New Years Fly - Well hello 2009

[TheSerinebutalittleMadHouse]

Morning all

No links, as I think that we deserve a day off. I am just sorting brealfast for two screatchy boys and then dpoing lunch - oh yes and collecing mum too.

DS2 now has a nasty cold thing going on, so even last sleep, but I am trying to remain serine - for the sake of my BP.

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

morning all

Thanks for thread TSMH.
Hope the germs leave the boys soon and you manage to keep a handle on your BP.

Have cleaned up dining room from last night and done the dishwasher and washing machine.
Boys and Guests are fed
Beds are made and Bathrooms SS'd

Have alot to think about today - have to work out if I can follow through with something I have been advised to do - I have been advised to back away from people who bring me down and engage better with the people who make me feel good about myself. - This would probably involve me backing off from the messy play group I run with a lady who saps all the joy from me each time she is in my thoughts... Not sure I can go through with it even though I should.

Well that was a bit deep

to anyone who joins in.. Back later ladies

[galen]

Happy 2009 all! I have just decided to sign up to flylady! I am going to make 2009 the year I overcome my household chaos! I have my sink soaking in hot bleach water, and will get to shining it in a bit. I like the idea of babysteps. Think it may stop me looking round and geting totally overwhelmed and giving up!

[onthepier]

Happy 2009! We've all had a lie-in today after celebrating last night, but I'm looking around + thinking I must get started on the clearing up as we have guests tomorrow!

The whole of the downstairs looks like a toy shop, I couldn't believe how much stuff the dc's got this year! The bedrooms aren't much better so I'm going to start this morning + encourage everybody to help!

My dh thinks it's Christmas/New Year + people should take us as they find us, but somehow I know I'll be tidying/cleaning most of the day and quite late tonight!!

[swanriver]

Well done Galen. You sound very cheerful for New Year's Day.... I feel very bllaaah this morning and can hardly even sip my coffee. After several days indoors with ailing children I am now going to take everyone for a WALK. Dh is still ill in bed.

Baileys, Do you enjoy the messy play group otherwise, or does this lady infect all your dealings with it?
I'm feeling a bit the same about my volunteer work, well not exactly the same its not a personality thing but that I have to avoid getting into scrapes by pttng foot down over scheduling. Sometimes you just feel yourself getting crosser and crosser with a situation and not quite understanding what's causing the tension.
Glad you had a lovely busy evening, food sounded delicious.

Wendy, just started reading THLH lst night on a whim (DH has arranged everything alphabetically so Ifound it...) As you say, an effortless piece of genius, in fact as one imagines oneself would write if one could and I really haven't read it since 1983 although have read Mrs Dalloway (which I've always loved). Will finish it later today.

Anyway I have woken up now.
TO DO
ring parents
walk (dress children)
make lasagne or something similar
write two letters to friends
hang out washing
hoover bedroom now dh is in it and will not let me!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[grouchyoscar]

Happy New Year to All Welcome to Gallen and Pier Baileys I know exactley what you mean. I'm involved with a group at the school who just moan and complain about everything all the time. I want the group to do well but they are just going nowhere and have become a clique IYKWIM. The Head wants to open the thing up as more PTA type and I know I have to move on with her if we are to succeed. I know people will be narked but....tricky isn't it?

TMH what a beautiful way of expressing a year of highs and challenges. I think we all should do something simillar, a round robin to the family

I'm procrastinating here. There is a hotspot of forest fire proportions that needs tackling in the bedroom, so I better press on

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

Swan, she infects most of the things I do with the play group. We are having our annual meeting tomorrow and I just have to decide which direction to go.. I think what I will do is carry on to a certain extent but make it clear that DS2 will be in Pre-school from the summer term so I won't be around to attend /help any more. A cop out but I am not very good at confrontations.

Hi Galen Welcome - if you take things little by little you will see such a difference good on you for starting

[ByThePowerOfBaileys]

took me ages to type that post as we stopped for lunch

to GO and RR - ooh new car - is it nice? GO I think the hardest thing is making the decision to back out - once you have decided it all gets a bit easier... (I think)

Guests have now left so have some beds to change and things to clean.
Back later

[TheSerinebutalittleMadHouse]

Rubes What did you get in the end?

I think we should all take stock now and then and it was one of the thing my CBT taught me.

I have decided to write a journal (of sorts) I am going to look for one joyous thing from each day, however small. Often it is the small things that matter the most - like my sausagemeat stuffing being just right at lunchtime

Baileys I think that is a good solutions - you dont like confrontations, so why have them. This way it gives them sometime to find a reaplcement

Groucy People HATE change. I was in Facilities Management and my god the things I encountered when moving 500 to brand new swanky offices were amazing - new furniture etc, but they still wanted the old setup etc. Change management is what most people need. I have learned to look for the oportunities that will arrise from it.

Welcome All newbies - Fly is a lifeline for me and I dearly value the relationships I have with the other Flyladies - mad is getting soppy now

I am going to have a sit down with the family (mum is here) and wait for the extra christmas pudding to finnish steaming (yum, so glad I made a spare)

Later lovley ladies

[swanriver]

Confrontations make me feel physically sick unless with dh, when they for some reason clear air as long as I can keep from escalating from discussion to row. I still have a hydrangea in garden given to me by a cousin after we had a screaming match on some deepseated issue 8 years ago, it was so awful that we sent flowers to each other days afterwards very expensive and in the end never actually sorted out original problem!!!Hydrangea very beautiful tho...she was richer than me.

Taken 2 sons for a long walk in FREEZING city streets and park. Feel a thousand times better for getting out and so I hope do they. Pretended we were on ski-run of varying colours and in avalanche. Children not very interested in my manic playacting. Went to a lebanese cafe for lunch, where lo and behold there were 2 children happy to share Ninendo ds. Oh dear there is no escape from these screens. Lovely lunch, have brought some spinach pastries back to husband.

[scattyspice]

Happy New Year All

I have been a very bad flylady (and my house looks just shocking), but it can wait another day. Have been out for a walk and DCs now playing happily. DH has just announced that he is bored to tears!(tsk) He doesn't cope well with unstructured time LOL.

mad sorry to read about your poor DS. What a shame, and a nightmare for you! I loved your NY letter though .

Baileys I agree that it is good to be aware of people who drain you. I came to the conclusion over Christmas with all of our families that sometimes people have bizarre unwritten rules that you cannot fail to fall foul of .

galen and onthepeir Hi happy flying (I'm the slack one ).
swanriver We have cabin fever too!
grouchy I'm most impressed by your resolutions
ruby the new car.

For the record my NY resolution is to spend less money .
DS is to learn the piano
DD is to do pink things
Dh is to drinkmore beer (tsk).

BB later (if possible).

[Wolfcub]

-mad your letter to the boys was lovely

Haven't really done anything today except give the bath a quick clean out and make the bed. I am supposed to be decluttering the bedroom but I got caught up reading my book and have done nothing need to get my butt on gear

I have been thinking about what I want from this year not so much resolutions as changes I need to make

I need to work hard at being calmer and happier and very hard at being a better mother
I need to do something about my lack of confidence
I need to actively pursue promotion and stop being so damn scared of it
I need to lose 3 stone at least and start taking some free exercise
I need to fly more so that my house is somewhere I enjoy being rather the a stone around my neck

[swanriver]

Now thinking about change TMH. I love it, up to a point, children growing, moving furniture round etc, adapting/digging up garden, new plans, theories of existence, ideas etc. But dh hates it, and doesn't get pleasure from contemplating it, although is often surprised to find a change 'works'. That is his strength, that he doesn't get distracted by fads and fashions and thinks long term and consistently unloads dishwasher every morning. In our school we have had terrible political (school politics rather than local)problems with some people not liking change ew head etc nand I am constantly on my guard to stay friends with both sides (do see both points of view). Sometimes though it's like family life insoluble and unbearable but you bear it.

[scattyspice]

swan - my dh is like that too (God knows how I ever convinced him to have children lol). I agree that it is a good thing on the whole.

[grouchyoscar]

Hello again

Red Adair of the bedroom here. The raging hotspot has been totally extinguished. All clothes have been put in the relevant drawers and crammed put into the wardrobe. I even selected some bits that are going to the charity shop. Took me about an hour to do but the whole room looks better now

I need no more clothes. I mean, what's the point? I just slum around in Jeans and assorted tops anyway. Must make more of myself really

So the festive push is all but over. I'm avoiding Wii fit as it thinks I'm 58 overweight and unbalanced already It might be even worse post gorging

Resolutions are going quite well TBH. DH is back at work tomorrow so I better find some brill stuff to do with Edgar

bye for now

[grouchyoscar]

Swan The school politics are awful. Many can't see the bigger picture. The school has just got out of special measures, which has involved a lot of upheavals in staffing and policies. many parent feel the school should be totally devoted to their one and onlys but forget that the head has 350 one and onlys to cater for. Many don't react well to change and see it as a personal affront to them only. I see the whole thing and want to support both sides. I feel like the United Nations sometimes. Plus 2 breakfasts a week is going to make me podgier than I am

Hijack over scuse me

[swanriver]

Grouchy - and the really annoying thing is that in the end both (school)camps think you are a lukewarm fence sitter! I hve decded I going to be friends with whoever I want!!!

Made some drop scones, which tasted so nasty children refused to eat.
Practised the piano with dd for 2 mins! A start.
Kept peace between two badtempered'os.
Then actually had to put ds2 outsdie backdoor for five mins. Think I am going to carry him off for early bath and bed.

[TheSerinebutalittleMadHouse]

There must have been something in the air, our two had 20 very scary minutes. We got them out of the bath early as they were destroying the bathroom.

They are calmish now - but tired. They are snacking on choc chip cookies and milk.

Early bed tonight I think

[scattyspice]

Same here! All tired and emotional .

[swanriver]

Also EARLIER persuaded ds1 to write half a thankyou letter, and ds2 to finish yesterday's 6 word epistle. Maybe their schooling is nooot good.

[Wolfcub]

dammit wrote a long post and I'd disappeared

We have rearranged all the bedroom furniture and I have filled a large bag full of clothes to get rid of

Just having a quick baileys breAk before I start sorting our drawers as we need to lose at lease one chest of three

[swanriver]

I am going to have a glass of sherry and nipoff to hoover the bedroom whilst dh is downstairs.

[swanriver]

Hoovered.
Now children to bed.

[Wolfcub]

done some rearranging and putting away
Very detailed vac of bedroom done and main lightshsde in the bedroom dedustbunnied