September Flying, Fledglings are trying; holiday steps were slow, back to work we go ...

[Stillcounting]

Welcome to the September 2010 Fledgling Flying thread!

This is where from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of the Fat Fairy, with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation along the way. (More info available here! )

Many thanks to our previous splendiforous thread leader Ellie for guiding us through July and August and to her dynamic deputy, the one and only PA. You've both made it a lot of fun!

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach (and don't worry - we are all at different stages):

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

Together we can do it! All newcomers welcome!

Good morning Ladies

Let's all take a deep breath and hope for a more enjoyable day!

Thanks for your round-up SC - everyone is as prolific as ever which I love but can't keep up! I didn't accidentally go to the noodle bar on Tues but I have arranged to go quite deliberately today with one of my loveliest friends who happens to be working from home today...so here is how today looks (or how I aim for it to look):

• countertops - done
• breakfast, tidy, DW on - done
• washing on/out
• Ocado order
• mini shop
• singing lesson (first one in ages and no idea what I am doing)
• noodle bar
• make cake for Nan's 85th birthday party
• ironing
• make dinner

if time (and oven timing works out):

• make tomorrow's dinner ahead of time.
• declutter the cupboard from doom (which you may remember was decluttered about 6 months again but there has been some regression.

Feeling a bit nauseous today - hoping it is just pg related rather than something DS and DH will catch!

Hope today goes well Feetheart

Today's list is a finish off of yesterday plus afew extra bits.

kitchen: find sink and benches shine sink, hoover floor, wash floor, DW load, pots and pans.
Lounge: hoover,
Bathroom: unblock shower drain, clear floor, fix toilet seat issue.
Landing: remove toys awaiting return to ds' room, hoover, replace bookcase and books done.
Hall: sort through assorted stuff, hoover, remove door.
Ds' room: hoover, replace toys where go, wash sheet and wipe down plastic sheet done leaky nappy again, remake ds' bed.
frutility room: finish emptying and sorting through, hoover, wash floor, arts and craft stuff.

Random: recylcing to tip done, WM, folding, ironing put clothes away

Dentist for filing done, important phone call, very very very important email - chase and resend

Ikea trip, pick up fittings for pictures done, pick up batten for sorting out pokey through screws on blackboard, photocopying.

Havent had chance to read through, will do when i can stop/sit down and eat tea

Lunch break.

Well, my day is going a bit better. Hope yours are too.

Dh kindly took 45 mins out just now and fetched my car for me just now so it's finally in my possession. Yippeee!! Had one careful owner and is in good condition and we got a really good deal on it. Just taken it around the block and and the automatic gear box seems a bit lurchy after our old 12 yr old rust bucket but that could be something to do with half petrol/half battery engine. Hopefully will get used to it.

Ellie hope the meeting resolves all the angst.

You are on a mission DEM ...keep going!

Linzer the educational system there sounds incredibly similar to here - very traditional and old-fashioned

Nettie hope you managed to get some more shut-eye

Enjoy the noodles Mini and hope you feel better as day progresses. Hope all the chat isn't putting you and others off (I think we may have lost a regular or two to another baby Fly thread for example). Succinctness is not my strong point! Ellie had balance of chat v Flying just right I think - will try and replicate!

Any news Feetheart? How did it go?

And how is littlest Dinky progressing?

Spent the morning watching a DVD with dd and a large box of Kleenex. So I'm going to follow Toffee's eminently sensible example and post a small list which I hope to actually complete this afternoon.

Tidy up and clean kitchen - extra elbow grease on surfaces
Tidy sitting room
Sort hot spot dining room table
Sort laundry (again) and re-start
One panier of ironing (fortnightly ironing lady left forever to have baby - sniff)
S&S bathroom & quick hoover
Quck dust and hoover master bedroom
Prepare courgettes, runner beans and crab apples just harvested from garden (I want to make crab apple jelly and dh wants to make crab apple and chilli vodka recipe) - will see if we have enough for both
Make supper - Thursday so veggie night

See you later!

List so far looks like this:

S/S done
Morning routine done
Quick tidy up before son's friend comes round for playdate done
Kitchen mission - counters
Kitchen hotspot - clear
Deal with washing a)put stuff away (have piles all over the house) done
b)wash whites done
c)tumble dry / hang outside done
d)actually put clean washing away (why is this step so hard?)
Afternoon routine
Evening routine

Add to this list: tidy up and hoover DS2's bedroom, as he complained that it needed it after the playdate (he was right). He said he'd help - so far, this has involved jumping on my back, shouting "Giddy up!", and unearthing old toys to play with.

Playdate went really well and, hopefully, will help both boys settle in a bit more easily at big school. They will meet again at the morning visit tomorrow. That will be the first time DS2 has worn his uniform, but it is only a try-out session, as Mums stay. Monday morning is the first session where I leave him .

Still - glad your day is going better. DS2 has gone into one of his little imaginary-play reveries and is doing all the different voices, which means he has forgotten all about me, so I might postpone lunch and get on with my missions. Still haven't done the fridge, let alone the counters . Still - I never get time to do the decluttering, even though it's only meant to be 15 minutes a day. Do you? Seems absurd to say I can't get just 15 minutes squeezed in, but it's as much as I can do to keep up with my routines and daily mission. Maybe when DS2 has settled into full-time school, if I don't have any work... .

Hope all of you are having better days today.

Apologies for boring you all by posting virtually the same list time and again, but I need to keep focused!

School run done
Washing done but still need to hang out most of it
Ironing
Morning routine done
15 min decluttering done
Mission done
Thank you letter done now need to post
Finish done and send letter
e-mail friend re meeting up
Post DD2's postcard to GPs
Pick up DDs
Supervise homework done
Supervise piano practice DD1 + DD2
Get DD1 to write postcard
Pick up DS about to do
Afternoon routine done
Pay ballet fees
Phone piano tuner
Birthday present for DD2's friend
Buy yet more school supplies (have just had list from RE teacher) about to do
Make optician's appointment for DS
Evening routine

SC You're doing a wonderful job - please don't change anything! (And I must admit I don't notice any difference in the fly/chat balance since you took over from ellie.) I think the other baby fly thread is more "condensed" than we are, i.e. they're doing two baby steps a day - we are the more relaxed fly babies. The chat on here is actually one of the things that keeps me going; if it was everyone just posting their lists, I'm sure I would have given up long ago - but as it is, I feel like I "know" you all to a certain extent and look forward to coming on here and catching up with everyone.

Back later...

mid afternoon update!

SC no chat definitely doesn't put me off, I just have to make sure I don't spend ages reading it all, I am very distractable!

• countertops - done
• breakfast, tidy, DW on - done
• washing on/out - done
• Ocado order - done
• mini shop - done
• singing lesson (first one in ages and no idea what I am doing) - done
• noodle bar - done, yay!
• make cake for Nan's 85th birthday party - nearly there!
• ironing - done
• make dinner

If there's no chat I will flounce!!
Its the chat that keeps me here, certainly not the fat fairy!!!!!

lol @ pa threatening to flouce if we stop nattering.

like that is in danger of happening

Late tea break

Thanks for the v. encouraging feedback Mini-M and Linzer Phew! You are both powering through your lists - well done!!!

Mini-M - on the distractability front, I am right up there with you!

Linzer - thank you, yes, I like having a "home" here on Mnsnet too - and my house definitely wouldn't be improving without the encouragement everyone offers on here. Glad you feel the same. Only problem is, focusing on one thread is meant to stop me from lurking on others and that hasn't quite worked but I'm gradually getting more self-disciplined!! Good luck with the second round of school-supply seeking ...

Well done with your long list today too Toffee - I love the sound of your ds 2's play reveries ...

To be strictly honest, I don't always get to the 15 minute de-clutter - although I should. I try and do the baby-steps, routines and hot-spots rigorously and that puts me in a position to see the wood for the trees when a suitable decluttering half-day or couple of hours arises (if that makes sense). Oh I also do spontaneous 27 swing-boogies fairly regularly too.

My excuse is that I am very much an all or nothing person (trying to change!) and also our house is half building-site so decluttering can be filthy/dusty work and we are still living with lots of boxes and crates etc that need in-depth decluttering - and 15 mins just won't crack it. It takes forever to do a basement or a roof properly for example. Having said all that, I only have one dd and a pt job so I probably get more opportunities/stretches of time than most of you on here to do battle.

In summary: although decluttering is vital (you can't clean clutter) personally I think the first priority is keeping up with the baby-steps, laundry, routines, meals, and hot spot clearance. Once you are on top of those you can then you will find you can really focus on what needs chucking.

Also it depends on your personality: whether you prefer to suffer like me and have hideous dark days wading through a back-log or be more civilised and do it bit by bit.

Having said all of the above, once I have properly decluttered a room or just a single storage unit, I do try and keep on top of it by doing a weekly, monthly, or six-monthly chuck out. Eg wardrobes and dd's toy storage unit = twice a year. Art supply/stationery cupboard in sitting room x4 a year etc.

Like everything with Flylady, you have to adapt the system to suit yourself.

Bet you wish you'd never asked now!!

x posts PA and DEM

I'm afraid this will be my last post of the day - no more round-ups tonight - because now dh is back home I can go to the office.

Bit more back on track today:

Tidy up and clean kitchen - extra elbow grease on surfaces done
Tidy sitting room done
Sort hot spot dining room table done
Sort laundry (again) and re-start done but need to do more
One panier of ironing (fortnightly ironing lady left forever to have baby - sniff) done
S&S bathroom & quick hoover NOPE tomorrow
Quck dust and hoover master bedroom NOPE tomorrow
Prepare courgettes, runner beans and crab apples just harvested from garden (I want to make crab apple jelly and dh wants to make crab apple and chilli vodka recipe) - will see if we have enough for both done beans and courgettes
Make supper - Thursday so veggie night 3/4 done dh to finish

Hope it went well Feetheart and let us know about the meeting Ellie - hope you socked it to 'im ...

See you in the morning. Huge waves to MissB Pluto and everyone I've missed including littlest Dinky (I just like typing that somehow )

Mummy, Optimistic - if you are about - hope you are OK

Good Evening

I loooovvveee chat and lists! Ditto what linzer said it's what keeps me coming and helps keep memotivated!

Beside I think from my experience of spending quite a bit of time on the flylady website she definately finds her way to procrastination hill with her chatty emails.

My progress so far

No more sleep was forthcoming but never mind
Wide awake

Maybe writing my list will free me so I can go back to sleep.

Get up get us all breakfasted and deposited at work/nursery-done and on time again
S/s-done
Master tidy and make bed-done
Dw/wm-done
Contractor coming to finish minor items in ds room so can be ready to move him Sunday-done
Town before work to pick up birthday present-done
Work-done
Pick dc up from nursery, snack and bed-soon

This evenings jobs
3rd coat of oil on woodwork in ds room
Fill the trailer with stuff for skip
Big brother then bed (dh back at somepoint late!
Lay out clothes
Sort packed lunch so don't go to coffee in afternoon starving

Have good night everyone

Another vote for chat here, I read the chat and don't bother with the Flying half the time, but never mind!

SC LittlestDinky (DinkiestDinky?) is acting as though she's been at school forever, and has already managed to find out something that DS still hasn't mentioned to me after 2 years which is that you are allowed to take your own fruit in for snack time and not just have the free stuff that the county provides (poor DS doesn't like apples, bananas or pears, so misses out most days, but he has never asked me to send anything in. Whereas DD is saying "X had strawberries today, where are my strawberries?").

Am keeping on top of routines, haven't done much decluttering or hotspotting this week though. Getting the boiler serviced in the morning, so have had to clear several shelves of the understairs cupboard to permit access to it. Planning to do an hour or so of solid cleaning while plumber does his stuff, and have invited friends round in the afternoon to motivate myself.

Lovely day today, in between torrential downpours, did manage 15 minutes decluttering in the garden, so maybe not too bad after all. Also managed to get my hair cut plus both the DCs.

I'm going to go now and do some ironing.
Night all.

I have to admit I've let things slip this week , but in defence I've been ill followed by DP being ill, and then spent much time catching up at work.

(This is Dartsissolastseason, btw, new season starts soon, so thought I'd update name!)

Anyway, today I'm getting back in the groove.

Office move has stalled until the telephone and IT appointments, so nothing will happen till next week.

At home,
Evening routine done
washing in for overnight done
£1 under pillow for ds as tooth has come out!

As far as the tooth fairy goes, I once forgot, and dd found the tooth still under her pillow the next morning . Cue quick explanation that fairy must have been busy and would come that night. I went to put coin under pillow to find that dd had written a very upset note to the tooth fairy asking why she hadn't been and left it under the tooth. Luckily, I can write with both hands, so wrote with the one I don't normally use on the bottom to "apologise". She kept the note and still likes to say the tooth fairy wrote to her!

I haven't spoiled things yet, but would love to see her reaction when she realises it was me!

After work tomorrow,
Sympathy card as grandparent (who I know) of dd's classmate has died
change dd's bedding
bag old and outgrown clothes for recycling/charity shop (yess, dd, that awful skirt is finally going)
prep late supper for dp who's working late
check parents house as they are away
more washing
collect dd from school after week-long residential trip
buy earplugs, as dd is bound to keep talking about it until she falls asleep

Actually, the bit about the sympathy card seems a bit too, um, breezy. It's not really, just found out tonight, and it's someone I've spoke to at school on a very regular basis until the summer hols, as the girls have been inthe same groups for several years. I really am shocked. Knew she was poorly, but reports had been getting better.

Must talk to dd about being nice to friend at school, but really, knowing dd she won't need telling.

Sorry to hear about your friend Darts.

Thanks MrsDinky. She was a super lady.

Thing is, the children are all on a residential trip, and due to timing of loss, I'm not sure the child knows yet. Am due to collect dd tomorrow so will play it by ear, in case child has not yet been told.

(I would not tell either of my own dc if a GP had passed away while they were away like this. I'd let them have the week of fun with their schoolmates.)

about death about ear plugs for non stop talking.

flying today stalled because i got lost in mn. might have started a fight and have some many posts that i nearly lost this thread of the bottom of threads' i'm on havent even done evening routine yet off to name shirt for tomo, set alarm and general do this thing called sleep. must be fully functioning for tomo. training tomo so it will be a late night.

I WANT CHAT it helps me to know that domestic drudgery is shared the world over and not just going on in my little tiny corner of it.

Blimey. What a week. I really thought I would achieve more but here is what I have done:

fed, clothed and got both DS out to CM / school on time with all the right bits and pieces they need for the day.

Kept dw fed and emptied and downstairs of house feeling respectable. (It needs to: CM works from our house most days and I refuse to welcome her to a a dirty tip!)

Got myself to work looking like a human and on time with some pretty good lessons, even if I say so myself (no one else will..I'm the boss and people tend to assume we should be getting it right :o)

Had some good quality time with both DS: I've managed to get DS1 (ten going on 13 3/4) to chat and just hang out a bit with me and DS2 (19 mo) has had lots of stories and cuddles and tickles so he's happy too :) )

What I still must do

s&s routines
hoovering a bit more
ironing
keeping on top of the garden
trying to do something about upstairs untidiness in general

Or maybe in the long run it doesn't really matter and as SC says - I could just have a day of blitzing it all once in a while ;o

I think that it is a unaminous (sp) vote for the chat then

oo, dem, i'm almost tempted to turn stalker and see what you've been wittering about all day! (give us a clue, i haven't got time!)

so, not been in for a couple of days - we've had swimming lessons, the first cubs meeting and school bbq, and, and, and, so i seem to have been chasing my tail a bit. and dance starts next week. i already dropped the first ball of the season as dd2 missed the first brownies meeting - i thought it started next week. oops.

but breathing space now. i didn't get a chance to look at yesterday or today's babystep, so carried on maintaining and will check and add them in over the weekend. (these things tend to tail off suring the month until i re-start them again ) and i can't remember what comes next.

so, friday: (still thurs here)

dw
wm
swimming kit
work
wrap birthday present
bank rec (going to be fairly tight this month and starting to panic, so need to be on top of it)
call about tax rebate (see above - over $2000 and waiting...)
collect bank draft
send shipping docs and draft
birthday party drop off/collect

saturday:

menu planning - get me!
grocery shopping
ironing

am only posting this to remind me of my intent! i'm not really two days ahead of myself - just falling behind as i've not got back into lists.

but i'm also planning to take dh out for dinner (thai) on saturday, as we haven't really seen each other to talk for ages, what with all the visitors over the summer, and back to school busyness. so i'm looking forward to lots of flying, and then a nice evening out.

Morning my lovely fledglings ...

Chat it is then . Will be back later in usual garrulous style once seen dh off on his travels .

Today is day 10 and the baby-step is about us being able to do anything for 15 mins - especially for Toffee!! + consolidating what we have already done.

This is our last day in the kitchen zone
Next week's zone fyi is in the bathroom + one other room

And our mission today
is here

at least I hope it is because it hasn't appeared on the Flylady page yet which is strange because it usually pops up by 6am mainland European time + there is info about Friday already on home page

But never mind because actually, you can see it here if you scroll down to Friday it's about sweeping and mopping our kitchen floors imperfectly

Friday is date night apparently

And here are the reminders for today

I know it's been a tough week for everyone - well done for soldiering on!

Dart to hear the sad news about your friend

Good Morning everyone
Awake at stupid o'clock this morning, so have got up as I cant get back to sleep. I am sure by 9am I will regret this!!

Darts - Not met you before - HI Big darts fan here and your name has got me all excited early this morning!!

DEM Go on, tell us which bunfight yours is?

SC - Hope DD is better this morning and your life becomes less hectic.

MrsD - I think its a girl/boy thing. I have only ever been told that DS's day has been "OK" for the past 10 years. DDs will all chatter and I have known the ins and outs of every member of the class' homelife, teachers private life and everything about anything!!!

Waves to pluto, Nettie, Toffee, Ellie, Linzer, MissB, MM, Nick and everyone else

Yesterday I managed to sort out my summer clothes and store them in hope for a bit more wear next year. I was ruthless with this winters clothes and will need to replenish my wardrobe somewhat .
I made a delicious apple pie and yummy homemade icecream, for dh's return.
House is reasonably tidy and sorted thanks to help of all the DCs

Today I am at work first thing, just until I a) get it all done OR b) feel unwell and want to come home. - whichever happens first!!
Home to spend some "us" time with DH while DCs are at school - first time for what seems like ages that we will have some tinme alone together.
Must sort out tax return online.

DD3 at college again today, She's really struggling with this physically. Not sure how long we will persevere, but will encourage and support until we need to pick up the pieces and comfort.

Off for a quick look in active before the hoardes wake up......

Have a good day!!

x-posted SC - special good morning to you