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!

Swan are you on my fb? Stay safe. and keep talking on here if you need to. I am about and will be for a while if it will help.

Blue - what a bizarre accident! Am very glad to hear it all turned out ok. Will make a good family story once you've recovered from it. My youngest son once got a wooden letter 'g' stuck on his thumb. I nearly took him to casualty because his thumb was swelling up, but our next-door neighbour managed to cut it off. Er - the letter, that is, not my son's thumb.

Swan - hope things calm down in your area soon.

Will attempt the missions tomorrow as under sink badly needs decluttering. I'm confused though. Does Flylady mean us to spend 15 minutes in our current zone and do the missions? And, once we have decluttered, when are we meant to do our zone cleans, or are they covered by the missions? It seems fairly time consuming to me.

Off to bed now. Hope things are peaceful where you are tonight everyone.

15mins each day in the zone until the decluttering is done and then the mission is my understanding of it. However, I find that the missions sometimes help to focus my decluttering.

Tbh I rarely do the missions and focus on the decluttering. there is so much that needs decluttering that it will easily take me another 2 years to get rid of everything that can go. especially with everything that seems to find its way into the house. Happy meal toys, birthday party bags, school books, random paperwork that needs dealing with. If i seal the door and refuse to leave I might be done in half the time

Blue I also remember an incident where ds1 managed to stick a piece of lego up his nose - the GP had a special instrument for extracting things from children's noses, I remember being reassured that I wasn't only one...

CHB don't worry about me, I think they are only after shop contents and not many big shops round here - it is bizarre to thnk it is all happening though so close. Dh is just glued to tv downstairs, he cannot believe what he is seeing.

Think I am going to try and sleep now.

Morning all, still technically on holiday right now but heading home today to a passably clean home.

Have already started my to-do list for getting home - but it's just washing, washing, more washing!

Still, have been vaguely organised and washing is in two cases, with clean in a third, so should make life easier!

Off to tickle DS now!

Good luck with your lists today ladies!

Quick update on my list:

Dishwasher unload Done
Clear back lounge of suitcases and their contents. All suitcases now emptied, just need to take upstairs for storing away
washing is now all done, but the mountain of drying/sorting/ironing needs conquering. All sorted and in piles
Small bit of local shopping sent DD1, instead
Take DD3 for hospital appointment Done
Deal with the outcome of appointment, which I fear may not be brilliant news! Worse than even I had feared so, crap, crap crap
Home for lunch for everyone done
Rearrange DD3 & DD4's bedroom Postponed until the end of the holiday
Full weekly shop as cupboards and freezer were all very reduced in preparation for our holiday, now everything needs restocking. DONE!! - Bank balance took a real bashing
Chicken Pie for tea Just need to roll out pastry
Take DS and his mates to football
Take DD1 to work. (She has a job at a bar for Cowes week, working 8pm - 2.30am)
Try to fit in some reading of the shelf load of books we have been told to read for a venture we are hoping to take up next year Probably at bedtime
Try and fit in a walk with DH as we have not managed one since our return.

Yes, hospital appointment really did not go well. I was not surprised, but it was even worse than I thought it would be. Hey ho, just another thing to tackle! Poor DD3, though!

Hope there are no more flood worries SC.

Oh rubbish, internet connection is playing up. will try and post this now in case I lose it all.
I will be back later, internet permitting.

Bum that was last nights message.
Internet being a pain.

Off to dentist .... I will return!!!

PA poor you and poor dd. Very sorry about news from hospital. Are they being at all helpful?

Our local streets look entirely normal this morning, usual nice summery ladies dropping off their children at Sports Centre, no sign of any carnage. But apparently Ealing has been smashed up Still lots of sirens in distance.
It seems to be where all the shops are that trouble happens, although there are lots of bleakish housing estates here, no disturbances.

Dd has gone happily to Sports, ds2 was playing with his homemade lego racetrack and ds1 was listening to HP, but now they are both watching telly, and I can't face turning it off. We are off to park this morning - I think I need to do a few essential things before we go, as scuzziness is spreading. My bedroom is horrendous again; I'm just looking at it, and thinking I can't be bothered to even attempt to deal with it unless I have 2 hours of uninterrupted tidying as so much else to do elsewhere...

*Todo
breakfast dishes
dw
put away dd's clean washing
hoover stairs and landing
rescue ds1's lair
find clothes for ds2 who could meltdown if I'm not v.tactful today.
deliver packed llunch to dd who insists on specific items

Hi can I fly with you?

Started Flylady yesterday.

To do today.
Wash, dry, iron and hang bedroom curtains
Sort out bottom of wardrobe
Clear tops of wardbrobes - DH's favourite places for putting random things
Clean bedroom windows
Hoover.

I am also going to try to do today's mission.

Morning all,

Hi to Wocka, welcome on board, we are all at various stages with Flylady and some are better at it than others I think it is safe to say. Just join in, ask about anything you don't understand, this is a very friendly thread.

PA - sorry to hear about DD3, hope she is coping.

Swan - glad your area is unscathed, was thinking about you last night, we have friends in Enfield and Hackney (although Hackney ones are on holiday), have been a bit worried. DH is due to be going to London for drinks tomorrow night, may have to rethink. Also, not sure if anyone else on the thread is in London, or any of the other areas affected by the violence but hope you are not affected personally.

Fuzzled - yes, repacking clean and dirty clothes separately makes a huge difference doesn't it? We take a big Ikea bag on holiday for all the dirties, then put them in one or two bags to come home with the clean all in another bag, the dirty ones go straight from car to the WM.

DCs are just back from tennis camp. I cam home and managed about an hour of Flying, which was mainly dedicated to the front room, which was a STATE. To say the least. Hama beads everywhere, tiny bits of toys, paper, Match Attax cards, coins, you name it. Anyway the floor is now clear and hoovered, the surfaces apart from the high shelves which I need a stool to reach are dusted and the sofa is once again available for seating.

Back later.

Hi again,

Welcome Wocka.

Thanks for all your messages about DD3. I went yesterday after preparing her for not-good news and I suspect she had sussed things out a lot better than me already as she has taken it all a lot better than I thought she would. I think she has been hiding from me (and everyone) how bad she has been recently. Her consultant is fantastic, so thats good - full faith in her and she has been so good over the past 3 years. I was concerned about next year when dd3 becomes 18, and so cannot be under the paediatrics anymore, but apparently there is an adult team of consultants for CFS/ME who come over to the island to see people and they are good, apparently.

Anyway, so far today:
Work by 6.30
Dentist appointment - glad thats over!!!
Phoned up orange about the internet issues - on phone for 40 minutes and seems to be sorted now.

Have not got a clue what DCs want to do today. DS wants to do some baking, but maybe we should get out and about.

Swan - It must have been really scary last night. Hope thats the end of it!!

Have a good day everyone.

hi all,
hope everyone is safe from last nights craziness Dp and I were glued to the tv. He is a garda here so was very interested in how the police are dealing with the situation.

Have done loads this morning:
all up and dressed
dw emptied and put back on
swish and swipe
2loads of laundry done
kitchen cleaned
bins to underground (3 trips!!)
cleaned out fridge
hung pictures back on the wall
cleared hotspot-mantlepiece

still to do:
get stuff bagged for laundrette
MORE washing to put away....it's never ending!
sort out dinner
declutter in bedroom for 15 mins

now to tear myself away from sky news! :)

Not having a great start today.
Only had a couple of hours sleep
went to an appointment a week early
Now got meds for ds that require waking him up in the middle of the night :/
seriously considering crashing in a corner. sooo tired.

Sorry to hear about the bad news for dd3 PA
Glad you are ok Swan
welcome Wocka

ds is kicking off again second time today. its going to be a long day.

Hi All

Came back from my holiday yesterday - Was relieved to be home. Am never going on holiday with MIL and FIL again!!

Today has consisted of sorting out washing and doing shopping to restock fridge. Have also got to sort out paperwork for volunteer interview with an Aspergers charity tomorrow and try and find some childcare for this as DH has been called away.

Done list today

• Shopping
• Post office to post parcel
• order new tax disc online
• Contact people about various things via e-mail
• Wash clothes

To do

• More Washing
• Unpack
• Put petrol in car
• Sort out paperwork for tomorrow
• Sort out childcare for tomorrow morning and Friday morning
• find something healthy for tea - Got on scales this morning and put on over 5 pounds in our week away - Too many Cornish pasties and Ice creams etc

Whoknows - Myself and DH use my fitness pal - If you sign up as friends online you are supposed to be able to encourage each other. We go in fits and starts with it though as we keep forgetting to fill it in. Its been updated for iphone so you can scan barcodes and it put the food in automatically which is great if you have an iphone

PA sorry you had bad news about DD3 but sounds like she will continue with good care when she is 18

Swan I hope the riots calm down soon and you all stay safe.

Right back to it. Only caught up on last few days so hope everyone else is ok

Ooh, I didn't know about that upgrade MC I tend to ignore App updates for quie a long time and don't sync the phone very often, that would be very useful. I do find it quite tedious scrolling through 100s of types of bread for example trying to decide which one to choose. Back later.

Ooooof... pass the someone.

One of those days.

Left to travel home at about 10.30am, meeting my godparents for lunch half way up the road at 11.30am at theirs, then on to resturant. DS pukey dribbled in resturant so chat was cut short to allow us to get him in the car. No pudding for me!

Home, and DS down for a nap - woke half way through, but I got him back down again but then when he woke properly, he pukey dribbled all over the cot. Changed him, and brought him down to play for a bit before dinner - and he's pukey dribbled again... AND I CAN'T FIND IT!!! I left him playing in the living room while I went to put his pasta on - I heard the noise, I can smell the result, but I can't see it anywhere! Alternatively, he could have made the noise, and it's just residual smell, but it's driving me nuts.

One load of washing done, one load on. That's all I'm planning to do tonight. Other than find the source of the smell...

Tomorrow is another day... at the moment CBA!

. Hope you find it Fuzzled. Reminds me of a party we held in a student house years ago, the house was trashed, food stamped into the carpet, drinks spilled etc. The next day several friends kindly helped to clear up, got the house spotless, apart from a mysterious strong smell of sick in the lounge, and yet nothing to be seen. Then one of my friends said "give us a hand to move this armchair back to the right place" and sure enough, underneath a huge carpet pizza that someone had considerately moved a chair over. Bleurrgh!

Interesting find on My Fitness Pal this evening, I decided to look at the page where it breaks down all your nutrients versus RDA and found that I was only averaging 43% for calcium, oh dear, no admittedly only been doing it for 3 days, but I have't cut back on dairy that much so possibly haven't been eating enough of it for a long time, so extra milk and yogurts for me from now on. It is interesting to see how you could keep within you calorie limit by say eating 3 packs of crisps for dinner instead of something healthy, but looking at the nutrient breakdown as well makes you realise there really isn't much room at all for junk if you are going to get all your RDAs and still lose weight, hmm.

Anyway, Flying. After getting the DCs back from tennis, we had a couple of hours at home. I did a thorough clean of the bathroom except the bath itself because I cleaned the floor and dumped all the floor stuff in it (mats, spare loo rolls, basket of toys, plastic steps etc). I also decluttered, I hadn't though it was too bad in there but still found 2 empty shampoo bottles, several bottles of bubble bath etc that were never going to get used, an empty spray clean thing, so apart from a bath full of stuff it looks lovely.

The ground floor isn't too bad now, I am going to move upstairs tomorrow. I think a day in each room sometimes works better for me that a week in each zone.

This afternoon I took the DCs round town to do a treasure hunt with friends (and their mum, who is also a friend), it was good fun, the DCs found the clues a bit hard (so did we at times) but it was a good way to see lots of details you never normally notice. Bumped into several other sets of friends en route, so a nice sociable afternoon

Evening all

I have washed and put away all my holiday washing - I'm really pleased that I didn't resort to the usual pile them up in the spare room and close the door. Have also filled in a job app, finished off shopping, unpacked, put petrol in the car, and DH has sorted out my child care problem yay.

Busy day tomorrow. Have an interview at lunch time and then DD has an appointment at Childrens hospital about hearing problems then DD is going to GPs for evening as I am going to a seminar in York on Thursday so I'm hoping to persuade DH to have a date night tomorrow night with a meal and a film.

whoknows be careful with the recommended calories on myfitnesspal - Both DH and myself had these checked by the gym staff at our local gym who advised that they were way out. Apparently mine was unhealthy. (I haven't heard any other people reporting same so can't comment on whether this is a common problem)

Anyway back tomorrow

Trying to do the round-up while watching the news. Don't know if anyone's in the Midlands but glad swan's OK in London. I grew up in Croydon and it's shocking to see the pictures.

Anyway, round-up time.

Hi to Wocka - welcome to the thread.

WhoKnows can now see the floor in her front room and has a decluttered bathroom - my mum swears by a day in each room too.

PA was debating baking or going out and about - Glad that at least there's good care available for DD3.

Messy was flying high this morning.

CHB had a long day.

MC is glad to be home and has been washing and shopping.

Fuzzled was heading home to a passably clean house but had a puky dribbly day. Hope you track down the smell!

No flying done here today, but have been out with the boys and had lunch in the café in the park. They're at the CM tomorrow but the PC is in for repair so whether I'm working, flying or shopping depends on when I get it back!

So, here are the links:

Babystep: The importance of 15 minutes!

Mission (when it updates): Decluttering plastic pots - I did this one last time round and it's made a huge difference!

Anyway, Still hoping that everyone's safe and that nothing spreads any further. Waves to all. Good night.

Thanks blue. have had watching the city burn. So sad.

Just popping in before I go to bed. Haven't had a chance to post today. DS1's Education Outreach Worker came round this morning to go through various forms (he has lots of good ideas to support DS back at school ), then I had to take DS2 to the dentist to find out why his tooth is hurting again. Turns out both his two fillings have fallen out (only done a couple of months ago). At least he's had them refilled now and isn't in pain anymore. Then came home to meet up with a friend and her two boys. Took all four DC out to the playground as they were bouncing off the walls at home.

Have had a silly amount of injuries and violence amongst the DC today: DS2 shocked us by throwing a glass full of water at DS1, narrowly missing him; later, DS1 hit DS2 in the eye during a playful fight - we thought he was going to have a black eye at first, but he's fine; and DS1 was flung to the ground by his friend (they were practising judo - neither of them have ever had a lesson in their lives) and DS1 fell on his head, felt sick and dizzy and had to go home. Why are boys so rough? Or do girls do this too?

Have just started reading 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to DS2. I thought he might be too young (he's five), but he loves it and I'm so enjoying reading it to him. DS1 had a sneaky listen too.

In between all this, I have been FLYing. I have been sticking to my daily routines, doing a daily load of laundry and managing to put it away instead of leaving it to pile up (major achievement) and I have also done both missions. Only just finished clearing out my undersink cupboard - I was determined to do it!

Sorry, it's too late to do many personal messages, but I have caught up with all your news. Just wanted to say, though, to PA - sorry to hear the news about your DD . I'm glad, though, that you know you will still have a good team for her after she reaches 18.

determined to do cleaning today!

Dd at home today as no Sports.
Have already started cleaning our bedroom.
Yesterday was more mayhem as had two playdates here (hmm] unexpectedly, had to take boys to park for meetup, and do week's shop.
Hardly even managed putting away shopping in between dealing with various spats and supervisory activities, chatting to parents.

Morning! :)

Just typed a long message, and then the computer crashed, so am a bit grumpy now, and this will therefore be short and sweet!

Haven't traced the source of the smell , but we have a cream rug, so suspect it's somewhere on that, and will move rug to see if smell dissipates! Will also try Bicarb (thanks Blue!) to see if that helps.

Lots to do today to finish unpacking etc, so will be cracking on with it once I finish here, but this is my "me" time that I've decided to give myself once DS goes down for a nap as you can never tell when he'll wake

Hope everyone has a productive day! Will be back this evening with my ta-da list!

Done
recycling rubbish
started rescuing hall/living room

all the children are in front of screens, so that I can get some sustained tidying done. Ironically ds2 now says he doesn't want to watch anything except the Phantom Menace which he can't find... so that has taken up another bit of time arguing reasoning with him.

No-one is dressed, (except me!)
feeling absolutely frustrated by spatial situation House, garden shed, office...Nightmare. Having tripped over various items in shed on way to take out rubbish! Why does my husband do nothing in the garden except create more and more mess. The branches are still there....with a bloomign wheelbarrow on top of them, and it is creating a complete impasse. Beginning to think I need to just pay £50 to get someone/anyone to take them away, as Dh is clearly not going to do it until the Christmas tree looms on the horizon again and he notices he is going to have to deal with two trees...

The good news is I managed to sneak 20 children's videos out of the house yesterday via my friend who needs them for children's ward in hospital. Hurrah! If Dh asks where they are I shall pretend they are in holiday cottage, and hopefully by them he'll have forgotten about them.

bedroom floor now cleared, and stuff pulled out from under bed too.
ready to hoover and I've found a dreaded moth, Red Alert! Always a sign of neglect.