April Fledgling Flyers: April Fools we are not, babysteps and decluttering makes our thread hot, step right in and mark your spot.

[NettieSpaghetti]

Welcome, come away in you?ll have had your . This is the April Fledgling Flyers Thread.

Thanks to WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes who was champion at leading us through March.

We are trying to stick to the Flylady © Website and her baby steps and routines to help keep our houses out of C.H.A.O.S and ready for everyday, maybe the odd visitor or two.

Check her website out but don?t sign up for emails as they are likely to inspire but fill your inbox so full we might not see you till August.

The principles are:

Babysteps (one at a time)
Babysteps and 15 minutes daily decluttering
Babysteps and daily missions.

This month I will be posting the links and leading you down the road to building a routine and keeping your house under control.

It is amazing what you can achieve in a simple babystep,15 minutes a day and a little chat.

Morning all,

You're up early this morning, Toffee - hope you've managed to go back to bed and get some more sleep now. The five children are all still asleep here, so I'm trying to decide whether I should risk waking them by going for a shower (it would certainly be easier if I could have my shower before they all get up).

Re the bullying - oh, children know exactly what they're doing. I was bullied quite badly at secondary school, and remember going to take refuge in the toilets one lunchtime as I just couldn't take any more. One of the girls followed me in and told me that the worst perpetrator "hadn't meant it". I was talking to another girl in the group later on, told her what the girl had said in the toilets, and she said (quite factually, not nastily), "Oh, she did mean it." I was quite aware of this all along and I think your DS will also have been very aware of the spirit in which the things to him were said.

Think I'll go and (quietly!) empty the dishwasher and then fold up/put away the washing while the DC are still asleep. I'm hoping I'll have the chance to get a bit more done this afternoon as DS will be at a friend's; DD1 has her dyslexia lesson this morning, so I'll take all five to the playground before we take the two visiting children back home.

Glad you had a good holiday feetheart, but yuk at the cat sitter's list! Hope you're able to get back to sleep too.

Can hear someone getting up so had better go and investigate.

Good morning early worms (or late ones cheerful)

Hope toffee and feetheart are now sleeping.

I can't keep up it's official! This month at home has been manic, but it is looking good. Mil & fil came to babysit whilst I had my haircut and I wasn't a bit embarrassed by my house! There are piles but I'm getting there.

I'm sorry I just haven't been able to pop in throughout the day as I thought I would. You are all such a sterling group that you don't need leading

Got to list post and get dc ready for nursery

Up, dressed
Dw/wm hang out if time
Work/nursery
Home and clean and polish nightstand.
Make a start on bookcase dejunk been on list for over a week.
Ring cooker manufacturer dd broke knob off. ( seems to be discontinued model) (confused)
Shred unwanted paperwork

That will do. Bye for now. Hope sun shines.

Morning all,

Well, another lovely day outside. I've just got back from Sainsburys (wanted to go without the DCs before DH left for work) and spent a relaxing 10 mins stood at the back door taking photos of the blue tits in the back garden. This is the time of year when our garden looks its best, all blossom and bluebells, the birds look so cute in amongst it all.

Taking the DCs for a day out at a local country park with my cousin and her DH and DCs this morning, they are on holiday near here from the other end of the country. I've never been to this park, but my parents used to take the DCs there regularly in the pre-school days when they looked after them once a week while I was at work. So, I need to prepare a picnic, hence the early trip to Sainsburys.

Toffee - good luck with the plumber

Feet - ewww, gross, your poor cat sitter! Glad your holiday went well

Linzer - have a nice t ime at the park

Nettie - you are doing a great job at keeping us all on track. I think I am about to fail on my plan to do all the missions this month, master bedroom is definitely still at the decluttering stage.

See you all later

Morning all .

who knows have a good dat out (sounds nice).
nettie we really appreciate your efforts .

Have no plans today . Hoping for some patio time myself.

To do:
laundry
wash some more windows
start homework (Romans).

BBL

I think I may be getting a tad carried away with the decluttering

peers at empty shelves

Managed a few more hours and feel more human.

Both DC awake and will be demanding breakfast very soon, especially when they remember that they have new bowls to eat from - Easter treat from my parents was a trip to a lovely pottery/cafe where you can 'paint your own' - they painted, we ate cake :)

Need a list to get back on track though thankfully the house doesn't look too bad. Want to keep it that way though so we can spend as much time outside as possible:

• Unpack - done though need to put clean clothes in right rooms
• Washing - 1st load on
• Breakfast - with new bowls and new place-mats - the extravagance :)
• Morning routine
• Bit of work - pay invoice and check if anything else needs to be done
• Clear main kitchen work-top, disinfect and oil (wooden and never gets done )
• Clear rest of kitchen work-tops, disinfect and oil (as above)
• Remove rest of feathers, mop kitchen floor
• Clean and shine sink which looks a bit sad
• Disinfect cupboard doors
• Make either brownies or rocky road for valiant cat-sitter
• Deliver above with presents and apologies
• Plant up plug plants that arrived this morning
• Park and garden :o

Have a lovely day our and about or on the patio everyone :)

out

of empty selves Cyberweb, if only.

shelves
Possibly not as awake as I thought

lol

think I better stop soon

dh might think we have been burgled when he gets back .....

Update:
Strip beds
wash sheets
Get boys to CM
fill up car
buy mustard for my mum - no, our Sainsburys didn't have any either!
phone calls - one down, one to go
start packing
dusting
filing
tidy bedroom
prepare dinner

Need to add hovering to the list, as I've remembered I won't be around to do it tomorrow.

I'm glad you got some more sleep, feet.
Enjoy the country park, WhoKnows. It does sound lovely.
Toffee - this will be my first time at Zumba, so I'll let you know tomorrow. . I think it was Janey who recommended it.

I wish someone would come along and steal all our clutter, Cinders.

Atm I'm in the kitchen heating up hot dogs for DD2's friend, as I made the cardinal error of serving something other than pizza or plain pasta; she took one look at my pasta bake and pulled a face. Serves me right really - her parents had already told me she was fussy, but I discovered the mince in the fridge had reached its expiry date and couldn't put off making the recipe any longer.

Dropped off our two youngest visitors earlier this morning - the boy with scratches above both eyes from falling over in the garden yesterday (two separate incidents) and the little girl with a bleeding lip as she'd just fallen down half a flight of stairs when we picked DD1 up from her dyslexia lesson. She seemed fine otherwise and their mother was really nice about it, but I did feel a bit guilty about handing them back over with cuts and bruises!

DD1 is going off to my ILs this afternoon, where she'll be spending a couple of nights on her own for the first time; we'll be picking her up on Saturday morning on our way to the hotel where we'll be spending the Easter weekend. Really must get her to pack at some point as DH will be home to drive her there in three or four hours. Am also hoping to persuade DS to go to a friend's this afternoon as I've remembered, only two days into the Easter holidays, just how exhausting preschoolers can be when you have to spend all day with them! (His friend's mum has already phoned up to invite him over, but he's decided he'd prefer her to come here.)

Bit of an update though I've not managed to get dressed yet :

• Unpack - done and mostly put away
• Washing - 2 loads done, 3rd on. Need to hang it out
• Breakfast - done
• Bit of work - done
• DC up and out running between next door and here - done

Now I NEED to get dressed

Are you dressed yet feet?

Have managed 15mins on the patio, but came in as kept getting hit by DS football! Also DD seems to think I need company whenever I sit down.

Quite a busy day so far:
walk to shop with DC (displacement activity )
planted geraniums
wash all windows outside
wash dining room windows/clean blinds
laundry x2.

Dc seem happy left to it. If trouble breaks out I might take them to ASDA to buy sun hat/sun glasses for holiday (where are last years??)

Should finish windows, but might just have and read a bit more (in a sunny room away from children).

Gah! I put the timer on for 15 mins packing, and now I can't find it!!

Afternoon peeps,

Still haven't had time to catch up. Had a busy morning and am now waiting for tutee to arrive for an hour's algebra.

Will be back later for a proper visit!

Hope you are all out enjoying the lovely sunshine!

I have four children sitting on the sofa watching TV and no energy to put them all to bed. Where is DH when I need him? (Taking DD1 to my ILs, so I can't really complain).

Just a quick one tonight as my tea is ready and me and DH are about to settle down to watching TV together (which is a rareity in our lives). So no personals tonight everyone. Hope you are all ok though.

Todays list: Im on a roll here

1. start washing machine off with load that is in it - done I actually got up a couple of hours early to turn it on then went back to bed as I knew Id be too busy to empty it quickly. How good am I [proud smiley]
2. Hang clothes up/put them in the drier - done
3. Iron earlier load - done
4. go into town to get a couple of bits - done
5. Wipe down kitchen side - done
6. wipe down kids table - done
7. fill washing machine ready for Thurs - done
8. Go to mini pedicure appointment - done
9. See MIL with kids - done

Tomorrows list:

1. start washing machine off with load that is in it
2. Hang clothes up/put them in the drier
3. Iron earlier load
4. go to a possible new friend for a coffee morning. She's had a couple before I just couldnt make the others due to one reason or another.
5. Wipe down kitchen side
6. wipe down kids table
7. fill washing machine ready for Fri
8. Do the back lawn

Have a nice evening/day everyone. I will catch up properly tomorrow.

Good evening

ellie Tutoring on your holidays and algebra . Sound just like my mum, don?t you teachers ever rest.
toffee lovely tweetie birds, I love it when its time to get up. Grr at plumber, ones round here not interested unless it?s a big job. Hope he comes tomorrow. Hope measles boosters are ok too.
cheerful last seen heading to bed with the idea of sofa diving today, I hope she doesn?t get lost
cyberwebcinders has decluttered in the extreme. my bookcases have got books sitting on books sitting on paper sitting on books!!! Please visit ill gladly pay the airfare.
whoknows has been crack of dawn shopping at sainsburys and is planning a picnic in the park. Hope you had a lovely day.
scatty if my mind serves me correctly one of the girls (ellie history teacher and im sure someone else children were doing romans not so long ago, might have some useful websites?) Hope you got some lovely patio time today.
feetheart indeed at cat activities whilst the mummy is away. She sounds like a good natured cat sitter, hope she enjoys your cake. Well done on getting unpacked. New hand painted bowls sounds like a lovely present.
blue has been having mustard wars, how difficult should mustard shopping be? Hope you have a lovely break.
linzer hope you found the energy from somewhere to get all 4 children off sofa and into bed.

Ds are playing silly and not staying in bed, dh promised I could go shopping spree to sainsburys once dc are down. He is busy at bottom of garden doing boat things.

My list

Up, dressed-done
Dw/wm hang out if time-none to hang put,just as well as no time.
Work/nursery-done
Home and clean and polish nightstand. -not yet
Make a start on bookcase dejunk been on list for over a week- nope and want to avoid by going shopping.
Ring cooker manufacturer dd broke knob off. ( seems to be discontinued model) (confused)-found it £8 per knob.
Shred unwanted paperwork-nope

Off to check on dc again. Have lovely evenings

x-post myhouse, think i might follow your listing programme you always seem to get so much done. Well done, enjoy your tv time with dh.

Linkie McLinkies

ask and you will receive

do it do it now

something for the dc

lol

shall I book a flight then

think linzer wants to be decluttered too...

Trip around the world?

Well, I found the timer! I've just finished putting the laundry away and need to go to bed so as to be able to get up in good time tomorrow. We'll see!

Zumba was fun, although I found it harder than I expected on the knees! Will have to see if I can still walk tomorrow... Still, I'll be in the car most of the day so won't have to. We're off to my parents for Easter so I'll resurface again on Monday!

Hope your kids all got to bed, Nettie and Linzer, and that you had a good TV evening myhouse. Waves to everyone else. Happy Easter!

Nettie - I also have that problem with bookcases, trouble is most of the books belong to DH's long-dead father and I don't feel I can declutter them. I throw a HUGE strop every now and again, things are promised and then everything remains the same
Rant over.....for now (those who have been here a while will be used to the occasional rumbling from here on this subject!)

I love 'Linkie McLinkies', really makes me :)
Need something to make me smile at the moment as I have just spent nearly 3 hours of my life decontaminating the kitchen after the holiday bird/bastard poo-ing cat invasion and its still not finished - waaaaaaaiiiiiiiiil :(
However, my kitchen is looking pretty good - the surfaces have been antibac-ed, the utensils, cooker, microwave, knives, storage jars, etc cleaned, the floor hoovered and mopped AND the sink shined. Just need to do the middle-not-quite-an-island bit and the cupboard doors and then I think I will feel able to put something down on a surface again!
Shame its not the kitchen zone this week

I did all of the above in a very un-Flylady-like long stint after dinner as my aim to get it done in the day was thwarted by the much better chance of taking gifts to wonderful cat-sitting friend and sitting in the sunshine in her garden whilst the various DC (hers, mine, the neighbour's and the ones she child-minds!!) bounced, climbed and splashed :)

Linzer - hope you managed to find the energy

Blue - hope you found timer

Scatty - DD has just 'done' Romans - Yr3. Not sure if I can be of much help but happy to try if needed. We didn't use internet much as found couple of books and we are close to Verulamium so went with history teacher friend and her DD. Have a few photos of mosaics!

Need to wind down a bit then bed.
DH up at stupid o'clock again tomorrow so expecting to be woken then. Hoping for a better night's sleep before then.

Night all.

Evening all.

Successfully managed to stay away from the laptop all day but didnt manage to get back out into the hills.

Done:
Laundry x4 loads washed, 3 loads dried, 2 loads folded/preped for ironing (ie right way around)
1hr decluttering My room
1 1/2hr tidying ds' room
the toy stack of doom, gloom and disaster in the lounge - All toys sorted, including downsizing ds' stone collection, with the exception of the lego needs looking at but after last yrs 3 months of lego sorting it can go f* itself as it aint getting done until I have finished everywhere else
hoover under the toy storage unit
clean toy storage
shopping to pick up a few bits.
Drop mum for her flight
Attend meeting for the compulsory team photos.
Catch up with some friends
Declutter Dumping room 30mins
Attach out of control plant in garden
fit lockable fuel cap to car
fill car with petrol
make a list of stuff that needs doing in the garden
collect together stuff for tip run
Declutter bathroom 15mins
discover sink under grime

Which is brilliant but have failed totally at this early to bed thing.

Hope you all have good days tomo. night.