If your house is calling May Day, do not fear: May's Fledgling Flyers are here

[LinzerTorte]

Welcome to the May edition of the Fledgling Flyers' thread. Thank you to Nettie for her splendid leadership of last month's thread.

If you're living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), this is the thread for you! We follow the tips on the FlyLady website in an attempt to restore order to our homes, but advise against signing up for the e-mails; all the information you need is on this thread.

Each day, I'll be posting the links that will enable you to do any of the following:

• start or repeat baby steps

• repeat babysteps and do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

More information about the babysteps is here.

So please join us - there's always plenty of chat, tea, cake, encouragement and the occasional to help us on our way!

morning flyers! sneaking back on again as house is trashed and I have no motivation to fix it.

work been frantic for weeks.son knackered and ready for half term, have had four episodes of kicking screaming on way to and from school.rescued by deputy head once who was lovely but still -not good start to days! dp ill and has
convinced himself it's something really serious with too much googling so has become useless. And dd staying up till ten every night...

On plus side I have a new phone and can post without having to get to pc, and have all my routines written up on check lists on the home page -just have to get my arse in gear and do them now! two weeks till dd's birthday party so I have to get things under control by then.

Sounds like a plan SA.

Today:
school (take DDs friend)/work
Lidl
laundry
quick clean up
find library books/swimming kits

Have a good one all!

Morning lovely fledglings. Hope everyone is OK.

Phew!! Bit of a scrabble this morning. Only just got dd out the door in time (7.58 so can walk leisurely rather than sprint). Enjoyable though it was, what with endless succession of visitors,and milestone events, plus feeling below par, plus dh being away - the house is getting a little frayed around the edges. Must try and step things up a bit today although have to put finishing touches to dd's costume for end of term "spectacle" (the school gave me two days notice (harrumph).

This weekend, for my sins, am attending two school fetes/end of term performances (one of our own and one of a friend). Longing for just an ordinary week but it's full steam ahead as end of school term and summer holidays begin on 1 July here and something extra-curricular happening nearly every weekend in between. (Summer hols always months of July and August.) Still haven't seriously tackled home office, basement and roof. Disappointed with myself. And only have 1 month left to do something about it. Aaarggggh!! (Remember posting here last month saying "only two months left" ) and nothing (in terms of serious decluttering) has happened since.

One goal: to set up a sewing area that is relatively clean and free of crumbling plaster somewhere in the house before school holidays begin. Want to try and sew one Christmas present per week throughout hols and hopefully, now she's nearly eight, can persuade dd to do a bit of sewing with me. (We've already done some patchwork together and she enjoyed that.)

Starting to panic because - apart from one dance workshop week - haven't arranged a thing re: summer hols.

One positive bit: owing to all visitors and big events - garden looking lovely and whenever I feel depressed about the state of the house - I just look out the window and feel better!!

Sending over platters of chocolate croissants and bowls of steaming coffee to Systems and Blue!! Sounds as if you both need them!

Good luck with work lot no.2 Linzer and thank you for all links, steps and wonderful round-ups (feeling rather smug because cleared out all my handbags on Wednesday - I won't tell you what I found ...)
Crikey, was a bit taken aback when dd was taught to write in old-fashioned copperplate hand-writing (much of Belgian education system based on classic French system) but Austrian homework regimen does sound rather harsh!

Swan keeping very quiet as I'm the one in this household who can't throw away books ...

Hope your mil can find an alternative solution Toffee - you did brilliantly looking after her last time - but it can't be easy with young dss and home ed etc

Hope you had a good night's sleep CHB

Hope your appliance probs resolved PA

Waves to Pink (I rather like hairy men btw ) Ellie Scatty Whoknows Pushme Mummy CheerfulY Janey and Nettie and anyone I've missed

Must stop wittering on and chomping on brown bread and honey and go and do something. Absolutely freezing today here. Where's the sunshine gone?

Oh and if I'm not around this w/e - have a good one everyone!

Just taking a quick break from work ? I have your juddering text problem on this computer SC, but as I only use it when I'm working, it's easiest just to write all my posts in Word. Busy day here today: work all morning, then parents' brunch at kindergarten at 12 pm, followed by DD1's dyslexia lesson at 1.30 pm and then a friend of DD2's is coming over (and will be staying the night) mid-afternoon. The DC all want to go swimming this afternoon, but it's quite a bit cooler here today ? will have to see what the weather's like this afternoon.

Good to see you again, systems! Sorry to hear you've had a tough time lately, but well done on getting organised with your routines.

scatty Lidl is normally on my Friday list too, but I'm getting out of it this morning due to work (will either have to brave it tomorrow or get DH to go sometime).

SC I love the sound of a sewing area and getting your DD involved. Sympathies re the summer holidays; they start on 1st July (also DD2's birthday) here too ? do yours last nine weeks as well? I've been quite organised this year with holidays etc. so we won't be here for more than two weeks at a time, which is definitely long enough!

Must send off first job (DH has just proofread my longish e-mail to the agency, as it was in German ? no mistakes ) and then get back to my cattle. (Isn't it sheep in French, SC / Blue? Although I really am translating a text about cattle.

Linzer you would think UK children hopelessly backward. Neither copperplate or facts in our school..a lot of tin foil and dressing up as knights. I don't think it was much different in the 70's though, even at my expensive private primary I can't remember learning any facts, just drawing pictures, or writing stories about knights.
We have been family from hell this morning, me suffering AF (at least I can blame yest on PMT), dd screaming about a whole variety of things (ds1 actually escaped to do his violin practice to blot out the noise) ds2 pretending in the most irritating manner that he was the "good" twin having set dd off... Dh told me off for having no cat food, the cat just purred and smiled Anyway they've all gone to school - I think dd was glad to go to school and get away from us all. Ds1 was certainly out the door in double quick time...???

SC join you in looking out the window to feel better - although the front garden now has two rusty bikes, a toddler car and a heap of old timber in it..

Systems it's awful the screaming child to school scenario isn't it, sometimes it leaves you shaking

OH! And now miraculously the piano tuner has arrived Isn't it lucky I wasn't efficiently driving to the tip, and still on Msnet - didn't write that appt down Thank G for the piano tuner and the plumber who just arrange their own visits

Todo
lots, but it is half term so that makes me feel better already, and we are not going away, which is also a relief...

How strange Linzer about juddery text thing. Please don't tell me your browser is Firefox as it is the only one which doesn't judder ....

Sorry - not sure about sheep/cattle issue????

Just remembered too - ho ha - before I skip off merrily in to weekend activities ...; I am leading June thread am I not, so I think I had better do a bit of advance prep!!

Will set up new thread on Monday or Tuesday (if that's OK with everyone)

and in the meantime, will start thinking of titles ...

Linzer I'm intrigued - is it an agricultural text? - you must have to know the most technical language. Enjoy the swimming if you go.

xposts Swan

sending choc croissants and coffee over to you too!!

[Sorry it's so stressful atm but you do paint a lovely picture of family life!! And at least the cat is happy !!]

Arrrrrgh

CBA

tooo much to do

arrrrgh.

Mmm, choc croissants and coffee sound good (and there I was, teaching the DC that pains au chocolat is the "English" for Schokocroissants ? I am out of touch with the English language!).

Apologies for any confusion ? I'm translating a text about cattle surveys and when I wrote that I must get back to my cattle, the French phrase "revenons à nos moutons = let's get back to our sheep, i.e. back to the subject at hand, popped into my head. I should probably work more and waffle less.

swan More statistical than agricultural terms so far; my knowledge of cattle isn't exactly in-depth, so I'm hoping it stays that way.

arrgh now having an argument with extended family on the phone about half term [eats ten croissants with nutella]

right, I am going to put that WASHING AWAY

what a great phrase! I love it! My favourite phrase is "There's trouble at t' mill". But Dh doesn't get it. And I'm not even sure where it comes from, perhaps it's apocryphal.
I am beginning to think clearly now, after all that [virtual]nutella - calm calm calm - I can sort out the holiday aggro if I just stay calm.....
The sound of someone who can actually play the piano (the tuner) in the background is very soothing

Revenons à nos moutons - let's get back to our sheep - is a French saying meaning "back to business". [erudite]

Thanks for the croissants SC - much appreciated! :) DS2 seems more human this morning so no dr's appt. but do have to remember to go early to nursery to watch DS1's assembly before picking him up.

Also to do:
defrost bacon
buy eggs
write lists for w/e - DH's great-aunt and -uncle's joint 80th, staying with MIL, family BBQ and a trip to Ikea as we'll be near MK. Phew!

Rats - it's raining on my washing again - but I did leave it out to tempt the rain so I can't complain too much!

Linzer - I always get DH to proofread my translations as I don't spot my own mistakes. Do you have anyone handy to do that for you? I do have to leave my mistakes in e-mails to agencies though - swings & roundabouts.

Passes the croissants and coffee on to CHB.

cross-posted with Linzer who explained more succinctly while I was waffling.

swan "There's trouble at' mill" is very good too; must try slipping that into the conversation sometime. My favourite thing (but only when I'm talking to DH) is to literally translate English expressions into German; he usually knows to translate something back into English if he doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about.

Blue The translations I do for this particular client are always proofread by another translator, but I generally just proofread my own translations. I do ask DH to look over my translations sometimes if I'm not too sure about them; his English is pretty good, but he doesn't really have that eagle eye that proofreaders need.

Back to the sheep, or in my case bovine animals.

swan we had ours tuned a little while back but i found it irritating DH can play beautifully, in fact wants to start teaching DD over the summer hols but i can't play (or read music) so am jealous! She had guitar lessons this year but never practiced and i couldn't help her decipher the note sheets that came home so we have stopped it now. She also wants to learn to play the violin

One more day to get this house sorted before half term starts. I must:

Hoover throughout
Wash floors
Do some washing (though clouds look threatening)
Do a HUGE pile of ironing before more mounts up
Help at DD Rainbow class

On a good note, DH has said we can go out for dinner tonight so that's a treat (no cooking and more importantly no washing up - YAY!) Also DD school report came home and it was a great one so am so pleased.

Have just done a massive food shop which should mean i won't need to go in half term with a reluctant DC. We have been invited to a BBQ tomorrow so that's lunch sorted and DD has a party in the evening (at Lush - the cosmetic and bath products shop) so that's tea sorted for her. Have friends coming to a BBQ at ours on Sunday and i am also visiting a friends baby on Sat morn and my parents Sun afternoon so a busy but fun weekend ahead.

Tough start to the day as DS1 refused to get out of bed (he was meant to be going on a visit to his new secondary school). I tried breakfast in bed, sympathy, cajoling, persuasion, pleading....In the end, I just lost my temper and shouted at him . It seemed to work. He has gone off on the trip with no breakfast in his tummy and feeling sick with nerves, but at least he has gone.

Feeling a bit ragged now. Just off to do some shopping round the corner, then going back up to school to collect him at midday.

There is a mountain of washing/ironing to do. I just keep walking past it. It seems to be growing bigger and bigger.

Toffee tough love sometimes is required I think once he knew he WAS going he probably felt better.

To my absolute amazement I have just goggled Trouble at' mill...and it is the bit before "Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition" in the Monty Python sketch! Which is my second favourite saying Which shows that's where I got it from... I really had not made the connection, it must be deep in my subsconscious memory.
And apparently Nick Park wanted to call A Matter of Loaf and Death Trouble at Mill, but then thought it was too obscure ...

Right I am back here in 20 mins, having PUT THE WASHING AWAY THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE

No flying here

Arm in plaster

DWM take care of yourself. how have u ended up with your arm in plaster.

I have found out why i feel like death which is something and have been working slowly at sorting stuff out so hopefully it will all be done on time.

I slipped over yesterday in the rain and put my hand out to stop myself. Thought it was just bruised/sprained but was agony this morning so went to the hospital. I've broken a bone in my hand - the triquetal I think. It's my right hand as well so vvvvvvv slow/bad left-handed typing!

Oh no Mummy! What happened? Hope you're OK

Sorry Linzer the cows and sheep flew straight over my head this morning

Arf at Spanish 'trouble at mill' Swan

I always find having a cat (instead of a frog) in my throat quite peculiar!

Sending an afternoon helping of cramique (brioche with raisions) over to you Toffee after your stressful start -

¨Pink enjoy your dinner out tonight

Blue can never, ever, spot my own mistakes either (used to work in publishing a million years ago). Could always spot other people's typos though .. very wierd ... a bit like the children of dentists having dreadful teeth ...

x posts [sending ice pack and bottle of gin to *Mummy] Wishing you a speedy recovery...

Thank you SC

How about: June know it's the fledgling flyers?