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!

Happy Birthday PA. Hooray for the end of the sandwich marathon.

well, took DD in for her first day, showed her where to put her things and was promptly told "you can go now Mummy". So that was that.

Now, need to clean kitchen floor, Hoover, ironing, meet friends for coffee and pick her up at 12.

I am so furious I neeed to rant...... please ignore!!!

DD4 has lost a new pair of school trousers! She came downstairs with her trousers flapping half way up her calf and I told her to remove them as I would need to get her the next size up (assuming she had grown 6" since July!!) She took them off and they are last years!! She cannot find the ones that I bought her in July for this year. I have a sinking feeling someone has got a lovely bargain in a charity shop as I thought she had given me her old ones to give to charity, I now think she gave me her new, never worn, still starched, still labelled, darn expensive new ones!!!!!

Lost it big time, so not a good start to my birthday, Oh well it can only get better..

Rant over.......

Oh MrsD Have a slice of choccy cake and put your feet up!!
Its nice if they are confident enough to leave you though, and not the one who screams and clings and goes purple with rage (like DS used to!!).

Don't mind if I do pa. Sounds as though you should do the same. Yes, I am proud of her, it is DS who has always been the clingier one, although his first day at school was pretty uneventful too as I recall, I did get one or two calls from school in his first year to say that he was hysterical because I hadn't said goodbye properly and he hadn't realized I had gone.

Oh, that is so annoying PA - fingers crossed that they do turn up, but have some coffee and cake in the meantime!

Well done to your DD, MrsD; hope you're enjoying the peace and quiet now. I've been so relieved about how well DD2 has settled in at school despite the fact that she is very shy - I just hope she stays as enthusiastic about it.

Am still plodding through my list, so will post an updated one to keep me on track:

School run done
Morning routine done
Put washing away done
15 min decluttering done
Mission done
Thank you letter
Post DD2's postcard to GPs
Pick up DD2 (poss. take to friend's house)
Pick up DD1
Afternoon routine
Get DD1 to write postcard
Pick up DS and then DS's friend + sister
Piano practice DD1 + DD2
Phone piano tuner
Make optician's appointment for DS
Check DDs' pencil cases
Ballet lesson DD2
Get DC ready for bed by 6 pm (when babysitter arrives)
Parents' evening
Evening routine

Oh, and happy birthday PA!

Happy birthday PA.
I am grabbing five mins. whilst the pots soak Could be doing something else but need the satisfaction of crossing something off the list

kitchen: find sink and benches in progress, shine sink, hoover floor, wash floor, Dw loaded and running, pots and pans.
Lounge: Stuff for storage remove done, put away lego until christmas, sort post, hoover,
Bathroom: Laundry removed and sorted, unblock shower drain, toilets, sink, drain, clear floor.
Landing: Laundry removed and sorted, remove toys awaiting return to ds' room, hoover, replace bookcase and books.
Hall: remove recyling and charity shop stuff, remove box for loft, sort through assorted stuff, hoover, remove door.
Ds' room: hoover, laundry and rubbish sweep done, replace toys where go, wash bedding and wipe down plastic sheet done.
frutility room: finish emptying and sorting through, hoover, wash floor, arts and craft stuff.

Random: recylcing collected together and taken to tip, WM 2nd load on, folding last weeks done, ironing put the right way around

Urgent trip to fabric shop, important phone call, very very very important email.

Just quick in and between school run (Wed half day here) lunch and ballet run to say

HHHHHAAAAAAPPPPPPYYYYYY BBBBBIIIIIRRRRRTTTTHHHHHDDDDAAAAAYYYYY PA!!!!

xxxxx

Hi All

Happy Birthday PA! Hope you have a wonderful day despite the trousers.

We're all still alive after my culinary creation...yes, SC it was kind of potato pie. Well maybe more like a potato quiche. In fact the random and leftoverness was well disguised - DH thought it was a lovely ricotta quiche and DS thought it was birthday cake !

A mixed day here today - DS has had a couple of potty accidents despite having only had one accident last week and is generally resisting anything that he is asked or told to do.

Time for a cuppa!

argh.... how can it be neaerly tea time already?

kitchen: find sink and benches in progress, shine sink, hoover floor, wash floor, Dw run, emptied and being redloaded, pots and pans still soaking.
Lounge: Stuff for storage remove done, put away lego until christmas done, sort post done, hoover,
Bathroom: Laundry removed and sorted, unblock shower drain, toilet clean, sink done, clear floor, fix toilet seat issue.
Landing: Laundry removed and sorted, remove toys awaiting return to ds' room, hoover, replace bookcase and books.
Hall: remove recyling and charity shop stuff done, remove box for loft done, sort through assorted stuff, hoover, remove door.
Ds' room: hoover, laundry and rubbish sweep done, replace toys where go, wash bedding and wipe down plastic sheet done, remake ds' bed done.
frutility room: finish emptying and sorting through 15mins done, hoover, wash floor, arts and craft stuff.

Random: recylcing collected together and taken to tip loaded into car, WM 5th load on, folding as much as clean done, ironing put the right way around put clothes away ds' done as much as ready

Urgent trip to fabric shop done, important phone call, very very very important email done.

Didn't manage all yesterday's items on the list because DS2 had other ideas. Spent ages playing with him yesterday(we made a 'house' out of a cardboard box), but everytime I tried to get on with something else, he wanted me again. Quite good, though, because by the end of the day instead of lamenting the fact that he was going to start school, I was quite looking forward to it!

Not much achieved today either because I took him to a friend's house to play and he didn't want me to go. Was having a lovely chat with his friend's mum, so was very happy to stay, but it did mean all my morning's plans went awry. I hope he's not going to be this clingy when he starts school .

Managed to achieve one good thing in the hour I had between bringing DS2 back from friend and going up to school: I unpacked the holiday suitcase and put it away in the loft. At last!

Now back from school pick-up, have put on the telly for DS2 and let DS1 go on the computer, so finally have time to get stuff done (at which point, I go on MN ).

So, my list for the rest of today is as follows:

Mission: clear fridge and wipe down
Put clean washing away (still not done )
Clean the bins outside (still not done )
Get DS1 to do his Kumon maths and mark it
Hoover up the spiders in the bathroom
Cook sausage casserole for dinner
Share bottle of French wine (stuffed as much in our boot as possible) with DH
PM and evening routines

PA - hope you have a lovely birthday evening and get to do something you enjoy.

Waves to all.

Evening all.

Before I start to whinge.......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PA. I hope you have a fabulous evening with your family. Xxxxxx

Now back to ranting. Have had the crappiest of crappola days. Nothing to do with kids, just teachers behaving like small children and spitting their dummies out and expecting me to deal with the fallout. Aaaaaaaagh.

Rant over. Back later when I have drunk wine calmed down .

Happy Birthday PA :)

I've had a rubbish 24 hours, ds was sent home from school yesterday as he was sick despite the fact he had just eaten lunch and was hanging upside down on the monkey bars, now has to have 2 days off! He has been absolutely fine ever since. Then dd had to have antibiotics as her gastrostomy is infected, tried to give them, and it blocked her tube so we had to drive over an hour to the hospital and back to get it changed, hrmph. Then dp had to have the morning off work so I could take dd to school as I'm staying with her. I now have a stinking cold, aches etc!

I've kept up with my routines and completed my list yesterday but not done any extra today!

Hope everyone is ok, I'm going to go and read back over the thread now.

Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you, hope your breath doesn't stink o stew. Happy birthday to you happy birthday dear pa happy birthday to you

Good Evening

Seems like a very stressed Day for flyers today!

bob hope dd is ok! Can't stand the 48hr actually think it's only 24 here but it's bloody nuisance
Ellie put them all in the corner with a dunces cap on or get the belt out!!
toffee sounds like lovely day with ds
dem brill list go girl
mm my ds is 4 next week and he still has accidents every now and then!
linzer here i thought you were out on the razz and that's why you were getting in babysitter but no it's patents evening!! Already?!?
mrsd did you run back to school each time to say goodbye properly ??!?!
pa hope your day got 100%better and you have a fab night
Pluto wow headspace I hope you enjoyed your 20m brain time hee hee
sc thank you for allowing me to
Ignore big tent. Has anyone ever been there Gosh it's a scary place

I have today accomplished
S/s
Dw
Made my bed
Ordered mil present for ds birthday
Searched for present for ds from Us parental units
Got dc and me ready and dropped them off and got to work on time
work some off
Picked dc up from nursery, snacked and bathed and in bed!

Still to do!

Sort out clothes for me
Put washing on
Put ironing away
2nd coat of oil on woodwork in ds room
Watching bb evictions

If I could only get off sofa to get changed....

Oh my goodness
Firstly thank you so much for all the lovely birthday wishes.

Secondly, all a bit doom and gloom today!! Anyone had a good day?? Lets all just drink wine, eat whatever we like and tomorrow will be better!!

Trousers have been found!! YAY!! I think it was the threat of DD4 having to wear a skirt all year because I was horrible mummy and refuse to buy any more trousers. This is sort of typical of her. Not too sure what to make of it all, but at least they have been found now.
DD4 then had a rubbish first day back at school. Lots of issues last year, so moved class and now she feels like she is isolated and out of all the groups of girls. Lots of tears tonight, but hopefully she will make some new friends over the next few days. She is going away this weekend and one of the girls in her class will be there, so hopefully they will get to know each other more.

I've had a fairly good day, thank you all. Work this morning, but had to leave early because I felt really ill. managed to go out with my friend, though!! She is the only person in RL I have told I about my lump, so it was a little weird. she's lovely though. DCs have all redeemed themselves this evening and been lovely and helping around the house.
Day off tomorrow, and DH home in the evening. I have to do a few things, but a realxing day is definitely on the cards - with very little flying .

Hope everyone's evening improves and DCs are enjoying school. Bob hope your DCs are ok. Nettie love the new rhyme - no stew here tonight!! Ellie - open that wine and forget today happened!!
Sorry, cant scroll anymore, so waves to everyone else and see you all tomorrow. Positive thoughts for the morning and a better day all round.......

Happy Birthday PA - hope you did something nice in the end.

Haven't read much but here's hoping for a better day for all that need it tomorrow.
I just need my hand holding, just hope DS is as happy to go in as the littlest Dinky :)

consider your hand holded mrs feetheart
Will be thinking about you in the morning.

Hi all [drinks deeply from Nettie's bucket of wine] aahhh - that's better - thanks

Well, I think it's fairly safe to conclude that the majority of you have had a fairly horrible day .... here's hoping for better things tomorrow ...

Oh PA sorry to hear that you felt less than well on your birthday but glad you managed to see your friend and that everyone rallied around you tonight. You sound characteristically cheery despite feeling ill. Hope you - and your dd4 - have a much more relaxing day tomorrow. And congrats on becoming a fully paid-up member of the sandwich liberation front!

Rest assured, we'll all be thinking of you at the school gates tomorrow morning Feetheart

Yay! Well done Nettie - you did it!!!! - you got everyone to where they should be on time on your own - no mean feat!! And you've kindly rounded up for me again.

Oh crikey Bob that sounds like a truly awful day ... particularly as you are trying to look after everyone else whilst unwell yourself. No less than heroic of you to have kept up with the routines considering the day you have had! Full marks and hope you feel better soon [hands over hot toddy]

Solemnly hands over Nettie's bucket to Ellie - drink deep - yr day sounds AWFUL

Toffee some top of the range mothering there and well done with that suitcase! Save us a cold sausage pls ...

Heavens DEM - I take it back about your list being over-ambitious - you did it - BRILLLIANTLY done!

Mini-M well done with the inventive cooking. Have you thought of applying for Masterchef? (My sister just has!) Hope your ds is in a more cooperative mood tomorrow ..btw did you "accidentally" get to the noodle bar today? (Secretly hoping so )

Hope you survived parents' evening Linzer - passes Nettie's wine bucket along - ours is next wk

MrsDinky bravo to your dd!!

How are you this evening Pluto? [SC dons pince nez] I cannot agree more about the tedium of it all - I'm feeling rather the same if I'm honest about both my work and domestic duties. One of the main reasons I adopted Fly system was because it minimised the amount of time spent doing chores .. well, supposedly! Are you managing to get any time (even an hr a wk) to do something for yourself?

Huge waves to everyone I have missed. And sorry to be posting this so late.

Apologies also for adding to tales of woe but my day hasn't been the best and this is the first time I've been able to post. Picked dd up at lunch time and she had runny nose and headache and looked pale. So no ballet - baby-sitter also ill. Therefore couldn't go in to work this afternoon where everyone is under pressure preparing for w/e conference - so I was not flavour of the month. Then had to drag a sickly looking dd to car show room to pick up new second-hand car because paperwork glitches supposedly sorted and I need it for Fri because dh travelling. Sat in stuffy office signing aforesaid papers with dd growing whiter and whiter and it took ages. Finally got the keys, went to car, and saw that the air bag hadn't been disabled in front of dd's seat as promised (despite them having had an extra week to do this owing to paperwork delay . Managed to keep my temper only because my Flemish isn't up to communicating expletives ... yet!! Have to go back tomorrow ....

Cue another expensive taxi ride back home with dd progressively worse. Finally got home whereupon dd declared herself hungry and started dancing around the room playing the accordeon . Two minutes later she was pale and wan again on the sofa. Cooked supper she didn't eat. Soon as dh came home had to go to office for 3 hrs to try and finish all the work I didn't do this afternoon. And I think dd is going to be off sick tomorrow after only 1 week back and I have no cover as dh at outside meetings all day [sigh]

Thus, Tuesday's flying list now becomes Thursday's ....

Aarrrrggghhh!!!

Sorry for rant but selfishly needed to get it off my chest before I can sleep.

Deep breaths ....

Tomorrow is another day and all that ...

G'night!

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
S/s
Master tidy and make bed
Dw/wm
Contractor coming to finish minor items in ds room so can be ready to move him Sunday
Town before work to pick up birthday present
Work
Pick dc up from nursery, snack and bed
3rd coat of oil on woodwork in ds room
Big brother then bed (dh back at somepoint late!

Hope you all have a lovely stress free day .

Aghh, morning, morning, sorry for last night's rant, up late today + computer decided to launch a "start up repair" before I could get on here ...

Anyway ...

Today's baby-step, Number 8, is about decluttering a few minutes at a time and adding a 5 min room rescue to your morning routine

Here's [[
flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Declutter.asp how!]]

And yes, we are still in the kitchen zone

And today's mission is:
wiping down kitchen countertops

Thursday is errand day.

Let's hope we all have a better day of it today!

[holds Feetheart's hand - good luck]

Well today can only be better than yesterday for most of us! Have now got a meeting with the head and aforementioned stroppy teacher where stroppy man is going to get a bollocking for being stroppy and therefore probably hate me! At least it will be sorted hopefully.

feetheart good luck to dd today. Sure she will be fine and well done to mrsd's ds.

paglad your birthday turned out alright in the end even if you were feeling a bit poorly.

sc hope dd is feeling a bit better today.

Got to go and get ready, big waves to everyone else, hope we all have a bit better day!

Good morning,

I had to laugh at your comment about me being out on the razz Nettie - if only I had the energy! As it was, I was back home from the parents' evening by 7.30 pm and in bed by 9.30 pm as I was so tired. Parents' evening went OK - it was basically the teacher telling us what expenses we have to look forward to this year followed by a rundown of what she's going to be teaching the class. Everyone was very about the new method of multiplication that she's going to be teaching, although I suspect it may well be the method I was taught in the UK a good 30 years ago...

This is the only morning this week when both DDs are at school for four hours, so I need to make the most of it. To do today (with rather too much copying and pasting of yesterday's list):

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

SC Hope you have a better day today and that your DD is feeling better.

ellie Good luck with your meeting!

feetheart Hope all goes well this morning.

Feetheart - good luck for you and DD today.

Ellie - good luck with your meeting.

Today's list is going to be very small - that way I might actually feel that I've achieved something.

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

Right, off to get DS1 to school.