October is here, leaves are swirly, Fly with the Fledglings if your sink is surly

[MrsDinky]

Welcome to the October 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 September thread leader StillCounting for guiding us through the traumatic back to work and school period with lots of support and guidance!

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!

SC oh dear, I'm sure he'd rather stay at home with you..(business dinners can be wearing) anyway at least it's the warm husband without the washing up

have swept floor, cleared worktops
vaguely supervised three lots of homework
filled in more forms
ds1 has been to Cubs and I've collected him and another child
came back to find dh and twins watching Alfred Hitchcock - "oh he just loves the bit with the crop sprayer"
decluttered more concertina files and stuffed back under sofa
ah yes - petrol in car too

Linzer I've had my eye on that Medieval Village, can't wait for ds2 to grow up so that I can buy it for him- think it's excellent idea for your dh if he's an enthusiast.

Bob there is nowhere to stand is there with wet carpets?

Bleurgh - joining the poorly people here with a horrible coldy throaty thing. My second in 2 weeks.

Have half home blessed (well hoovering only ) and DH has promised to put the bins out in the morning!

Haven't caught up with the thread fully I'm afraid so it's a general wave from me rather than personal messages, but I really must go to bed!

Night all

pa thinking of you tomorrow,

having difficulty tyoing so probably wont stay long tonight.

thanks for comments about swimming cert, does look like they are not going to turn up at all i stupidly handed them in to get them to sort out the muddleof having 3 badges for this and none for that! they will reissue them but they wont have the little comments on them. ah well at least they will have them.

been at zoo today with dsis and bil, lovely day, they have the most beautiful sun bears that have just been rehomed there after been abused. they look very content and were climbing uo great big branches and beams.

my carpetgoing into my new roomtoday so dh spent all night making sure the tv is in situ blokes

not a lot of flying and only packed lunch for ds ready for morning, uniform still drying as had been hidden in his otherwise empty wash basket!

must do better tommorrow.

oops carpet going in tomorrow...nite nite

training was great, and i have just had a lovely chat on fb with a mate who is on the other side of the world. Lots of emotional recharging. Not a lot of sleep. whoops .

Ds is an odd creature and has done his homework without being asked. I am beginning to worry about him. but that is another story.

I hope you are all sleeping well. wishing you all productive days tomo.

leaving of PA. thinking of you. hope it's good news!

Morning all,

Am looking forward to a nice quiet day today as we have absolutely nothing planned this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon turned out to be on the stressful side, to say the least - DD2 was ridiculously grumpy thanks to lack of sleep, DS decided he didn't want to play with the friend we'd invited over (or his little sister) and I discovered it was virtually impossible to successfully supervise the DDs' homework with three little ones running round (not helped by the fact that DD2 couldn't remember exactly what homework she had to do and I didn't manage to find out until it was almost bedtime).

As is usually the case on stressful days, DH was working late so I decided to have an early night with my book to recover from the afternoon. Well, I did manage to go to bed early - but was so engrossed in my book that I was still reading when DH got back, so didn't actually go to sleep any earlier than usual. As a result, I felt as exhausted as usual this morning (am still waiting for the iron tablets to kick in - if it is indeed a lack of iron causing my tiredness).

Anyway, today's list is - rather embarrassingly - almost exactly the same as yesterday's:

Morning routine
15 min decluttering
Mission in bathroom
Mission in DC's rooms
Finish application to translation agency
Send school photo to GPs (NB find out from DH where it is first)
Afternoon routine
Buy dehumidifier refills
Phone dentist
Letter
Pay holiday deposit (and poss. insurance)
Decide about travel insurance for flights at Christmas
Evening routine

PA Thinking of you today - good luck for your appointment.

Morning all :)

Dds respite has been cancelled for today which is a bit of a bummer but nevermind, I am going to

-Morning routine
-27 fling thing in ds room
-Clean out fridge
-Online shopping and veg box to be sorted and put away
-Make mashed potatoes, veg and rice pudding for tonight
-Post 3 parcels and letters
-Ring dietician, feed supply company and wheelchair people
-Dust throughout

Thinking of you today PA

RIght, mad week at work over, weekend away over, house a disgusting hovel. I NEED to get back on track. I will read through the thread later on but I wanted to tell pa that I am thinking of you today. xxxxxx

PA - hope your appointment brings good news today. Thinking of you.

Another day at home alone today (if I can ever get DS2 out of the house - he has been sitting on the loo, chatting to himself, for the last 10 minutes). Going on the internet EATS time, so I'm going to keep it switched off until I've done some stuff round the house. Managed to do lots of ironing last night, so at least I'm making some headway there.

Hope Pushme and anyone else feeling poorly gets well soon.

Back a bit later as going back to bed now, but just wanted to wish PA good luck for today x

Morning all

PA good luck at the hospital today! Sending positive thoughts.

Toffee lol at your ds on the loo! Perhaps you should hand him a copy of the Financial Times?

[Leads Elliepac away from naughty step, administers strong coffee and chelsea bun]

Linzer you certainly deserve a quiet day today after your fraught Monday. Broccoli and beef steak with red peppers (according to my doc) is perfect meal if you are iron deficient. Steak = iron immediately absorbed. Broccoli = contains more iron than spinach (eat regularly). Red pepper = lots of Vit C helps to absorb iron.

Bob sorry to hear about your day's respite. You must rely on that to re-charge.

Waves to Pumpkin well done with the training ...

Nettie like the sound of sun bears
You never know, the certificates might just turn up [SC prays to St Anthony]. Hope so anyway! Congrats on empty laundry basket [SC looks shifty]

Hope you feel better soon Pushme

lol at crop sprayer Swan. You are right -dh would rather be at home watching Masterchef as he's very tired currently and overloaded at work (and I'm being an old bat) - but even when he isn't here he still manages somehow to leave trail of washing up in his wake! Tis a mystery ....!!

Well, Tuesday is my "free 6-hrs to myself day to frolick and meander" but dd was up coughing in the night and is at home from school with a bad cold (again) - in fact we are all sneezing - so I've had to cancel much looked-forward-to lunch with friend and completely change plans.

[SC surveys pit of house without much enthusiasm ...reluctantly picks up microfibre cloth ... puts it down again... sings "ho, hum" ...exits stage left ....]

Hope you feel better for the rest PMPY

Todays's list is easy as it is tuesday:

Training
Finish typing important letter
Post office
school night routine which has slipped
early night
Finish one prooject

oh yes, forgot Tues is meant to be "free" day.
done
finished homework - ds2 spelling sentence for "fought" was "I fought I could climb the tree" - urban lisp or what?
picked up another application form for ss [wildly throwing eggs into different baskets here)
washing on
dw loaded
table wiped
beds - no s& s-no
now need to go to my next door neighbour's funeral (she was 91)but completely with it to the end - it feels very odd not to have her next door.

sneezing too

Bob sorry that the respite has been cancelled that must be very upsetting at such short notice - hope you get through your list - it makes me want to try harder.

Carpets are just a little damp now, it was very irritating swan I felt a bit cross everytime I walked anywhere, and ds changed his socks everytime they got wet, I had to pinch a few pairs so he had some to wear today!

I feel very virtuous when I've done ds' lunch Nettie have a nice day :)

I love empty days Linzer enjoy

Did you have a nice weekend ellie?

My ds takes books on to the toilet Toffee he spends ages in there, usually just when we need to leave quickly!

I usually use it to make thev rest of the week go a bit more smoothly, get a few days worth of meals done, the ironing etc SC so it is a bit annoying, can't be helped though and dd is being giggly

Have a nice day everyone, so far I have cleaned out the fridge.

Have done my morning routine and bathroom mission, so time for a coffee break. I only have 45 minutes before DD2 is out of school, so doubt I'll manage to get much more than lunch cooked before then - where do the mornings go?

Bob Sorry to hear about DD's respite being cancelled; glad to hear that DD is in a good mood though.

swan Sorry about your neighbour. Re spelling: DD1 wrote "Tank u" in a letter to my parents the other day - I must work on her "th" sound with her!

Pumpkin At least your school night routine has only slipped; I don't think I've ever managed to keep to mine. My energy tends to desert me at around midday.

SC Interesting to hear that broccoli contains more iron than spinach (though I have heard that spinach is overrated as a source of iron) - I must definitely try to eat it more regularly (it's much easier to get hold of than fresh spinach here too). The "problem" is that I don't eat meat, and multivitamins and iron tablets alone don't seem to be doing enough atm - as I said a few days ago I think, I really do need to improve my diet.

Toffee I've come to the conclusion that time goes twice as fast when you're on the Internet. I think I need to get my timer out and start limiting myself...

ellie Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Must get on with lunch as only 25 minutes of child-free time left now.

So far today I have done ...
Morning routine
Made DS lunch
DS to playgroup
Sat and had a whole cup of HOT tea!!
Washing out of machine and on line
S/s
Made beds
Washed the vacuum cleaner filter
Invited friend to harvest supper tonight
Frittered away time reading this thread instead of getting on with things

To do (in no particular order, just as listed in my HCJ):
Finish reading book for book club tonight and work out some questions for the group
Bake my contribution for the harvest supper
Pack bag for DS as he is going to my mother's tonight, so I can go out
Collect DS from playgroup and take to mother's
Buy more preserving jars
Buy food for baking for taking to harvest supper
Order apple rack
Freeze damsons
Sort out spare sloes and give to friend
15 min zone cleaning in DS room
15 min filing
WI paperwork
15 min zone cleaning in bathroom
Yesterday's aired washing to put away
Check and pay bills
Update our finance on computer
Decide on primary school choices for DS
Make tea for DH
Wash up
Shine sink
Clean Aga
If I have time this afternoon - blackberrying, as I have found a hedgeful just ready for picking. DS and I went out picking yesterday, but had to get back so I could make tea so they were left. Had blackberry and apple cobbler for pudding - DS can see point of picking if he can sometimes eat the product immediately.

MrsD - I make a lot more jam, jelly, preserves than we eat. I find they are very useful for Christmas pressies - two or three jars with pretty material on the lid, in decorated box or bag - done
SC - sloe gin has been made for this year. I sit the jars in the saucepan cupboard so I remember to swish them daily. The rest of the sloes will be used for sloe and apple jelly, allowing for giving some to a friend for her sloe gin.

funeral was lovely (if I can say that)
have picked up shopping on way home for this week's meals

Todo
put away shopping and veg box
soak split peas
fill in another ss form
take rubbish to dump - YES TODAY MRS!
piano practice for tomorrow
make some blueberry muffins for hometime
avoid housework which stops me doing these things...
oh yes and sort out halfterm stuff if I get time

You are right about time going faster on the internet, Linzer. It's very odd.

Have taken everything out of the cupboard under the sink. Wiped surfaces. Put important stuff back. Cupboard very organised and tidy .

But now I have screwdrivers, lightbulbs, several containers of anti-freeze and five torches (none of which work), plus numerous other paraphenalia, spread all over the kitchen floor .

Toffee - that's what the cupboard under the stairs is for......

I have managed morning routine plus gym plus shopping for clothes. half an hour till school pick up, need to sort out tennis and ballet kits and take DCs to those after school, so not much Flying in prospect.

Ihatecobwwebs - I am probably going to do that with some of my jam. Will also probably do pickled onions and chutney, as these have been successful in the past. Problem is a lot of people I know do the same, so I can end up with jam from them instead! Also my pickled onions didn't work last year, I salted them too long and couldn't get. the salt tast out, yuck.

Back later.

toffee screwdrivers in kitchen (small box) everything else in SHED!

not a good afternoon, but cheered up with trip out with dcs to park, exercise and now batch cooking pea soup, meatballs and have made lamb casserole for kids.

paperwork drives me to despair as does trying to book the right flights for halfterm subject to dd's annoying beyond belief orthodontic appt-that-cannot-be-cancelled right in the middle of halfterm.

Update:
Morning routine done
Made DS lunch done
DS to playgroup done
Sat and had a whole cup of HOT tea!! done
Washing out of machine and on line done
S/s done
Made beds done
Washed the vacuum cleaner filter done
Invited friend to harvest supper tonight done
Frittered away time reading this thread instead of getting on with things done
Finish reading book for book club tonight and work out some questions for the group done
Bake my contribution for the harvest supper - ham & cheese palmiers done
Pack bag for DS as he is going to my mother's tonight, so I can go out done
Collect DS from playgroup and take to mother's done
Buy more preserving jars done
Buy food for baking for taking to harvest supper done
Order apple rack done
Freeze damsons done
Sort out spare sloes and give to friend done
15 min zone cleaning in DS room done
WI paperwork done
15 min zone cleaning in bathroom done
Yesterday's aired washing to put away done
Decide on primary school choices for DS done
Wash up done

Things left to do!:
15 min filing
Check and pay bills
Update our finance on computer
Make tea for DH
Shine sink
Clean Aga
Get changed and go out for evening
If I have time this afternoon - blackberrying (no chance!)

What a flipping day!

Firstly respite was cancelled which was actually ok as I go to snuggle with dd for a bit this morning, but then I was sorting paper work in the lounge, heard the kettle boiling which was odd as I didn't remember putting the kettle on. I went to investigate but the noise was coming from the bathroom...the shower had broken and there was water spurting everywhere. Tried pressing stuff but nothing worked so I rang dp who had to turn all the water and electricity off, and I then had to empty my huge pile of crap cupboard as all the pipes went into there. At which point the online shop and fil arrived Dp emptied my under sink cupboard and I got a little stressed. So I spent the rest of the day trying to sort everything out again. Ds had a friend over today just to add to the chaos. It's mostly sorted now but we have no shower.

I do that too Toffee

Ooh peasoup sounds nice Swan hope you're ok

Gym and shopping MrsD I'm impressed

ihate how on earth have you managed to do so much? very impressed.

I have done training. that's it. Tea has been cooked, meds have been picked up. child has screamed at me since he got home. He had rough night so is over tired.

plan for tonight: walk child, shove child in shower, ignore screams wash said child and his hair. shove him into bed. shower, take the much awaiting migraine meds, bed.
CBA evening routine but as i havent done it once this week its not going to make a huge difference to the flow of the week.

Evening all! Am currently sat watching ds at his karate class which is on until 8, the things we do eh?

The weekend was fabulous. We, as a couple. Have been struggling a little recently so it was really good to reconnect. Didn't do much, bit of shopping, pub lunches, DVD watching and cooking together. Came back late Sunday afternoon, I missed the dc's but that feeling didn't last very long .

I know contributions and flying have been minimal from me recently but I really need to get back on track. House is back to a hovel and clean clothes are at a premium . Have got two weeks before half term when we are away for a few days so want to be organised by then. Let's see how go!

I agree Bob my day was better than your day
but..very organised of you to have internet shop
hope Fil was helpful
and lovely dp to sort out pipes too, mine wouldn't stand a chance

peasoup a bit watery, adding extra peas now
also managed to roast a butternut squash from veg box in case I don't get round to dealing with it
so gammon stock turned into soupdone
butternut done
spinach done dh ate it
and making inroads on the veg box onions

have to face the turnips and swedes tomorrow
and last week's swiss chard still reproaching me

also tidied kitchen again