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!

Okay, first list, for tomorrow when back in office (leaving in 15 mins)

Papers/maps/pictures off wall and non-relevant stuff recycled.
Empty my box files, keep relevant, recycle non-relevant
Arrange removal of whiteboards and relocation in new office
Check new office and move furniture as required. (luckily new office is round the corner in same building.)
Box up small items needed in new office.
Empty large cupboard into boxes for moving (includes moving cupboard.

Remaining stuff (eg IT and phone moves) scheduled for two weeks, so need to maintain desk in office until then.
Book labourers to make final move.
Book IT support.
Book Telecoms support.

As for home stuff, will sort list tonight, although I have got into the routine of ensuring kitchen is clean and tidy before bed, including setting dishwasher, etc. It really does make it easier the next morning.

i'm ba-ack. (marking place)

will namechange back to Nick later, have shined sink but had an abysmal morning routine, so need to get a grip of myself before i get a grip of the dcs...

off to work (tis before 9am here ) but will post later.

Hi everyone - just a quick dash in and out to see how you have been getting on. Better than me I hope (spent half the day taking expensive cab ride across town, then kicking my heels in stuffy car show room only to be told new steed not ready because of some bureaucratic detail undone. Couldn't they have phoned? - must repeat whole sorry episode tomorrow.)

A warm welcome to Dartsissolastseason (do you work in fashion by any chance? Well done on your evening routine and good luck with your list tomorrow (and office move)

Welcome back Nick. Sympathies re: morning routine. T'was a rude awakening for us this morning - dd back to school and all that. Must try and get to bed on time tonight although I'm definitely an owl not a lark. Come alive at night no matter what time I get up in the morning.

Looks like you had a productive morning Mucky - am v. impressed with the craft projects on your profile.

Sorry to hear about your dd Bobloblaw hope she is ok and that you managed to have a goodafternoon out despite sleep deprivation.

Hope your day got better Feetheart

OOh am very of your day yesterday Ellie - sounds fab - and lol at yr sleepover. Hope the quest for uniform successful.

Right, off to wrestle with a chicken - back later

Forgot to say Feetheart - congrats on your mega-childminding efforts yesterday - can see your wings sprouting from here!

So, first day back at school for me... and first day back tomorrow for DS1.

So, here's my list

bags packed for tomorrow
clothes / uniform laid out for tomorrow
10 mins ironing
make supper
do toddler's bedtime routine / bag for CM ready for tomorrow.

45mins school work
catalogue chucking, sink shining and decluttering in hall.

Evening everyone. Am posting while at swimming which means I have successfully completed at least one thing on my list. Hopefully that makes up for not completing anything else

Hello hello happy September

Welcome dart hobbit (love twilight saga) Pluto (mickey mouse clubhouse)
bob hope dd is feeling bit better
Welcome back nick sr
Ellie you go girl rebel whilst you can muuuuaaahhhhaaaa [evil emotion]
sc I would sneak into car showroom in dead of night dressed as commando, steal aforementioned steed and cut all phone lines blardy barstools
feetheart blardy barstool sage I feel your pain. Omg how many children (I'm still to scared to have other people dc over alone for playdates) [scaredy cat emotion]
muckyducky ds tidying up without being asked. Long may it continue

Now can i just procrastinate a bit I know I know it's no procrastinating Wednesday but..... Does the flylady go or what. I'm like really excited think great the bedtime routine I need to get this downpat I can now..... What is wrong with bullet pointing so much less procrastinating and much more productive
As for sitting down with a gratitude folder....

Sorry .....

Today I have
Beds made
Ironing put away
Dc nurseried
Me work
Picked up wallpaper for main bed
Ordered carpet for ds and main bed

Still to do
Dw/wm
S/s
Bubble bath (unlikely)
wrap gift for ds friend still outstanding
Sort out birthday card for sil
Check diary for other upcoming birthdays
Sort out list for ds for nct birthday fairy
Lay out tomorrows clothes after finishing putting away ironing
Bed early after moisturising my face and brushing my teeth.

Now if someone could just peel me off the sofa and wind me up a la duracell bunny style.....

Thank you stillcounting and nettiespaghetti dd has been ok, pretty shattered all day but no more big seizures.

I managed everything on my list, and sorted a box of toys and delivered to cdc. Just my evening routines when dd finally goes to sleep. We're out most of tomorrow so I don't hold up much hope of being very productive.

I'm feeling very motivated reading everyone's lists :)

no procrstination wednesday? whoops missed that part and spent this afternoon procrastinating playing with ds. we have had fun.

I had hoped to have everything done by now. Why do my evening routines when I'm at work take sooooo long?

Anyway, here's what I did manage to do...

bags packed for tomorrow done
clothes / uniform laid out for tomorrow
10 mins ironing
make supper done
do toddler's bedtime routine / bag for CM ready for tomorrow. done

45mins school work done
catalogue chucking, sink shining and decluttering in hall. sort of done

Will do catalogue chucking tomorrow morning along with 10 mins ironing. I think it might work out better to it before work rather than after.

• Morning routine - done
• Water garden - just done it, was a bit thirsty
• Mission - sort of done, hall looks better anyway
• Hoover hall, stairs, landing and as many bedrooms as I can - DS did hall, I did some of stairs (only have 13!)
• Shops to get bits if DD can get dressed in time - done hurrah
• Friend's house for lunch and play in her lovely big garden - done and very lively it was too
• Early dinner - no, playing in garden too nice
• Evening routine including shiny sink - clothes out for DC, need to finish sink and put mine out
• DC early to bed - done and bathed beforehand
• Work - too tired, will do it tomorrow morning
• Me early to bed - v soon

Hello to everyone, and thanks SC, day got much better. Not sure about wings though, questioning sanity much more likely :)

Moderate productivity in the MissBennett household :)

Done:
-swish and swipe (more or less!)
-sink shined
-kitchen floor swept
-letters written
-mission done
-bags packed for school tomorrow
-clothes sorted for school tomorrow
-dinner money doled out
-weekly routine and days for jobs agreed with DDs. Now if we can stick to it it will be fab......they have both chosen a day when they will take responsibility for cooking tea, doing their washing and changing their sheets. So fingers crossed for a new routine

I've still got loads of work to do as deadlines are tomorrow. September has arrived very quickly. But I think I'm too tired to start now so I will trundle off to bed and get up early. Well that's the plan.....

Hi all, just checking in before bed.

Hope everyone had a good 1st of the month.

Nettie has not only powered through a long list but has rounded-up beautifully (couldn't agree more about gratitude folder btw - pass the sick bucket ) so not much to add except to say:

What's eating up the time in the evening specifically Pluto do you think? I have to say I struggle with this too - if I do all my routines perfectly it does take ages. Are you able to delegate more tasks to others perhaps? Hope your first day back wasn't too grim.

Well, seeing as its your last day of freedom Ellie ..... "Profitez" as they say over here. You too Mucky, sounds like you had a great afternoon.

Bobloblaw you've done brilliantly today getting so much done with everything else you've had to contend with. Top marks!

I'm feeling a tad demoralised after my day tbh. Thought I was really organised for dd's start of term (compared with last year anyway) only to be confronted by a list of 30 items that she needs by Monday (and this doesn't include uniform). Folders of this width and that colour and ruled books of this size with that size blardy margin and so on and so on. One to be covered in blue plastic, one in green plastic, one in brown plastic. And let's not start on the art materials ....arrrrgggghhhh. And the plastic boxes of varying sizes... And the special fountain pen with special grip.... It will take me days .....ridiculously excessive for a 7 yr old in my view (I think I went to prep school with exactly one pencil, one sharpener, one eraser and one ruler and that was it) but appears to be normal over here. I now understand why Belgian school children labour under school bags larger than themselves ...

Not helped by the fact that dd did not exactly cover herself in glory behaviour-wise this afternoon ....[exasperated Mummy emoticon]

Still, tomorrow is another day and all that

AM
Morning routine including s&s, master swipe, dw + wm on done
Shine my sink! done
Sort more laundry NOPE
DD off to school (sniff) but no packed lunch 'cos half day done
Supermarket shop done
Fetch brand new car!!!! NOPE - - sticking pins in effigy of car salesman as I type this
Finish sewing project done
Deliver sewing project done
Tidy sitting room done

PM
School run done and took dd for quick trim too
More laundry NOPE
Sort out issue re: being billed for something I haven't received NOPE
Sewing project with dd (for dh's birthday later in week) started it
Tidy up office & pack away unused party ephemera NOPE
Call my godson's ma NOPE
Send card to goddaugher's ma NOPE
Cook dinner done
More name tapes etc done
Evening routine done
Early bed! What do you think ?

Sleep tight.

Arrgh! Took so long to type that, I've x-posted with MissB and Feetheart

MissB - more than moderately productive I'd say! What a fab idea re involving dds in weekly routine (think I am going to steal that one)

Feetheart - glad it improved!

G'night all

Today has been busy and I am shattered, so please excuse spelling, grammar and anything else which may not make sense.

Monday and Tuesday were mainly spent out on the allotment, so minimal housework done - morning and evening routines, food, washing, sink shining etc.

Today I had to make up for it: so...

Morning routine - done
Swish & swipe - done
Breakfast - done (though not the pancakes, bacon and eggs I'd made on Mon/Tues, much to DS disappointment - back to cereal, fruit and yoghurt today)
Washing out of machine and on line - done
Empty dishwasher - done
Breakfast washing up - done
Make beds - done
Home Blessing Hour - done
Clean kitchen table and surfaces - done
2 min hotspot - done
15 mins in porch cleaning/decluttering - done
Shopping list - done
Shopping bags ready - done
Eye hospital letter in bag - done
Bag for DS to stay overnight with mum - done (as requested by DS yesterday when he was informed of the plan for today - will be coming back on bus with mum tomorrow morning)
Blue teddy in bag - done (essential requirement for visit to Eye Hospital)
Cooked meal at lunchtime - done (had made the bolognaise yesterday evening, so just had to reheat and cook the pasta)
Mum here ready for trip to town - yes
DS in clean clothes for shoe shopping/eye hospital - done (but somehow managed to get grass stain on knees by the time we got there!!)
Car loaded and everyone in - done

Shoe shopping for DS - done (choice of one shoe which fitted him, so easy decision , and DS agreed to leave old shoes there , very pleased as he's insisted on keeping all previous pairs!)
Other town shopping - done
Playground time - done
Eye hospital - done (DS had his first pair of glasses early in the summer, and we had to check that they were working. It has a huge prescription, and a wonder that he could manage as well as he did without them, the world must have seemed a very strange place to him, and it explains some of his clingy behaviour (one of the reasons he always wanted to hold my hand and stay with me is that he "lost" me very easily, eg at toddler group when I was with the other mummies.)

Good news is that, yes he can see a lot better, but unfortunately still not as well as he should be able to. He also did not appreciate one side of the glasses being covered at a time, and refused to say whether he could see the shapes or not. We will be "playing" pirates for the next few weeks, so he is used to the idea next time we go (eight weeks time), and then hopefully will say what he can see. (We need to know whether his brain is using messages from both eyes or not). Didn't find the "circle" on the 3D test - but apparently with eyesight like his (or lack thereof) sometimes children do not have binocular vision.

Mammoth supermarket shop - done. (Last time I could drive the car until she gets mended, is booked in for next Wednesday. If that garage can't fix her, I'll have to find a specialist, and who knows when she'll get fixed. So, a big shop to last for a long time!)

Left DS with mum - done

Very little else has happened this evening. I've done evening meal for DH and me, but shopping is still on the floor, and I've just been sitting, drinking tea and not really watching TV . I think bed is in order and an early start tomorrow.

We're working on the allotment again tomorrow. Next week is the start of playgroup again, four mornings a week this year. It will seem strange not to have DS with me all the time, and horrible to have to get him up to playgroup by 9am - I need to get a routine fixed in place for him and me.

This month seems to be intensely medical. Next week DS has audiology, the week after is cat1 service and booster, following week is dr for me, and last week is pre-school medical check for DS.

Late in the month is a memorial service for DH mother. At the moment I just have to attend rather than be an "active participant" but that may change. I think I will have my hands full with DS on the occasion - he is bound to ask questions in a very lound voice, and will find it impossible to be quiet if there is a "listen to the music" bit.

Apart from the above, we have a camping trip planned, postponed from August, as I went to the hospital for tests instead. I'm going to have to get very organised for the general housework plus decluttering and missions to be fitted in, but if I can keep up, it should be worth it. Wish me luck!

Sorry, didn't preview before I posted, and just realised how long that was. Didn't mean to meander on that much.

Nettie - on second thoughts, that's a very good idea ... am already late going to bed so what the heck... [dons commando costume instead] ...

Oops - done it again! x-posts with Ihatecobwebs Crikey - that is a list and a half - well done! Must be all those allotment-grown veggies giving you special powers!

Hope the upcoming memorial service goes as well as these events can - and good luck with all the medical appts. I hope your ds continues to get used to his glasses too bless him.

ihate - dd2 had squint surgery this summer. she's been wearing specs since a baby, so is well used to eye appointments now. he'll get used to it! (how old is he?)

well, i was going to burst onto the scene in a blaze of glory bragging how much flying i've been doing. but i'd be lying tbh. it was going famously until my mother turned up tragically, she sucks the lifeblood out of me...

i've had a monumentally crap day, and suffice to say, tomorrow i have to go and deal with the fall out, which is going to involve a heavy discussion with the school principal, and working out what to say to a friend who apparently has withdrawn her son from school due to ds1 and 2 other boys.

so i'm going to come back tomorrow when hopefully the storm will have blown over a bit.

Good morning all

BABY-STEP 2: yes, it's the infamous lace-up shoes .. Newcomers - don't be alarmed!!

TODAY'S ZONE INFO: 2nd day of being in porch, entrance hall, and dining room here!

(and if you have decluttered in above zone)
TODAY'S MISSION: wiping down walls & windows in dining room

Reminders: Thursday is errand day and all the month of September we are focusing on our before bed routine, laying out clothes for the next day etc.

Have a good one!

Oh Nick that sounds stressful - passes over fortifying hot tea and toast - hope you get it all sorted ...

Forgot my own list which looks remarkably similar to yesterdays's:

AM
Morning routine including s&s, master swipe, dw + wm on
Sort laundry
DD off to school - packed lunch etc
Fetch car!!!!
On-line order

PM
School run
More laundry
Sort out issue re: being billed for something I haven't received
Continue sewing project with dd (for dh's birthday later in week)
Tidy up office & pack away unused party ephemera
Call my godson's ma
Send card to goddaugher's ma
Cook dinner
More name tapes etc
Evening routine
Early bed!

Another quick post and run here as have to get DC up in 10 mins (sob)

• Work - done invoicing from yesterday
• DC up and out and DD to school (with only an empty school bag and new PE kit, thankfully in slapdash English school system) by 8.45am without shouting
• Morning routine
• Mad tidy up in living room as DS has home visit from school before starting next week
• Playing LOTS with DS before I loose him to the school system. Hopefully out in garden so we can do some tidying up there - I'll give him things to cut down, he likes sharp things
• Make something yummy to take when pick DD up from school
• Make lasagne for dinner
• DS to swimming lesson
• Afternoon routine if I can remember what it is
• DS bathed and both in bed early
• Evening routine
• Sew on Brownie badges now I've finished with uniform
• Early night

Will try and get back on and catch up later.
Have good day everyone.

Morning all,

Another day of trying to get stuff done here in the run-up to return to school/work on Monday. List looks like this:-

MOrning routine
Banking to check how much money I have done notverymuch
DS/DD to hairdressers (first time for DD - a dreading it but she is starting to look like a straggly mop)
Washing/puttting away
Tidy upstairs.
Evening routine

Back later.

Done

• swish and swipe

-dressed and breakfast etc -girls woken -DD2 woken again -and AGAIN

Haven't done all the things I should have done for work so will be in for mammoth bing from the boss - currently she is being kicked from above so is passing it down Blagging head on.....

nick sounds horrid for you - hopefully today will be better - hands over more tea and comforting porridge.

ihate - not surprised you are shattered - I was just from reading all you've been doing! Hope you managed to make the most of a child-free evening.

feetheart - I know the hols are over but if we can manage tea and cake still would be lovely - I don't know the place you mentioned but can find most places with instructions!! I work in the town centre.

Have good days all.......off to rouse DD2 yet again