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!

How can one child being in the house be soo tiring? [yawn] I am ready for sleep already. Ds is not.

My budding engineer has had a marevlous most of the day disessembling. We have watched a dvd together, played monopoly deal, done a puzzle book type thing. Right now he has borrowed my shuffle and is reading a joke book. I am starting the bedtime routine. Sleep meds, here sleep meds, nice sleep meds, make ds tired pretty please.

When did it get so cold? I am freezing today. This afternoon particularly.

Welcome back to old friends Right must dash. might bbl otherwise.

Naughty corner BARRRRR is soooo OPEN!

Was cool here too, cool wind. Actually it has seemed warmer the last couple of hours. Main thing is it hasn't rained, so DH has been able to cut the grass, it had become like a jungle.

Welcome back to Yank and MadWoman.

Not much flying here today, I am a bit rabbit in the headlights again. Have been trying to keep me and the DCs out of DH's way as he has been doing battle with a massive pile of paperwork (self inflicted, I do all mine and all the joint stuff, not my fault he is six months late doing his tax return).

So, I have decluttered my car (DH's is next), cleared quite a bit of overgrown vegetable garden (found lots of nice carrots, thought we had finished them all), had a wander round the shops and park with DS, done lego with DS, and two more lots of washing.

So, to do

Go for a run - still got achey sinuses, but I haven't been for a week now, don't want to undo all my efforts
Put away all the washing, plus the unworn clothes from the holiday
Put away all the toys etc we took on holiday
Tidy the second car
Do some hotspots, the house seems to be full of them at the moment

Wonder if I will ever get this house properly decluttered? I seem to be permanently decluttering, yet it is still cluttered just about everywhere, we've just go too much stuff .

It will get there. eventually. didnt get cluttered over night, won't get decluttered over night.

This house is drowing in clutter. But it has improved. How can I tell? well we can now use the bath as well as the shower in the main bath room. And the only reason there is stuff in the en-suit bath is because I am waiting for the gloss paint to set so that the door can be rehung and the toys put back into the toy box. Everywhere is drowning under stuff. But it is better. Eventually. Eventually I might have decluttered completely. Not holding my breath atm though. Every bag out of the house is less stuff. Count the bags out rather then the bags left. They are the ones that show the progress.

I remember the warmer climes of the south coast Whoknows Its so cold I have extra blankets and a hot water bottle tonight. Ds has put pjs on which is unusual. Autumn is def on its way in.

Right my brain hurts, ds is heading off to sleep. i think i am ready to crash. I had a fuck up with requesting repeat sleep meds. Thus am expecting some 4-6hr sleep night with high expectation of higher level thinking. It turns out although I am a science geek I am the wrong kind of science geek. My brain hurts. A lot. Sleeep. zzzzzzzzzzz

Hi guys,
RANT ALERT!!!!!
Don't know what is wrong with me but I am not well. Started out with this weird lump in my throat that I can't get rid of, now I feel all flu-ey. DD1 went to play date, and I ended up staying chatting to the au pair for nearly 4 hours! So wasted lots of my day... And to make the headache worse DD2 got 2 new teeth today so screamed for most of the evening...

Anyway, today's list:
up washed and dressed done
washed dd1 after last night's reluctance done
dish washer done
washing machine (holidays washing) 2 loads done
call dd1s friend's au pair re play date done
call dr to make appt (skin, throat, vaccinations) tomorrow
buy dd1 whole new winter wardrobe tomorrow
arrange to meet other mum to collect dd1s old clothes done
call tradesman to fix cutains in sitting room and dd1s bedroom no

Going to bed now feeling sorry for myself :( as dp is starting nights again and I've no one to nurse me :o

Sorry Nettie. Needed the bit about me removed. Rest of post was:

NettieSpaghetti Mon 29-Aug-11 21:03:03

Good evening everyone.

whoknows clutter is everywhere here too. Hope you had a fab time in Scotland Hope you start to feel better soon.
madwoman lovely to see you back. shock at 5 different reasons for fish slice overload! at 9 weeks of visitors
sc welcome back, glad you had a lovely time.
fuzzled glad you found paintbrush grin at saleman selling solar panel to you! I was hoping i got my directions to
paintbrush correct just to freak you out that i have been in your house. lol Hope you had a better day today than yesterday.
cheerfulyank lovely to see you again. Come away in.
toffee lovely to see you back. Hope your lists stop head from whirling. Sounds like a lovely trip too.
ellie have a fab break
sm hope you feel better soon
messy definately loving movement all that dancing
nicknacks lol at stinky kids. bickering is the worst i think of all that and whinging hmm
mc hope you made it to the caravan. Is it one right next to ellie cos that would be fun, a flycaravanpark with much less flying and more drinking time
pa hope you had a fab night out. Made me laugh the colour crisis in your house

I had a nice time last night, drank far too much bubbly. DH turn means dc woke me up again screaming that dh would not get up. He eventually did and when i surfaced he was asleep on the sofa and there was cereal over the floor in kitchen and living room as dc had been helping themselves.

Anyway dc sat with me in bed and watched toy story 3 so i did not actually get up and dressed until 11.30am
lovely. We then went to a fete in neighbouring village and saw some lots of friends as did the dc's

Home to dinner chilli made of minced up beef from yesterdays roast and lots of lovely beans and chickpeas. DH not impressed as by the time he had picked out all the things he didnt like there wasnt much left DC ate it very happily. Also made vegetable and lentil soup from leftover vegetables from dinner. I feel like the leftover queen today

I have also written ds party invites, all the while praying that most of them cant come. (rubbish as forcing ds to choose and still wanted to invite nct children that we barely see these days because its a milestone isnt it).
Wrote birthday cards and wrapped a present for my dcousins new baby. Cannot however find pre bought goodbye teachers cards for ds last day at nursery.

Dh says i can have a lie in tomorrow oh i hope so, dont want to be grumpy mum all the time.

Anyway i've bored you all enough. Goddnight all see you tomorrow.

Sorry chb thanks for reposting the rest.

Now you can say you have been deleted aparantly in on the requirements for MN royalty or something

Oh yeah I'm so hard and controvetial baby!!

Controversial even

Evening all. It?s been ever so quiet in the Blue household today as DS1 has been having a ?sleepover? at MIL?s. DS2 has decided he rather likes being an only child, although I know they?ll be pleased to see each other again tomorrow! I?ve been doing a little hotspot putting out in preparation for ILs bringing him back ? coincidentally today?s mission? - although it?s still pretty good from my parents? visit. Amazingly, DH decided quite spontaneously to clean the windows! Downstairs and outside only, mind, but still? [faints]

How about everyone else? I hope those of us in England have had a lovely bank holiday.

messy has been out and about. Dancing is definitely loving movement . Well done on the decluttering too. Hope you feel better soon.

Silvery was feeling rough ? More lemsip! ? don?t worry about personals!

Fuzzled has found her dusting brush - well done, and on the fry-up etc too.

ellie was heading off for the last week of the holidays. See you in September!

Toffee was in a whirl of lists and labels. Little and often sounds like a plan.

CHB was facilitating a budding engineer and feeling the cold. Here ? this?ll warm you up. Can add some whisky from the bar if you like! Hope you get some sleep.

Cheerful reappeared from beneath the renovations. Welcome back!

Welcome back to Madwoman too. I know what you mean about Too Much Stuff, and the five reasons for five fish slices sounds scarily familiar too!

SC returned from holidays. Sounds like a lot of fun and a lovely part of the world (spent my year abroad in that neck of the woods). re round-ups though ? you?re too kind!

WhoKnows has discovered unexpected carrots and been avoiding paperwork. Like CHB says, it will get better.

Nettie had a film morning in bed and an afternoon at a fete. Hope you get your lie-in tomorrow and that the garlic does the trick!

Links:
Babystep: Check your calendar for next month?s events. This is a good one ? I almost always miss my friend?s DD?s birthday because it?s the 2nd of the month?
Mission (when it updates): Detailed vacuuming of living room.

Much as I?d like to do the mission, it won?t happen with DS2 and his hoover-phobia at home?

Night all.

Still crap at flying. still living in a bombsite. Going to try to get a grasp in preparation for the first. Joining in with babysteps properally in September.

Refrigerator cleaned! Whew!

It was filthy. Looked like a science experiment gone wrong. But I got it sorted with bin bags and bucket of hot soapy bleach water.

Now onto the clothing not having a home...

Sorry for being absent for so long; I've been lurking, but just don't seem to have time to FLY post. The only way I can cope with nine weeks of summer holidays is to keep ridiculously busy and try to spend as little time at home as possible. Which means I'm now about to start packing again... We're off back to England on Thursday for a friend's DC's christening on Sunday. The timing of the trip could have been better as we won't be back home until around 1 am on Monday morning, and school starts on Monday, but we haven't seen them for about five years and she's asked us to be godparents to her younger daughter, so it would have been a real shame not to go.

I do actually have child-free mornings this week (if you can call three hours a morning) as the girls are at a school warm-up week. DD2 was at home yesterday, however, as she had a tummy upset and my heart sank when DS announced that he had tummy ache this morning. He made a rapid recovery when he remembered that Nutella pancakes are the main course for lunch at Kindergarten today, however. (Sweet pancakes are a perfectably acceptable main meal here, along with such other "delicacies" as apricot dumplings.)

SC Lovely to see you back - your holiday sounded wonderful (I was going to ask whereabouts in Germany you were going).

Welcome back madwoman and Cheerful.

Only 2.5 hours left now so must get on... Waves to everyone else.

Good morning everyone

Had my lie in currently still languishing in bed. Although can here dc bickering from here

linzer nice to see you, hope you have a fab time at christening.

My list for today

Get up dressed
Trip to post office with dc to post party invites and parcels
S/s
Wm move on
Dw
Beds
Change dd bedclothes (only do it once every two weeks as she is always dry in the mornings)
Change my bedclothes
Dh taking dd swimming lesson
Ds and me making fairy cakes for him to take in on his last day of nursery
Then dh is taking ds to his swim lesson
What's for dinner? No idea better find something
Weight watchers don't nothing again
gym or not??? Not sure really ought to.

Anyway better get up.

Hope you all have a fab day.

Got back from MN camping-in-a-field weekend late last night (after a superb M25 experience when we had expected nightmare-arrive-home-at-midnight-after-sitting-on-M25-carpark-for-ever experience)

Lovely w/e in beautiful surroundings with great people - everything smells of wood smoke so it must have been good :)
Children totally free-range now so getting back to the urban jungle might be a shock when they finally wake up.

Will catch up at some point but need to do a bit of work, have a bath and unpack today.

Welcome back ouch and feetheart

Still feeling fairly crap with my sinuses, so I'm still sitting in the naughty corner with my trusty Lemsip. Got to go to work today .

Today I am taking ds training. it will either go really really well. or really really badly. Ah well.

List
Get up
make sure ds is up
double check both sets of training kit.
wash both sets of training kit
watch dvd with ds
tame kitchen

Which would be a good place to start. But i think a far better place to start will be a whole load of coffee.

Linzer - enjoy the trip
whoknows - hope you feel better soon
nettie yay on lie in, hope the arguing settles
feetheart - sounds like you had a lotta fun on the mn camp.

Must. move. CBA. Coffee....

WhoKnows with you on the sinuses. Mine are inflamed, so I feel your pain. Have a little of what you fancy in your Lemsip on me

And waves to all the new people who have re-emerged blinking into our nice shiny thread.

TA/TO-DO:
Nothing.

It's one of "those" days where all I want is drugs and a hot water bottle. So I've done my job work and now am going to curl up on the couch. CBeebies is my friend today until I take DS out to play with his friends this afternoon. We've to be there for 1.30, so I hope to stay for an hour, come back, put DS down for a nap and... curl up on the couch again. Then feed DS dinner, then DH is home and then it's bottle and bed - probably for both DS and I!

Have spent the entire morning (well, the 2.5 hour child-free bit of it) online printing out boarding passes, printing out hotel confirmations and e-mailing the hotels/guesthouses, printing out maps and checking train timetables. I do like to be organised, but spending three nights in three different places is proving to require rather time-consuming planning. And I haven't even started packing yet. At least no one else has come down with DD2's bug yet - we don't fly until Thursday, but I've tried to get organised early just in case I'm out of action for a day or two.

Hope you're feeling better soon, Fuzzled and WhoKnows.

Coffee is always a good start, Ouch. Hope the training goes well.

feetheart Your weekend sounded idyllic.

Nettie of lie-in. Enjoy the fairy cake baking!

Hi all,
good afternoon!
Cheerful Yank [waves] do you remember me, we have the same boots!!

Who knows and Fuzzled - sinus trouble is so horrible, hope you are both feeling better soon. I have been using a neti pot type of thing which fires saline up your nose (sounds ghastly doesn't it) because of a eustachian tube defect. I do think it helps keep things in check, but haven't had any bad sinus trouble for a year or so.

CHBID I'm glad to hear somebody else has routine-phobia, but is still soldiering on.

BlueE I love it 'Fear of flying'

Having an absolute head ache of a day, but have this on my list

washing up - almost there, apart from an impossible saucepan which is all gunked up
washing on line - done
new load in machine - done
phone Scottish Power about crazy billing - done and waiting call back
phone citizen's advice about stuff - couldn't get through emailed instead
phone school about football done
swish and swipe kitchen done
vitamins done
lunch done
Phone Sky about dodgy broadband done

Still to do
buy tissues
buy medised
make dinner
take books to charity shop
move chest of drawers
look at flylady and re-do babysteps (groan)
Take DS to dentist
brush and floss DS's teeth 10 times before dentist

Is it too late to join? I know it's nearly September... You see? That's how disorganised I am.

Of course I remember you, Rowing Boat ! :) I still love those boots....can't wait to wear them again this winter.

List for today:
*Dishes (I didn't do them last night and they are EVERYWHERE )
*Get everything off the living and dining room floors so I can sweep/vacuum properly
*Deposit money in the bank
*Finish finding a home for all the clothes lying around
*Swish n swipe
*Shine sink

my living room is de-cluttered! the dcs and dh were most impressed when they got in from school/ work. there is SPACE! dd2 even danced an impromptu jig instead of falling over the teetering piles of stuff and the coffee table!

and i even filled in the vast swathes of new school year forms and Sent Them Back today! woo hoo!

today i neeeeeed to declutter the dining room and find the entirety of the table (currently the dcs are perching around one end of it as the 'hot spot' (more like raging inferno) of random paperwork encroaches... and the kitchen will be tomorrow.

dh isn't daft though. he said 'are you going to do a room every day but leave dc2 and 3's bedroom until last? and then decide you need a rest so don't do it?'

i am definitely putting off their bedroom. all the kids were sleeping there for the 9 weeks we had visitors and there is just stuff piled everywhere. they can't actually get clothes out of the wardrobe because there are boxes of toys etc in the way... i have to lean over it all and balance to unhook clothes hangers.

right, laundry and dining room.