Fledglings flying though July into the summer.

[ColdHeartedBitch]

Roll up, roll up. tis the month of school fetes, sports days and annual reports. In all this flurry of extra activities and with the summer holidays hurtling towards us at rapid speed, now is the time to tame the chaos before our very special chaos creators are able to help us. Fully intending to beat the Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome so that my personal chaos creator can be occupied by others this holiday. Good luck to all to are also striving to achieve this.

Starting from the 1st of the month we shall be fluttering our way to tamed houses. If you are new to the system it is recommend that you focus on making the babysteps your main focus. The babysteps will build up to form routines to help you to stay on top of the house once you have discovered it. First step is to shine your sink. But not just half heartidly, deep clean til it shines Instructions here

For the more established flyer we then progress onto decluttering. 15mins each day in alloted zone of the week. New zones each week. and current zones and decluttering instructions can be found here Zones will automatically update for July.

As for the advanced flyer, there are missions to do each day in the current zone

We have one rule we are NOT perfectionists anything is better then nothing, real life gets in the way and we have to do other stuff other then cleaning (put it on your list, tick it off and :) ), besides the fat fairy's moto is "You are never behind"

As such take the vomit inducing cuteness of the website with a pinch of salt, and join us for wish lists formally to do lists , ta da lists and home bleurghs.

See you bright and early tomo although hopefully not too bright and early.

Tap shoes obviously - grr

Makingchanges - you sound cheerier today. Hope you are feeling better now.

Tulip - you look busy! Your list reminds me that I must sort teachers' cards/presents asap.

WhoKnows - it's so annoying to lose a post. Dh turned the modem off yesterday so that DS1 would have to come off the computer - but it also meant I lost a post to this thread. I didn't have the heart to do it all again.

Reastie - you are tempting me to buy the Flylady book. Might have a peep on Amazon.

PA - hope you found that locker key!

Swan - enjoy the second day of your holiday.

I have spent three very cold hours huddled on an open field watching the school sports' day this morning. DS1 was not even taking part (so much for getting active!), but he was at least sitting with his classmates (meant to be part of his transition back into school life). He wanted me to stay so, like a mug, I did. It went on and on and on. However, I did have a very nice chat with another mum who asked after DS and then told me that Prozac transformed her child's life when she became depressed as a teenager. She has never suffered depression since. That cheered me up immensely.

In the end, I grudgingly had to admit that it was worth going because DS had good chats with several of his favourite classmates and a girl who has always liked him told him he was still her favourite, so that has boosted his confidence. I also got the chance to see DS2 eating his packed lunch with his friends in the school dining hall on my way out. He looked relaxed and happy. I had to restrain myself from rushing over to give him a big cuddle.

Now I have to do a quick room rescue or two before DS's tutor comes at 2. Then we have an hour's break before we go down to DS's secondary school for a parents and pupils evening. Am not cooking tonight. Asked DH to buy us some ready meals on his way back from visiting his mum after work.

Afternoon. I am broken. Completely and utterly. At least i have done some R&R (if you could called it that, some might called it activity with death wish )

Done
Early training
Blackpool
Morning training session
Soak in tub for 20mins (could have stayed there longer :( )
Pick up ds from school
School open evening
swear at computer that crashed and gave me blue screen of death
rescued computer from blue screen of death long enought to post
feed ds chocolate muffins and stick him in front of tv

still to do
wash uniform that has come home covered in mud
was training stuff
hear ds read get ds to read it himself so we can return his reading book.
Stick to my bedtime of 10pm although tbh stupid tired and sore and ready for a nap atm.

Will post the linkies now as don't want to risk not post them tonight without warning if computer sinks into the depths of blue screen of death again. Also will be computer free from friday evening through to tuesday. Would someone be able to post the links on saturday, sunday and monday for me? back from tuesday and can do friday's before i go.

Linkies**

the babystep is a reading one

Decluttering in the master bedroom or the mission which will be updated tomorrow.

Tuesday is planning day

Aaaaargh!

Unexpected visitors coming at 7pm!!

I'll do it Giving - someone remind me I said that a bit nearer the time please. You try and get a bit of rest tonight, I don't want to see you posting after 10pm

Toffee - that's reassuring about the Prozac. Hope the meeting went well this evening.

evening all

swan glad you arrived safe and sound and are happily drinking whilst dc bond further with cousins!

GUIE hope you're OK. any chance you can get a rest tomorrow?

makingchanges you are indeed sounding super motivated and organised today. Well done you.

toffee glad sports day went well (for ds anyway!)

tulip oh no...unexpected guests...hopw you survived!

everyone-else Hi!

well, didnt get chance to post again yesterday but day went fairly well
Managed 12 mile run in the morning - feeling more hopeful I may make it to the end of my half marathon in Sept!
DD3 party went well. She enjoyed it lots, bless her!
Didnt really get round to blitzing girls room but sent them to at least tidy it and it doesnt look too bad on superficial inspection.
Littlies room still looking quite good after my efforts!(de-cluttering really does work!)
And managed to stay almost on top of the washing!

Today:
6 dc up, dressed and breakfasted
washing hung out
wm re-loaded
breakfast stuff tidied
lunches made
shcool trip stuff for dd3 double checked
bathroom S&S
school run
work
re-arranged dd3 hospital appointment
home
dinner
washing hung out
wm re-loaded
cleared out bedside unit drawers as token gesture to the zone of the week!
kitchen cleaned and tidied
littlies bed

now chilling for a bit - am actually totally shattered, ended up having rubbish nights sleep for no particular reason, so will be early bed tonight !

Tomorrow need to:
sort out final pay figures for Nanny
Contact Nanny tax company to inform of Nanny leaving date
Buy leaving gift for Nanny
arrange visits for ds2 for nursery

• all the usual!!

BBtomorrow

Its 8pm, and I'm shattered. Have annoyingly been ill all weekend, and I'm not better yet [annoyed emoticon], temp has come down a bit and is now drifting between 37 and 38. DS has been driving me up the wall, and DH is finding it hard to understand that now I'm going to be working part-time he will need to do a bit of stuff round the house, and with DS, plus playgroup will not let go!!!

DH did supervise DS's bath last night, and did finally agree to take DS to playgroup this morning, so I wouldn't be late on my first day to work [Disclaimer: this would not have made DH late to work, as he's rarely up by the time I'm home after drop-off, but did mean he had to get up earlier]

Done so far
Revised morning routine
Washing on airer
Make beds
Everything ready for DS to take to playgroup
DS dressed and shod ready to go
Go to work for first time - 3 hour induction session this morning, which ran on, so I had to leave to pick up DS - embarrassing, but when this is run every month, surely they know how long it should take, and be realistic. I could have made alternative arrangements for pickup, but there should have been plenty of time, and a 15 min leeway which she used up.

Playgroup have decided to change the end of term finish time, and now want me to rebill parents - I won't have time this week, without something falling off the list, so have decided to tell them to ask the new treasurer (they have one month to find someone) as the invoices won't go out til the new term anyway.
Playgroup parent has lost invoice - new one needed for tomorrow
Take DS to DM's for the afternoon
Washing load on
Sort out WI banking
Sort out playgroup banking
Go to town - do banking, and clohtes shopping for this new job
Collect DS
Come home
Get my bins in
Get neighbours bins in
Cook tea
Hang washing on airer
Clearing up some hotspots

To Do
Washing up
Make DS's lunch for tomorrow
Sort out DS's bags for tomorrow
Reprint playgroup fee invoice
Pay playgroup bills/expenses
WI return
Bath
Sort out work clothes for tomorrow
Sort out work bag for tomorrow

Right tomorrow's list

Get up early
Morning routine
DS into car and off to DM's
Collect DM and dog - vet appt 8.20
Take DM and dog back to DM's
Take DS to playgroup
Go to work
Collect DS from playgroup
Washup
s/s
Pay bills
WHBH
Clean washing away
Make birthday card with DS for SIL
Start finding out camping stuff
Zone cleaning
Zone mission
Cook tea
Evening routine - inc lunchbox, DS's bags, my bags, our clothes
Quilting course homework - if I have time and energy

Once work has become more of a habit, I'll have to adjust my routines, and my zone cleaning I think - for this week, just shuffling along

Updated to do list

• Parcel up another book and take to post office as just received an e-mail notification that it has been sold. done
• Attack the understairs that I didn't get to do yesterday nope
• Put together control journal - have the sheets just need to put them in the folder. doing
• Find DHs phone charger that he has lost - Hunted for it but can't find
• Tidy more of DDs toys in lounge done but still more to do
• Sort out craft boxes upstairs - I am trying to get my craft things into one set of drawers so that DD can have one and therefore remove the pile behind the settee. nope
• Take DD to library after school to return overdue library books - done

My great start for the day went downhill when I started feeling ill again at lunchtime so went to bed for an hour. This has made me feel off all day since.

Ok list for tomorrow (depending on how I feel)

• Attack DDs toys again
• Attack craft resources in craft boxes and behind settee
• Write a list for our holiday to a. try and be more organised b. try not to have to go on a mad shopping trip as a soon as I arrive and c. not give mil something else to pull me down for (We are going with inlaws)
• 2 loads of washing
• Dressing table clean in master bedroom
• Attack dds bedroom
• Find something in freezer for tea tomorrow
• Update diary as I now a few more appointments have come in this week that I will forget about if I don't write them down.
• Try and find the instructions for the carpet cleaner and attempt to wash the carpets in the living room.

Ihate hope you are feeling better soon.

Sory not much time for personals as DD is still awake and up and downstairs. She is playing up as DH was out before she got up this morning and is still out now.

Hope everyone has had a good day today and does so tomorrow too.

Ihatecobwebs when do you start work proper? Hope it goes well. Is it a new job or returning?

tulip hope things with the guests went OK

ta da today -
dw
dinner done
visited mum
bath
sorted through loads of clothes to organise what I will keep/dispose of
look after dd who was very high maintenance today (hence not much else done)
in progress of writing to do list for tomorrow, will attempt to keep it short as still not feeling great

Dashes through, waves, and dispenses ((hugs)), , and as preferred to all in need.

Need to go and get everything ready for the morning in the hope of avoiding another fracas like today's. Night all.

Am so tired that DS1 interrupted his bedtime story with, "Just go to bed, Mum." Am having a MN moment whilst waiting for DS2's trousers to finish in the wash, then I'm going to take my son's sensible advice.

Apart from a couple of room rescues, I didn't do much Flying today. After DS's dyslexia tutor came, we had a short break, then went off to secondary school for a parents and pupils evening. Spent a fortune on uniform (the prices!). Met DS's tutor whilst DS was whisked off to spend some 'circle time' with his future tutor group. Collected DS2 from a friendly mum who'd taken care of him, then came home to ready meals.

The sink is piled with dirty dishes, but I'm going to disobey Flylady and just go to bed now. After I've quickly done the before-bed routine, of course. I can't survive the morning if I haven't done that.

Ihate - glad you survived your first day at your new job.

OFM - 12-mile run ! That's impressive!

Makingchanges - sorry you felt ill again. Hope you feel better soon.

Givingup - you too. Hope you get the chance to sleep and recover soon.

This week is going downhill very fast. DS has been up and crying, not feeling well. Have just got him down again, after cuddles, Calpol and milk, but I can hear him coughing in his bedroom. If he carries on like this he won't be going to playgroup tomorrow - will see if DM can look after him while I go to work.

First real day of work tomorrow, reastie, new job, new people, new systems, new job sector - very scary - reminds me of first day at secondary school, or VIform - everything very new, didn't know if you would be able to get on, understand, keep up etc AND they had your records so had an expectation already.

This evening
Washing up - some done, rest will have to wait, as I'm too far gone to get it finished now
Make DS's lunch for tomorrow done
Sort out DS's bags for tomorrow done
Reprint playgroup fee invoice done
Pay playgroup bills/expenses done while wondering why grown women seem unable to add up their expenses accurately
WI return done
Bath done
Sort out work clothes for tomorrow done
Sort out work bag for tomorrow done

Sorry for going awol. Busy busy busy! However i can smell freedom in the air and the stress is slowly lifting day by day.

Not a huge amount of flying going on. Basic maintenance so it is relatively tidy downstairs but upstairs is another matter. First week of theholidays is sort the house out week before we go on holiday so i will be posting in earnest then as i will actually have done something .

Ds had his school report which raised some issues that i am not happy about so i am going to see his teacher tonight. Us teachers make the worst parents so i actually had to run the issues past friendsat work to make sure i wasn't being a picky cow . His report says he has't met targets in writing yet apparently has put in 100% effort. In fact it says he is the same level now as at the end of year 2 and that makes me wonder what has gone wrong. I also worry about him socially as he doesn't appear to have many friends. No invites, no one calling for him and when you ask him he can only name one person he plays with. He doesn't seem to mind but it makes me .

Anyway, better go havea meeting with a parent before school.

Back tonight.

Good morning everyone,

Toffee ? I hope you are feeling all refreshed this morning. Pleased that DS1 school evening went well and how encouraging to have a mum say that about prozac.
I hate ? Good luck with the new job. I am sure you wont feel like the new girl too long.
Reastie ? Hope you are feeling better and that DD is less high maintenance today.
Makingchanges ? hope dd slept!
Tulip ? did you survive the guests?

Yesterday went fairly well at work, so a good start to my manic week. I didnt actually manage to do anything in the house, though as I was knackered by tea time last night!

Panic is beginning to set in as holiday is looming and approaching much quicker than I am moving to get everything sorted! So much to do still! But excitement is mounting in the PA household. A week of relaxing by a pool in the sun, eating out and sightseeing is just what I need.

Plan for today:
Unload washer
Load tumbler - looks showery, so not chancing the washing line today.
Load washing machine
Unload Dishwasher
Load dishwasher
Handwash a few bits that DDs must have used after I had gone to bed last night!
Sandwiches
Sort Chilli out for slowcooker
Feed rabbits
Job Number 1 this morning. (I need to get Mr Boss to understand that I am taking next week off - this information seems very difficult for him to understand, last week off I actually ended up with just 2 days off and had to turn my phone off to get that!! Although being out of the country should help!)
At lunchtime drive to job number 3.
Back home-
Hoover downstairs
General dusting, tidying and hotspot tackling.
Nag, beat, encourage DD4 to sort out her bedroom
Nag, beat,encourage DS to sort out his clothes

Brain is beginning to ache just thinking about everything that needs doing, so I will just bury my head in the sand and plod on!

Yes, locker key turned up yesterday, so DS is still alive forgiven!
DD1 has been applying fer every job going since moving back home, but she is going stir crazy not actually working at the moment.
DD2 has recently split with boyfriend and is not the happiest person on hte planet!
DD3 is not that well again - just hoping she will be well enough to enjoy the holiday.
DD4 actually was ready for school on time yesterday morning for the first time since EASTER!!! I am encouraging her to get 2 mornings in a row, but chances are looking less than slim at the moment!
DH is off this morning, working late tonight. We had an agreement that the morning she was not working he would be here to do the nagging morning stuff to get the DCs out of the house on time, so that I can get to work early. This morning he climbed out of bed, pulled cycling shorts on, walked downstairs, said to DD4 "make sure you are on time today" and has disappeared for a cycle! Does he really think that 7 words are going to work?

Right, I am off to get started.
Waves to everyone else on here. Have a good day.

Morning. 12hrs sleep last night. Something fabulous about the proper physically shattered slumber. Feeling my age today and muscles that didn't appreciate the battering yesterday. Finally enough energy to care enough to take in my surrounds and we are back to crisis tidying state, massive piles of laundry, and a packing list a mile long so going to tackle today 15mins at a time.

Done:
ds to school on time
return school library book
check email/facebook/mn threads on

to do list:
pay bills
drop off prescription for migraine meds.
put away pile of clean clothes
Go on a laundry hunt
laundry -multiple loads
folding - as washed
create ironing mountain
file bag for packing ds' clothes for his trip to his dads
discover the floor in my room
sort out training stuff for early training tomo
clear out car
check tyre depths, lights, oil, water, washer fluid
sort box of bits 1 in my room
file paperwork
early night (no later then 10pm again)
linkies

Right i suppose a good place to start would be breakfast and putting the first load of washing on.

Did a long post then lost it thanks to MN being offline to upgrade. GRRRRRR.

Feeling rubbish and sorry for myself again. Going to try and have a nap and see if I feel better by lunch, hopefully will get my list done then. Am really annoyed that I agreed to ADs when I was ill 6 months ago cos the doc thought I was stressed when I wasn't and i've battled to get off them since with the doctors and now they are making me feel ill getting off them.

Right I need to sort my head out - Plan for today, an hours sleep and then try and get jobs done, even if I do them a few minutes at a time

Aaaah, thank you to everyone who asked how the unexpected guest visit went - it went fine! Thankfully the place was acceptably tidy anyway so there wasn't much to do. It would have been sooooooo much worse if I hadn't found the flylady way, embarassingly enough tho I accidentally left the flylady book out on the sofa! Whoops.
Plus, the guests were only my niece and her boyfriend, she's only 2 years younger than me so she knows me pretty well - I just wanted (for once) to look like I can cope with being a young (26) mum of 3 and housework. I've previously not coped well at all. Laundry piled high, 2 days worth of dirty dishes in the sink , clutter everywhere... So glad I matured and grew out of this and found flylady to organize me.

I really enjoyed their company, her boyfriend has an interview with my dh today at 11am, that'll be an experience for both of them :), hopefully he gets the job and they can finally get their own house and we can go visit them and I can introduce her to flylady . I may even loan her my book, although she has her eye on my growing collection of baby and parenting books (sleep, weaning etc) as she is very broody.

Sorry I'm rambling aren't I?

Right, today's Ta Da so far:-

• got up at 6am
• fed ds2 whilst falling back to sleep
• washed hair, dried hair
• got dressed to shoes
• made all 4 beds+cot and opened all curtains
• took dc's downstairs (7am by this time)
• got ds2 dressed, barked instructions at dd and ds1 to get their school uniform on
• made coffee's for dh and I
• made breakfasts/juice for dc's
• made packed lunches for dd and ds1
• unloaded dh's car of the paint and wallpaper that we purchased 2 months ago (and now changed my mind about )
• washed/put away breakfast dishes
• laundry in
• dryer on
• dc's on time for the school bus
• I caught the next bus to the local market for fruit, veg and eggs (god that was heavy with a pushchair to push too)
• Returned home exactly 1 hour and 10 minutes after I left A new record!

Still To Do:

• put away all clean laundry
• find something for lunch/tea
• vacuum
• declutter kitchen hotspots
• 27 thing fling in kitchen
• 27 thing fling in master bedroom
• polish wall fire and tv stand again

Tulip - Just looked at the Cherry Menlove website. She scares me!

@ Toffee

Why?

Turn up the music! Something good has come of looking for a specific song (which I haven't found) but found some much loved music that I had forgotten that I had. Amazing how much more interesting house work is with a good tune on nice and loud. Now what was it i was actually supposed to be doing today?

Tulip - she is too perfect. She must have a hidden dark side.

EOW has rung to say he is still taking DS down to the new school. DS wants me to come too, which I'm happy to do if I'm allowed. Am feeling sorry for DS - he's getting so fed up with all this.

Have done my chores in town, but very little else .

Toffee - I agree about CM! Too good to be true. Surely that can't be her real name?

Ellie - hope you get some better information about the report, that definitely needs a bit more explanation. I know exactly how you feel about the social thing, I have to engineer DS's social life for him a bit, I don't think other children actively avoid him, he does play with them given the opportunity, and they play with him, but I don't think he is in anyone's circle of close friends, so he doesn't get invited to all that many parties, playdates etc. Which makes me a bit sad, but he is OK with it. Maybe it's the same for your DS.

MC - hope you feel a bit better this afternoon. I get low spells when I am very down on myself and the slightest thing has me worried sick, it's not a nice feeling.

PA - grrr to DH. Hope they all got to school OK.

Giving - glad you got a decent sleep. I didn't! Wide awake till at least 2am, just lots of stuff going on at the moment racing through my brain.

Tulip - glad your unexpected visit turned out well, you are right, it is all about giving the impression of coping (I have a friend who another friend compares to a swan, she floats through life seeming totally calm and collected, even though under the water her legs are paddling away frantically trying to keep her busy life afloat, it is very convincing!)

Better go, catch up later.

According to this website/interview thingy it is her real name. :)

I don't care if she has a darkside, I just want a house like hers. One day I will have a lovely big house with a sweeping driveway and a huge garden with old trees and a summer house....