It's August - can the Fledglings keep FLYing with children underfoot?!

[BlueEyeshadow]

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to August's edition of the Fledgling Flyers,
Meine Damen, Mesdames, Ladies! (although any Herren, Messieurs and Gentlemen would be very welcome too, I'm sure, and apologies for the show tunes now lodged in everyone's heads ...)

If you're trying to keep out of CHAOS over the summer holidays, with the dear children creating havoc all around, then pull up a chair, roll up your sleeves and join in the fun.

Fly Lady's website is here, but we don't recommend signing up for the emails unless you want an ironically cluttered inbox. I'll post the links to the information for every day this month and try to keep up with all the chat.

There are babysteps to get you started on forming a routine, and missions to do once each room is decluttered and, as the Fat Fairy says, it's amazing what you can do in fifteen minutes. We'll be starting August in the entrance, front porch and dining room, and sifting the sense from the cutesy language. :)

I notice from the archive that it's the thread's second birthday so I'm sure there'll be cake as well as plenty of , and - virtual, so no calories - along the way. Finally, a big thank you to CHB and Swan for leading us heroically through a hectic July!

Lovely, nothing like a nice cup of tea in the morning. Where are you off to on hols?

East coast, Norfolk way- about 3 hours drive from us. I end up doing all the driving too so need to be well rested on Sunday. :)

Nicknacks enjoy Norfolk - Spent every year for the first 5 years with DH there for Holidays. I love it. Are you near Wroxham / Yarmouth. We went this year to Bewilderwood and it was amazing. DD loved making dens, climbing to the tree houses, riding the boat, sliding on the slides etc and it took the whole day (Of course depends on how old DCs are)

Whoknows Yep barcode scanner is fab. DH has Iphone envy just for that as he has an ipod touch and therefore not available so it takes him much longer than just zapping.

Sorry to hear about ankle CHB - I hope you managed to get some non-child friendly film watching done though

Ok well good morning here so far. As DD was OK yesterday she has been to dance class this morning. I ahve spend an hour doing my 'healthy' shopping with my shopping list in Morrisons - I did succumb to a Bounty in the end but the rest was a la slimmingworld so .... Have also been to Toy Shop to get a gift voucher for DDs friends Birthday party tomorrow. We don't know her too well, just plays with her at school so lacking more original ideas.

Other jobs to do today

• Washing - At least 3 loads
• Put away shopping but first....
• Thorough clean of fridge - going to empty completely, clean and go through random half-full bottles in bottom.
• Defrost freezer - I hate that job
• Hoover lounge - Don't know what DH and DD were doing yesterday with craft stuff but they weren't neat and tidy with it
• Go visit parents
• Maybe get to library to change DDs books
• Have 30 minutes me time to read a chapter of my book

DH has gone to play cricket and DD is out with friends so best crack on whilst there is peace!

Back later

Sounds lovely nicknacks. was on norfolk coast for my hols and what i got to see of it was lovely.

Thanks for the whoknows.

I have not had a good start to the day and seem to be breaking every last babystep there is.
However i have decided that my mission for the week is to finally finish the jumper that i have been knitting over the last 3 years. Also started the new knitting project so want to get that done and finished in one go. (scarf for ds) should help the decluttering even if on complete rest. Although i did get a lovely new wicker basket for my knitting projects.

To do list:
get up.
shopping.
scarf knitting.
early night.

NickNacks - enjoy Norfolk, I've never really been there, apart from a very early childhood holiday at Great Yarmouth and a couple of flying visits to Norwich on business. Would be about 3 hours away for us too.

CHB - good plan, make the most of the enforced rest. Not too sure about film recs though, can't remember when I last watched a grownup one.

MC - snap, DH has got an Ipod touch and a basic old phone too. He hardly ever uses his mobile, so it makes sense cost wise, but he does like mobile internetting, so I think it will only be a matter of time till he succombs.

Afternoon Morning all!

Up at at it this morning - DS was only up once in the night so felt a bit more with it.

Ta-da list so far:
Up/Wash/Dress whole family - done
Supermarket shop - done
Panic tidy of living room after DF called to warn that his friend will be coming to drop of DF's broken computer for DH to sort - done
Take old fridge-freezer to tip - done
Grump at DH about water on floor from old fridge freezer - done
Mop floor - done
Lunch - done

Now contemplating putting DS down for a nap and tackling:
Washing
Sort dining room (so washing has someplace to hang to dry)
2nd trip to tip for DH with excess cardboard etc
Make dinner - fish pie

Hopefully if it all gets done, then we can have tomorrow off sadly this is dependent on DF's friend turning up as I don't want to turn place upside down before a guest arrives! Fingers crossed!

Dh has valiantly taken ds1 to a football match (their first ever) Someone gave DH tickets for QPR match, so he felt he had to take opportunity (but he hates crowds) He spent most of this morning, pacing around anxiously (luckily ds1 was so excited he didn't notice)

Toffee I am afraid to say we quite often have undignified struggles over electrical equipment here. After one of these screaming matches I asked ds2 the other day how to avoid the inevitable tantrum when I switched off computer and he was very reasonable, and suggested I give him a) lots of warning b) give him a timer c)let him go on computer as much as he liked so he didn't feel so cross when I turned it off

I saw somewhere on my computer that you can install an parental control timer so that you can stop computer being used after say 8pm. We have only one laptop so it is relatively easy to police, and I don't want it to switch off at 8pm, so haven't investigated further. But if and when ds gets a laptop for school work, I may consider putting in a timer switch on the controls. So far any research he does has ended with him surfing Youtube or Rotten Green Tomatoes - he is very easily distracted.

Very quiet day so far (apart from the pacing)
I think I need to take the twins out, although I feel tempted to do nothing. Dd has been reading Jacqueline Wilson all morning. It's quite extraordinary - she is completely hooked. As she spent the entire week playing sport, I don't mind her now turning into a lovely placid bookworm/couch potato.

todo
pull up three enormous brambles
edge lawn
hoover playroom
go to swimming pool??? can I face it....

Fuzzled amazing how much time just getting rid of one appliance takes up
Nicknacks what helpful children - a credit to you.

DS1 is ill. He has a temperature of 102 and says he feels sick. He has spent all day in bed, sleeping. He refuses to take Calpol or to drink. I also can't get him to take his Prozac and am a bit worried this will make him feel worse. Does anyone know if missing one dose will make him feel bad?

DH has just driven MIL back to her flat (she came for lunch). Just about to take DS2 out for a runaround.

Hope you all have a good Saturday.

Ooh, NickNacks you're coming to our neck of the woods! Hope the weather improves - it was chucking it down this morning but fine now. Our day out yesterday was at Fritton Lake, if you're looking for things to do.

Unfortunately our triffid-like tomatoes got blight when I wasn't looking so I've had to pull them all up. :( Picked over 2kg of green fruit :( :( but at least I can make chutney out of them - been looking up recipes.

Swan been watching the football scores come in all afternoon, gutted for your DH and DS. Back later.

I'm pooped! Thanks for all the good wishes for holiday- getting quite excited now! Blue and MC thanks for the activity suggestions.

All the packing is done! Seriously though I can't believe it takes sooo long! Does it take all of you guys as long as me? An entire day (pretty much 12hrs) to pack for 5 of us (inc a baby) for a week. Admittedly I had 3 loads of washing to do and pick through the holiday clothes plus we are taking food, provisions for the car journey and baby accessories like booster seat, travel cot, weaning stuff, bottles, formula, bedding etc.

So my Ta Da list....

Hoovered house top to bottom
Dusted house from top to bottom
Dc's bedsheets washed and made up again
3 loads of washing and dried and folded
Shepherds pie cooked and eaten
All packing done Clothes, food, toiletries, towels, bedding, furniture
Clothes to travel in laid out
Christening clothes laid out
Kitchen tidy
Boys' bedroom tidy (DD's room always tidy since she isn't big enough to mess it up yet!)
Our room tidy
Sitting room and dining room tidy

Admittedly although I didn't have DH around today to help, the boys are fantastic. They do much much more than any other 7 and 5 yr olds I know. I have them well trained for future wives!

Hope you all had a lovely day!

P.S.
I have a quick question about missions, I haven't been doing it long enough to notice the answer- Are the missions the same each month? Its just i'm noticing certain small areas of my house which aren't getting touched like the cutlery drawers, understairs cupboard and utility room. Thanks!

Well done Nick, yes it takes me all day to pack for holidays too, although since I started a master list it is easier. It's all the extra things like checking the car squirters are full, plants watered, neighbours asked to put the bin out etc that seem to take the time. Regarding missions, some of them come round every months (scrubbing all the kitchen counters for example). Some of them come round maybe every other time (scrub the kitchen tap). Some of them only come round once or twice a year (clean the cooker hood or top of the fridge for example). I have never seen cutlery drawers mentined. Utility room sometimes pops up as part of a zone, you get a couple of days worth of laundry related tasks.

Right, day over, barring the and Torchwood on the iPlayer

Ta-da list:
Up/Wash/Dress whole family - done
Supermarket shop - done
Panic tidy of living room after DF called to warn that his friend will be coming to drop of DF's broken computer for DH to sort - done
Take old fridge-freezer to tip - done
Grump at DH about water on floor from old fridge freezer - done
Mop floor - done
Lunch - done
Washing - 2 loads from 4
Sort dining room (so washing has someplace to hang to dry) - done
2nd trip to tip for DH with excess cardboard etc - done, but need a trip tomorrow
Make dinner (fish pie) - done, and scoffed!

All sorted

Now for Captain Jack and a nice comfy seat at the bar in the corner. If you see me dribbling (and not necessarily from just the wine!), call me a cab

Thanks WhoKnows. I'll have to incorporate some of these into my current missions! I have delegated DH to check the car over tomorrow :)

Master list for packing sounds interesting- Does it not depend where/how you are going?

Hello hello thank you for the welcome back. Lovely to see you all.

Thanks very much for the different perspectives on how mil might be feeling after her surgery. (it's so comforting to here so many great success stories too! whoknowsI was just trying so hard to take the pressure off. I will try not to frett too much and pass it on to dh too. She lives in the main house and office is just there. So she can easily pop in to do stuff if she wants. Maybe we should try and set some boundaries, like no bar work, no customers stressing her out.

Tomorrows list
Get up, dressed to shoes-done
Breakfast-done
Move washing on-done
Get ds to write friend birthday card for party-done
Wrap present for party-done but left at home
s/s-done
Go to work process payment that couldn't do today-done
Go to party-done
Go from that party straight to another party-done
Home to bed hope children eaten enough so don't need to make dinner-done
Flake watching ally McBeal marathon-doing

chbitchy hope pain mess work and you are not too poorly from them.
whoknows what a lovely haul at school garden. You put in a lot of work I think you should eat it all. I've got some courgettes growing but they are yellow at mo.
linzer hope you are enjoying your time in Wales. Very envious! Thanks for ds postcard he does love them.

I know I've still not caught up with everyone but I'll try again tomorrow with a new list and hopefully some more time.

Hope you all have a lovely night

Belated waves to Nettie I must have missed your return. Wishing your MIL a good, if not relaxing, recovery.

Nick the list has several sections, a basic list for all holidays, a section for camping, a section for beach holidays, a section for going to France, which cover all the different types of holiday we have had with the DCs so far

NickNacks I use a master packing list too.

Basically it's a list (which I also have stored on Google Docs so I can print it anywhere ) which I have added to over the years with anything, and everything, that I could possibly need on a holiday - from medicines, to clothes, to "entertainment" items such as iPods etc. I also have it categorised into appropriate sections.

When heading on holiday, I print it, read it and then decide what to take and score things out that are unnecessary for this trip and then tick them off once they're laid out and packed.

Some areas are detailed - for example in Medicines I list individual drugs, while in others, like clothing, it's merely reminders such as "pants" (rather than xxx pairs of pants) And before you roll your eyes, pants have been forgotten before

Great help as it saves me running about trying to work out what I need, and what I have already packed.

Fuzzled that is EXACTLY what I do. How funny! I also take it with me and scribble on anything else that suddenly becomes an essential, more and more chargers seem to be needed for example. It makes holidays a lot easier.

This sounds right up my street! I love lists! DH just gave me 'the look' though when i mentioned drawing up a 'master list' to be added to the Christmas, shopping, cleaning, work, schedules..... :)

Evening all. We didn?t get the tip run done, but I have done some serious decluttering in the study/spare room ? my parents are coming next weekend and need it to sleep in, so this is likely to be a recurring theme this week? I?ve also made and frozen a big batch of pizza sauce chock full of hidden vegetables and no salt. Just wish DS2 would eat it as well!

So, round up time again:

Linzer?s laptop was on Austrian time.
CHB was propping up the naughty corner bar and looking forward to grown up film watching and knitting.
WhoKnows went for a run and was looking forward to being able to see in the kitchen at night.
NickNacks was packing with the help of exceptionally well trained sons. Well done! Can give more suggestions on places to go if you like.
MC went shopping and was planning to FLY in a quiet house.
Fuzzled had a better night and was feeling more human. An impressive ta-da list accomplished as well.
swan was also having a quiet day. Hope your DH and DS enjoyed the match.
Get well soon to Toffee?s DS1. No idea about medication I?m afraid but hope that tomorrow is better.
Nettie ticked off all her list and was flaking with Ally McBeal. Hope all goes well with you MIL.

There was also much discussion of master packing lists. This thread has inspired me to start one, rather than always writing out the same things every time. Don?t know why I never thought of that before?!

Tomorrow?s Babystep is probably also skipable? and it?s ?renew your spirit day?, apparently.

DH wants to get on the computer so I?d better be off. Night all.

Whoknows Luckily they aren't your regular football fans! [I am ashamed to say they had been given the tickets by a season ticket holder (hope that isn't illegal?) and showed no loyalty to either side. (DH just thought it expedient that ds wear the home team top)They came home in excellent spirits Dh wasn't scared, and Ds1 couldn't believe there were no replays (and kept asking - this is really happening isn't it? wow )

But I think after this they may be more loyal to poor QPR - a bond has been created as they watch QPR fail miserably....DH wants to go again to another match with both sons.

Nicknacks five and seven I thought they must be teenagers at least! I am impressed. Also impressed by you leaving house so tidy, and being so organised.

Toffee hope ds's temperature has dropped, and you got through to someone with answers or good advice.

done
gardening includign brambles and edging
cosy evening
not particularly pleasant afternoon, but I think I was just tired and not very good at dealing with lackadaisical children. Went on short walk with them, that was all, alas. Dd still in very good mood though! Ds2 in trying form again.

Morning has Broken...

DS slept through (barring me wandering in at 3am to drag him back down the cot again!) and let us sleep until 7 so feeling very chipper. Guaranteed not to last!

After the exploits of yesterday, I am planning a day of CBA, but there are a few little tasks:
Make dinner
Bit of food shopping
Finish washing
D/W on and unload and cleaning run
Print a few odds and sods ready to start work tomorrow

Nice easy day.

May all your Sunday's be as relaxing!

Swan - glad to hear that, good that they still enjoyed it. I took DS to his first ever game a few months ago and they lost, it was too noisy for DS (and believe me it was not noisy at all for a football match, mainly because it was a particularly dreary one), it hasn't deterred him at all, he is football crazy. As for the season ticket thing, have done it myself many times in the past, as both an owner and a borrower, can't see the harm in it. I have joined the MN fantasy league and foolishly had a QPR defender in my team yesterday! Although I also had one of the scorers.

Fuzzled - sounds like a good day you have got planned.

Toffee - hope DS1 is feeling better today.