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!

and bedrooms deepcleaned

Hello everyone. Had a lovely time walking in forest, surreal swimming in outdoor (spa) pool in the rain and ate far too much. Horrified by sight of ghost-white self drooping and bulging in wrong places in 10 yr old swimsuit though - apologies if you have recently eaten your dinner )- serious weight loss and firming up required now I'm back.

Proud mummy moment: DD officially swam first six strokes on her own so she is feeling happy. She's 7 and was the last one of her school swimming group to learn.

Sorry for taking off without much fore-warning but thank you to MrsDinky for posting today's links and entertaining round-up yesterday (love the rhyming slang ref!)

Swan what a brilliant idea! From now on I think we should all add rewards for ourselves at the bottom of our do-to lists.

Impressed by your productivity today and sympathies on being the main disciplinarian in your house. My dh is exactly the same so I know what it is like to be permanently cast as the witch [sigh]

You too Ouch , well done, you have done masses - you don't sound remotely lacking in motivation to me and I don't think I have hand-washed anything in the past decade!!

Toffee hope your ds is OK and good luck with sleepover. V. impressed by the size of your shepherd pie btw I MUST sort out my present cupboard too - thanks for reminder!

Darts sorry about your frustrating day - hope it improved - and well done for shining your sink and doing all the chores despite all of the obstacles thrown in your path

Linzer hope test results ok- great round-up too and thanks for offering to post links. Glad the Bratislavan sojourn proved a success - the thing I really crave here is salt and vinegar crips! Are you all enjoying a Marmite-fest?

Understandably Mardy Moo Ellie hope you managed to get through the day! No wonder you are feeling tired. The wedding sounded fantastic though - it is so rare to go to one where everyone is genuinely relaxed and really enjoying themselves. Sounds like you and your dh were a brilliant support to your friends. Three cheers to your ds for his star performance!!!

Lovely to hear from you Tigger! Well done with the decluttering and more power to your elbow for the week ahead.

Huge waves to Princess Bennett
Fortnum's eh? Sounds wonderful and a much-need treat to get you through all the current stress. So glad you had a lovely time.

Right going to post this and run because I want to watch Masterchef professionals tonight and still have chores to do before then (house not quite as pristine on return as I had imagined it to be!) and working in office tomorrow to replace day off today.

PA I hope the antiobiotics are doing their job and that you are starting to feel stronger

Nettie hope you survived your hectic Saturday!

Waves to everyone I have inevitably missed and see you in the morning when we should start to talk about next month's thread I suppose ...where did September go?

G'night all...

Bob I forgot you!! Sorry! [Huge waves] You too Ihatecobwebs and anyone else my bird brain has left out !

hello hello hello, sorry ive been awol!

sc salt and vinegar crisps are easy just get salted crispsand pour vinegar on top, eat quickly the soggyness is not worth talking about
linzer finally got around to posting your ds postcard today be about 3 weeks later once royalmail decipher the address. DD through major paddy cos she wanted to write too. So gonna make her write postcards toher cousinin scotland so she doesnt feelleft out!
missb its so posh i havent heard ofit hope you had fab time

huge waves to all as i promised myself an early night.

party was brill childrens entertainers wow fab brill so much more relaxing. DS and DD had great fun!! then had 9 people for dinner, then out for night.
sunday was swimming and housework tried to get some equilibrium back and i did.
today have made real progress for first time in months. Dejunked toy box even got ds to agree to give some toys away and surritipulusly ???? sp managed to squirrel somemore away.
Our living room looked like a toy store saturday after party. Just need to take the remaining toys to a charity shop/toddler group.

tomorrow i am going to hit the shops, clothes situation desperate. ds at montessori and dh and dd going to gymnastics so im gonna shop till lunch, i mustnbuy clothes whether i like them or not!! If only Gok Wan would comeand help me without forcing me into my undies or putting me on the telly!!

lovely to read about you all. I am gonna try and get back to flying ad missions and stop crisis flying.

nite nite all dnt let bed bug bite. n nitex

Good morning all. Decidedly autumnal here on waking. Dark, dank and cold!

Today's baby-step, no.28 is an important one about looking after ourselves here!

We are in Zone 5 at the moment, the sitting room here

And today's mission is here and concerns a 15-min hunt for rubbish under sofa cushions and behind shelving etc

Today, being Tuesday is a "free day" - so we can just concentrate on our usual routines

If anyone is interested, here's the sneak peek for the week ahead We will be back in Zone 1 (porch, entrance, dining room) on Friday.

Usual indoctrination reminders here!

Have a productive day everyone! Back in a second.

NOTE ABOUT FORTHCOMING THREADS FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD

Speaking of the week ahead, I can't quite believe it, but we will be starting a new month and a new set of baby steps this Friday.

MrsDinky you kindly mentioned a while back that you might be able to lead the thread in October. If that still OK with you? Don't hesitate to say if not (say, for example, if you have enough on your plate running around after the littlest Dinkies! ) and we can throw it open to everyone else. Let us know!

If no-one objects (or wants to volunteer themselves) I would be happy to lead thread in November with the problem being that I am away for Toussaint holiday without Internet access; leaving Friday 29 October and returning Sunday 7th November. Happy to do first week in December to make up for that though. Rest of December slightly more problematic for me because have 18 family members and friends coming to stay for Christmas and looks like we will be travelling at New Year. I know everyone is busy at that time though.

What does everyone think?

Crikey Nettie you certainly had a cracking Saturday. Sounds terrific! Good luck clothes shopping today and will try the home made s&c crisps!

Forgot Feetheart in my round-up last night - waves to you and everyone else!

Right, off to coax a reluctant dd in to her school uniform ....

Morning everyone! Not such a mardy moo this morning . have a nice day at work ahead as am only teaching for 2 lessons out of 5 so will hopefully be able to get lots of work done! Managed to rescue downstairs of house last night and then spent the evening playing trivial pursuit with dh ( and beating dh). Tonight I am hoping to rescue dd's bedroom but am not promising anything. As far as upcoming months are concerned I am more than happy to step in during November sc when you are away and to do December as I not going anywhere!

Better go and get ready!

Is there an A S on the thread? sorry cant stop running late.... catch up later.

Just a quick note to say Hi to everyone. Today is going to be a killer, as after work, dp & I are going round the schools for the open meetings. (Mum is coming for tea & sit with the kids.)

After that lot, as long as I get the evening routine done I'll be happy. I expect I'll just flake out around 9pm and will probably be dead to the world (and MN, unfortunately ).

Hope you all have a good day, and I'll try and check in tomorrow.

Darts [administers dose of adrenalin] 'tis fascinating, but exhausting - bit like deciding who you are going to marry on the strength of one blind date.

ellie lovely to see you cheery - must be the knowledge!
SC you sound like a dryad of the woods, anyway if you look at all the great art [pastoral, sylvan?what's the word] most women look like us, give or take a few flattering draperies

Disaster has struck, my new streamlined clearing of the kitchen table immediately after meals/mess has led to me clearing away dd's homework and losing it in pile of glitter. It is somewhere but WHERE? Had to write a note to try and get her out of a detention

Right.Boringlist
dry laundry upstairs
dw unloaded, and reloaded
table wiped
put out old veg boxes
sort recycling

lessboringlist
find homework
return librarybooks on pain of bailiffs
piano
shower head - buy replacement
go to parish office
put away playmobil hospital
plant bulbs plant bulbs plant bulbs

SC - wins todays award for forward planning!

I'm quite happy to do October, and don't mind going into November (or you can step in Ellie we can sort that out nearer the time. Also thanks to you both for volunteering for Nov/Dec. I will be around most of the Christmas and New period to help out. From what I remember we were all too busy to post much over that period last year.

So, that leaves the next most important thing - a title for October's thread. Any suggestions?

Feeling a bit like behind again here, spent what felt like the whole of yesterday tidying and sorting toys, and still have a long way to go. DD's room is just full to overflowing, and she plays with it all too, not much scope for getting rid. Whereas DS (6) says he is too big for toys now (all he ever wants to do is play with DH's numerous music systems, Ipods, etc) but still won't throw anything away.

If I do nothing else today I must hoover (DS spilled cereal everywhere this morning. Am also tempted by clothes shoppin, like Nettie I am in desperate need. DD (littlest Dinky) is at school full time as of today, so I should manage a bit more Flying now.

Sorry, terrible English in that last post.....

Autumns here, fledgling flyers clearing the clutter and sweeping the leaves.... or something. Mweh no good at the name thing.

Right have five minutes to sit down.
Today's list is purely indulgent.
training
After school routine
early night.

suffering to day. but need to get moving. So tired but so much to do.

Thanks for all the links, SC. House is badly in need of a big tidy up, but sitting room is a good place to start. DH had a big strop about it yesterday evening (bad day at work ).

Who amongst you is arachnaphobic, like me? I won't even go into our garden at the moment because of all the spiders. Yesterday, DS2 went out and half an hour later he told me that there had been a "medium-sized" spider on his tee-shirt whilst he was playing in his room and he wanted it for a pet, but he'd lost it . I had a quick look under his bed, but no luck. Spent the rest of the evening peering round nervously. This morning, whilst I was getting washed, I noticed a sizeable garden spider running along the side of the bath. ARGH!

Shh - don't tell, but I'm afraid DS2's new pet is now in the hoover.

Had hoped for a full school day to myself today, but DS2 is still poorly, so I'm collecting him at 1pm. At least I have a bit of time to get things done first. Cba to put my list down because it's the same as yesterday's .

Hope you all have a good day.

hate shopping skulks off to shops...i must buy clothes....i must buy clothes......

nice to know who i am adding so i can update my spreadsheet crap memory

I hate shopping to. I feel your pain. Am still here but shouldnt be.

OK, this is probably awful, but was thinking about thread title for next month and came up with ...

Autumn is here, the leaves are falling, grab those brooms, the Fat Fairy is calling!

(or Flylady is calling...)

Or what about - Sparkling Cobwebs, Dancing Brooms, Fledglings are Flying to Clean Their Rooms!

or

Dusters are Whirly, Leaves are Swirly, Join the Fledglings if your Sink is Surly [blush

I have done the cleaning
now for the errands

though still have not found dd's homework book

Love the titles

I'm still here though seem to have been overtaken by RL - catching up on work (still 'rabbit in headlights' about it all) and school Autumn Fayre (10th October and counting!)
DS is now full-time and days do feel much longer, still need more hours though

MissB - can't top Fortnum's but did go to Luton Hoo for morning coffee on Friday. Very good value and stunning setting/service. If you fancy more 5* luxury to get you through these difficult times I'm still up for coffee and cake and actually have a bit more time now (if you ignore the above whinge) I could also manage the M&S Cafe or similar if I have too

Short list today as I have to sort work out so:

• Morning routine - mostly done
• Work - done some
• Sort out Pampered Chef party for later in month - we broke our PC sieve and decided holding a party would be a more fun way of getting another one
• Lunch
• Try and work out what funny smell in house is - please, please let it not be offerings from cats
• More work
• Book hall for DS's party
• Pick up DC
• Afternoon routine
• Dinner - eating ripe Camembert in fridge might help with odd smell removal
• Evening routine
• Masterchef and Autumn Fayre stuff
• Bed at decent time

Training was today. It now hurts to breath, stand up, sit down, walk and type. so i am going to have a long hot shower and some lunch then figure out what i can face doing today. Not sure if it is a virus or burnt out. (although miss-jumping wont have helped today.) hot water bottle and a film evening i think.

Found the homework book, finally.
I errand done (library books)
shower head, parish office - tomorrow

also put playmobil hosp AWAY in loft

Afternoon, just popping in,shopping extravaganza went very well. Amnow dressed to the nines and ready for my doctors appointment at half four. [spent allmoney so must get dressed up for every outing emotion]

dh says i look very MN so imall set for the xmas meet up. Anyone else getting along to it?

swan i love surly sink thread title made me chuckle

better go brush me hari and write my list to hand to doctor. (hate talking about myself at doctors, if i dont take a list i come away having accomplished nowt!!)

take care of youse.