Remember Remember, Fledglings Fly through November

[DidEinsteinsMum]

Welcome to the November Fledgling Flying thread.

From the 1st of the month we shall be decluttering and taming the chaos using baby steps, missions and zones. A great big thank you to MrsDinky who looked after us last month.

We are not strict followers of the fat fairy and take some of the babysteps wearing shoes indoors with a pinch of salt. Also advise against signing up for the fairy's emails.

All are welcome, jump on board for one of our three methods of chaos attack:

1. Baby steps
2. Baby steps and 15mins decluttering in current zone
3. Re-inforce the baby steps and daily mission

This month the fat fairy is gearing up for the feastive period. So I shall also post the christmas mission for those who wish are brave enough to look.

In here the motto is:

*"No perfection! Do what you can, but be realistic about what you can do."

Happy flying.

Hi (slinking back in)

Haven't had time to post for a while, but not, unfortunately because of an active social life - here we seem to have a medical diary not a social one

Good news is that DS's PDA is tiny and won't need treatment (it was a shock to find he had one in the first place! We were sent to the cardiologist as the dr had detected a heart murmur and just wanted it "checked out to be sure". Came away with an extra problem . Consultant told me to bring him back in 7 years, and to make a note in MY diary as his records may have been lost by then! (Cue - another use for my HCJ: its now noted in the monthly section for November with a extra note about the year we should expect the appt)

My tests came back with the answer that I don't have cancer, or at least not that is visible at the moment, so to go back in 6 months time if I still have the symptoms

Car is now fixed, but that took two trips to the garage, as the mechanic forgot to put everything back in when he changed a part. He found it on the garage floor when they were cleaning up that evening! Had to go back today for it to put back in - another morning gone (and it should have been my chance to get on top of the housework, so that's still looming over me.

DS has optician appt tomorrow, so we spent some time this afternoon playing "pirates", as he has to be able to tell her what he can see using just one eye. Last time he didn't seem to understand and refused to say anything during that part of the test!

So today's list looks something like this:
Morning routine done
DS to playgroup done
Playgp treasurer stuff done
Toddler group prep (panic) but now done
Sneaky coffee and chat with mum's when I should have been doing other stuff done
Trip to town for fixings, pgp banking, WI banking, toddler snacks done
Trip to garage done
Christmas shopping while car was being fixed done
Got home too late for pgp pickup (due to coffee and chat) so DH had to collect him instead (whoops)
Clean fridge done
Vacuum through house done
S/s done
Make beds done
WHBH - dust and polish parts done
Cook tea done
Clean washing away done
Zone cleaning, first time I've had a chance this week, so was at it for an hour, missions now up to date, and porch is looking more "normal" though still a repository for building/decorating supplies and tools - done
DS bedtime done
Washing up done
Shine sink *done
Clean Aga done
Breakfast table done
Pack bag for toddler group done
Write shopping list for tomorrow done
Catch up on emails done

To Do
Washing in machine

Everything else will have to drift to tomorrow's list, or more likely the weekend list.

Evening all,

PA - lovely to have a Waitrose on the doorstep, can DH bring the shopping home after work? My favourite things from Waitrose are the frozen pizza bases with passata on, frozen uncooked croissants and, a recent find, vanilla bean paste, brilliant for ice cream. LOL at DD and the buttons!

Geeky - I don't have a porch and consider it a lucky break, not a cheat!

Purpleweds - happy birthday for tomorrow, glad you found comfort in visiting the grave.

sylvia - fingers crossed no more floods tomorrow

Toffee - it's horrible when you find bugs isn't it, we got weevils in the kitchen a few years ago, had to strip and bleach it from top to bottom 2 days before we were hosting a large party for DD's Christening. Anyway, you've dealt with them now.

Swan - for you re Parents evening.

Bob - Good Food is my cookery bible, practically everything we eat originates from it's pages. Sleeping early or late seems to be a fairly random affair as far as I can tell. I have to drag DD (4) out of bed every day for school, she has been like that for at least a couple of years, although did wake at 5 am for a long, long time before that [yawn emoticon]

Sitting - Sounds like you got a lot done this morning, well done!

Linzer - hope mole removal went OK and turns out well.

MiniM - good list, hope you managed it all.

OM - thank you for your kind words re DS. He is always going to a bit behind his peers socially and emotionally it seems, but he is a lovely little chap, however a bit lacking in concentraion etc. So far he has been OK at school, but Yr 2 requires much more self-reliance and this is proving a problem. At least the school are supportive and proactive, so we'll see next week what we think we should do to help. Eek at £150 in Tesco!

Highlighter - well done, sounds like you are getting the hang of this Flying business. My mum always turns up with a big pile of newspapers, carrier bags etc and dumps them in the tiny front room, grr.

PMPY - have a lovely break!

Ellie - hang on in, don't be too hard on yourself, you have a really tough job and have just had a lot of work stress with Ofsted etc, just keep going.

Systemsaddict, early start for you today. The Christmas with whose parents is about the only think I can tick off the Christmas Flying list too. Although I did fill the Advent Calendar with chocolate coins today, unfortunately I had bought too many! Yum.

DID - hope you are better tomorrow. I'll do the links in a minute, save you the bother.

Phew. Well, I have done the following.

One load of washing
Clean kitchen floor
Cook dinner
Help at school for the afternoon (including sharpen about a hundred pencils with a tiny cheap pencil sharpener)
Talk on the phone to a friend for an hour
Get hair cut and do a bit of shopping
Watch 2 episodes of Corrie on Sky+ - am about 2 weeks behind due to Masterchef.

Still need to remake my bed with winter duvet
Ironing - postponed.

See you all tomorrow.

Am going to BOLD this post to make it easier to find. I am not shouting at you all!

Friday Links

Mission

Dust the ceiling, lights and windowsills

Babystep. Write down your negative voices. I have never tried this for fear of someone finding them and thinking I have completely lost the plot, but there's alwasy the shredder

Friday Reminders

x-posted with Ihate - hello, that is quite a list you've got there. Glad you've had good news for yourself and DH on the medical front.

First up today, hope everyone else sleeps till later (on here and in RL)

Sad day yesterday as our lovely surrogate Grandpa neighboour died. It was very much expected as he has been very ill in all the time we have known him but still very sad. DC have taken it very differently so far - DS very factual (why did he die, how did his body stop working, etc), DD quiet and probably thinking it all over. May have some difficult questions later on.

Swan and Bob - will look at half-term and Easter flights. Can't go just after Christmas this time as DP's off on cruise 4th Jan and will need at least 1 clear week to get themselves sorted. Slightly obsessive re all things involving 'preparation' (amongst many other things)

Busy day today though lots of cooking involved and, probably, not much Flying.
Its DS's 5th birthday on Sunday and as we did a proper party for DD's 5th we thought we had better do the same for DS :) So tomorrow we have 20 fancy dressed 4-5 year olds in a church hall with a bouncy castle, some food and LOTS of running around games.
We are also at friends' tonight for Bonfire Night so need to get things done during the day.

List includes:

• Morning routine (possibly only Flying related thing on here today
• Whilst at school put books in shed and bring home some drinks (belong to School Assoc but dated end Dec so I'm buying a few boxes for the party)
• Make Pumpkin Pie for tonight
• Make chocolate cake
• Make yummy Choc fudge icing
• Make 24 chocolate buns as 'take home presents'
• Cut out 24 little Toy Story 'cake toppers' for buns and a big one for main cake
• Wrap 'Parcel the Parcel' x 2 - DD still hasn't worked out the proper name and now its stuck :)
• Wrap 'take home present' books - decided Mr BookPeople was providing alternative to plastic-tat party bags
• Nip out for cat food, more wrapping paper and rest of boxes of drinks at some point
• Make up food bags as far as poss - using paper 'takeaway' bags for food and can put in drinks, crisps, raisins, biscuit beforehand so only need to do sandwiches tomorrow
• Make up box(es) of 'stuff' to go in the car for tomorrow so there is no last-minute panic (hopeful emoticon needed)
• DD to dancing
• Bonfire Night Party - collapse with drink in hand and let DC turn feral in the dark :)
• Sleep

Sorry no time for personal messages need to get on now!
Have a good day everyone :)

Oops, sorry for epic

Morning all,

Just a quick post before I start work for the day. Am feeling a bit sore this morning after having the mole removed yesterday; I'm hoping the stitches are still all in the right place but haven't dared to look yet! I'll get the results when I go back to have the stitches out in two weeks; the dermatologist said she didn't think it was anything to worry about, but that it's best to err on the side of caution given my mum's melanoma.

feetheart So sorry to hear about your neighbour; even if it wasn't unexpected, it's still very sad. It sounds very similar to when my grandfather died; DD1 was full of factual questions, but it took a bit longer for it to sink in with DD2 - she then became quite worried about us dying and needed quite a lot of reassurance about how unlikely that would be at the moment.

Anyway, must get on - will try and come back later, work permitting!

morning. thank you very much to MrsD for helping out with such short notice.

Hope you all have a good day.

Morning all

Sorry to hear about your neighbour feetheart.
Your day sounds manic. I nominate you for flylady of the day if you get it all done!!!

linzer - hope you feel less sore as the day goes on,look after yourself...

Today already done:

laundry rebooted
DW emptied
DS2 and DH taken to station with no snapping cos it's so early
DS1 woken and gone (he overslept!)
Have swished and swiped!
Sinks sparkling

To do:

Paperwork from yesterday
ironing - again
force DD into some physics homework
exercise of some description
supper??
Sort out hall
Sort out shoes (a good friend popped round yesterday and asked if I was opening up a shoe shop - good question!!)

Have a good day all - see you later

feetheart sorry to hear your sad news.

Morning Linzer. I was too scared to look at my c-section scar for months - so I know what you mean. Hope you are not too sore today.

I didn't really do much FLYing yesterday due to poorly Dcs, but I woke at 5am (heaven knows why as both me and DH were up most of the night with the boys) but anyway, I digress. I got up at 5.30am to do some cleaning and sorting out and...

This morning I have:
Done a thorough clean in the kitchen
Cleaned the bathrooms
Changed the towels, hand towels and bath mats
Washed up and put away
2 loads of washing and drying
Made Drs appt for DT2
Breakfast and cleared up

So I am pretty pleased! This thread is giving me a real focus to get things sorted around here!

Going to read the links now and then get down to my work (which is what I am meant to be doing!)

Wokem up at 5 by the bloody cat this morning who has got too used to having her breakfast early!! Still that means I have done:

• emptied dishwasher
• put load of washing on
• tidied up (this is what I don't normally do till we reach bombsite stage but am doing 'cos I like reporting it here and it is making a HUGE difference)
• cleaned up (most of) breakfast
• cleaned TV! it's new and dp is getting perhaps a little over-exercised at the kiddie fingerprints all over it

Today I want to:

• delegate hanging washing up to dp
• menu plan
• either shop for tomorrow's bonfire night party or book an ASDA delivery for tomorrow.

DID hope you're feeling better.
cobwebs I remember having to do the pirate thing with ds too, the first attempt at patch test led to hysterics! hope he behaves at opticians.

Feetheart that is indeed a mammoth list, I can see if your parents have lists it might take a week to prepare
my parents are the opposite of OCD -fling everythign in a plastic bag and get the next plane to wherever - slightly unnerving

Our 91 elderly neighbour died recently, and I felt sad that the children had never really got to know her, she was lovely but we had all our chats over garden fence and about cats - so it is so great that you and kids had such a good relationship with your neighbour and it must have been lovely for him.

Bonfire party at someone else's house, joy, so nothing to do. Dh has bought fireworks for Sat too.

Todaytodo
quick tidy of kitchen, bedrooms, playroom, hall, after yest big clearup
piano practice
mop bathroom floors
ironing

lots more, but I think I'll remember what later..

Sorry to hear about your neighbour, Feet. He sounds lovely. Neither of my children have a grandfather, as both my DH's dad and mine have died. I never borrow any children's books from the library about grandfathers because it makes me cross. I feel my children were cheated (due in part to the way my dad died, which should never have happened). Lovely that your children had a 'surrogate grandpa'.

Linzer - hope the soreness wears off soon.

No need to struggle up too early this morning, thanks to it being an inset day today (sorry to those of you woken up too early today by cats and suchlike!). Today's list:

Unload d/w done
Reload d/w done
Wash up extra stuff done
Set up DS2's 'ice cream parlour' done
Washing on done
Tumbledryer on done
Buy ice cream from small ice-cream vendor done
Post letters and parcels to ice-cream parlour done
Shine sink done
Bath and hairwash
Swish and swipe
Crisis clean
Make soup
Friends here for lunch
Out to Bonfire Night party tonight

Running out of time to get myself presentable now, as I disobeyed Flylady's dictum of getting dressed first thing this morning and am still in my dressing gown .

Thank you for sympathies re surrogate Grandpa. He was a lovely, lovely man and we have all gained so much from knowing him. Surrogate Granny is still with us and I think we will be spending lots more time with her in the coming months.
DC do have my parents as grandparents but they live so far way they only see them a few times a year. Neighbours and us seem to have adopted each other over the past 2 years and its lovely, even at very sad times.

Swanriver - sadly DParents OCD is more cleaning/house-like-a-showhome related, something I have definitely not inherited.
I just know that for me to enjoy this w/e I have to get as much done in advance, hence mega list. Normal service will be resumed next week

OM - if I get it all done it will be a miracle. Will gladly take the possibility of nomination as further motivation though :)

So far I have:

• Morning routine - done
• Pick up drinks from school - done one lot, need to get 2 more boxes
• Make Pumpkin Pie for tonight - done
• Make chocolate cake - done
• Make yummy Choc fudge icing - done
• Make 24 chocolate buns as 'take home presents' - done

Don't need lunch as on sugar-high from licking out bowls - unforeseen benefit of having both DC at school :)

Asda next.

Hi Everyone

Sorry to hear about your neighbour feetheart. Not quite the same but our lovely neighbour went into a home at the beginning of the year so we don't see her as often now. It is very sad.

MrsD thanks for posting in bold, much easier to find .

Wishing DID well and hope those stitches don't cause you any trouble Linzer.

I'm not doing much flying today, just a bit of washing and hotspot tackling. Having a fun day with DS and having my haircut this afternoon. I do need to think about what we might have for dinner though!

I was really pleased about making chicken liver pate to go in the freezer yesterday. It is one of my very favourite things that I haven't been able to eat for nine months so I'm looking forward to treating myself in a few weeks time!

I will be back... Must go get child. catch up later.

nothing on original list done, but I have done:

deep cleaned kitchen and mopped floors
cleaned master (hate that word)bedroom and loo, put away all the clothes
deep cleaned 2 loos and basins
quick shop
hung out laundry
put all the towels to wash

put Xmas stuff in a slightly more organised pile in bedroom, separating stuff I might do from stuff that is ready to go, like pre-bought xmas cards [as usual I labour under delusion that my kids might make things for Christmas]

needto
hoover front room
sweep up ashes (4 weeks they've been there
hoover our bedroom
sweep path - or perhaps can delegate that job to ds1
defrost chicken from freezer for supper

Hello :)

Been busy today as I went with dd to the donkeys, she loved it today and giggled a lot :) and just eaten yummy enchiladas.

Me too swan I get worse every year though, we made potato print wrapping paper a few years ago!

Enjoy your trip to the hairdressers MM

I'm sorry feet that's really sad, I'm sure surrogate granny will appreciate having you nearby.

I'm sorry about your dad too Toffee it sounds very tough :(

I love ticking things off my list too systems my dp doesn't get it at all.

Well done highlighter hope your dc are feeling better.

Waves to DiD OM Nettie ellie

Today
-Morning routine done
-Hoover throughout done
-Washing done
-Update diary done
-Dinner done
-Tidy kitchen just about to do

Well ,having completed all on my list [smug emoticon] it is officially wine time.
Wine - red and white -plus nibbles open and on side.
Help yourselves!

Thank you OM.

MrsD was fabulous and stepped in at very short notice to post the links and roundup. It was very much appreciated by all, especially me! Thank you

Feetheart lost her surrogate grandpa neighbour.

Linzer is recovering from having a mole removed and hasnt been brave enough to look yet.

OM is back on full effort and has managed to get all of her list done. Well done.

highligher was impresses with the round up the other day when i forgot to post it But has been getting up early and being very productive first thing.

Systems also had an early morning and has been very productive first thing. ALthough i do suspect that the cat might be less popular then the progress made.

Swan should be enjoying a bonfire party out tonight. Hope you have a suitably medicinal quantity of wine

Toffee has had a busy morning doing, a lovely lunch with friends and is out bonfire night partying tonight.

MM is still stocking up her freezer in anticipation of not wanting to cook with a snuggly lo. How few is a few weeks time?

Bob enjoyed spending the day with her daughter and some donkeys and has managed to complete her list.

I am still not 100% and ds is getting up at stupid o'clock. Poor kid is terrified of the fireworks or more specifically the noise of the fireworks. We both will be glad when the weekend is over.

Right the weekend is for flying and family time. And has recently been quieter. If you cant get on here to post, dont worry just keep up the babysteps, decluttering, routine and missions.

Hotspots This babystep really helps to stop the clutter from building up.

Mission for saturday

Reminders for saturday

christmas missions seem to a bit hit and miss but are here.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the fireworks.

Evening All

Thanks for the roundup DEM, sorry to hear you're not feeling so good still and that the fireworks are difficult for DS.

3 weeks to go until my due date and I think I will be hard-pressed to fit anything else in the freezer now as it really is full. DH says he is looking forward to having yummy freezer food for a few weeks, then off to relis for Christmas and then we can buy food from cook for a couple of weeks after that! In addition to all the excitement about food we are feeling excited about the impending birth of our second child!

I'm on full toddler entertainment duty this weekend as DH is painting the house and we are having new carpets laid next week - nothing like leaving things until the last minute!

Have a good weekend everyone x

Yum MM we have a 'Cook' in our town - I was in there yesterday buying Benenden Sauce which is totally addictive. Do you buy the babyfood too? My lot missed that unfortunately!
What an exciting time for your family!!

Morning all,

Well, it's been a tough few weeks in the elliepac household and flying has fallen by the wayside. But today I am determined to get back on track, so much so I even got up and got dressed to comfy uggs lace-up shoes. Have just finished the obligatory and necessary morning coffee, breakfasted DC's and am about to get cracking.

List today looks like this:-

Washing on
Drier on
Kill DC's who have done nothing since fight since got up
CLean/tidy kitchen
Clean/tidy dining room
Clean/tidy living room
Clean/tidy hallway
Clean/tidy bathroom
Clean/tidy bedrooms
Tesco
Banking

feet I am sorry to hear about the death of your surrogate grandpa. My two have also missed out on a grandad toffeefudge, my dad died 10 years ago and mum did remarry and DS had a wonderful grandpa but unfortunately he too died a couple of years ago. DH's dad is a alive but we don't have much to do with him because he is an arse. We do have two wonderful grandma's very close though .

systems I think my DH love his whatever inch it is, HD, all singing all dancing more than he loves his children at time . I feel your pain.

mm where has the last few months gone? Another thread baby...as om says, what a lovely time for the marmite household

Anyway, enough procrastination from me, am going to get cracking, back later!