As you can see that to do list is rather scraping the barrel

Nice to see you Ellie, welcome to the thread returners and newbies. Hope you have a better day toffee Good luck SC Glad to hear dd1 is going better with the pump linzer hope things are ok over at Swan towers

ta da

Persuaded DS1 to go to school
Made buttermilk pancakes for breakfast with DS2
Unloaded/reloaded d/w
Bath and hairwash
Bath and hairwash for DS2
Rescued cat from the roof

The last item on the list put paid to any crisis cleaning this morning. Just as I was about to start tackling the kitchen, I heard a plaintive miaow. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find the cat, although the other one was happily following me round as I hunted (shaking a Dreamies packet). Then there was a knock at the door: "Excuse me, there's a cat stuck on your roof. Is it yours?"

Ran upstairs, looked out of the loft window - and yes, there was one of our cats, stuck on the very top of our roof, miaowing desperately. He'd obviously managed to scramble up there, but couldn't get back down. And it's a long way down to the ground from there.

Whilst I panicked and tried to lure the cat back in with Dreamies, DH applied brain power and calmly dragged the garden parasol up the stairs and shoved it out of the window to give the cat something to hold onto. Cat climbed back in. Lots of hugs and kisses from DS2, who said his knees were shaking.

And then it was time to fetch DS1 from school. So no Flying so far today (maybe tidying cat off the roof counts?).

Yes toffee i think it most definitely should

Waves to Mercury, DWM and ellie and welcome aboard to Zapp.

Glad to hear the cat's adventure had a happy ending, Toffee.

SC, yes I came to similar conclusions on the subject of Zumba yesterday. I did go swimming this morning though, which was lovely and refreshing.

Not much flying happening though, which is a shame after having got the place temporarily spotless. Hey ho.

Evening all. As expected no flying as have only been in from work for an hour. And no flying to be done for the whole weekend. Kids are with their dad and I have a weekend away planned. Thank you for all the welcome backs. Luffs you all

Morning all

Quick post, will try to do longer one later.
Lost 3lb at SW last night
Realised that extreme tiredness and red eyes were due to being anaemic again. Feeling loads better already with doctors super strength iron pills.

To do

Last night's washing up
Town for Dd's costume for play next week. Should have been in Wednesday but she had her, very successful, 3 & 4 transition day to new school so will drop in on way back from town.
FLYing not sure what yet.
Back to School for dinnerladying.
Lunch sometime
Tax credits
Other forms - they R stacked, in a neat pile, looking at me!

Oops time to go and do something.
Have a good day everyone
Back later

Morning! Thanks for the welcome everyone. I spent yesterday pottering about enjoying my last day before going back to work . I've been off for 6 weeks so this morning was a shock to the system.
No list today as I anticipate being exhausted by the time I get home and I am out tonight at our local little theatre to see my niece in Half a Sixpence
I have given instructions to DH to hang washing out and load the dishwasher though so I am flying delegation!
Have a great day