Back to Fly school for September Fledglings

[substantiallycompromised]

Welcome to the September 2011 Fledgling Flying thread! Hang up your microfibre cloths and park your buckets here!!

[Sorry - I've namechanged again - but remain SC]

This is where from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation along the way. (More info available here )

Humungous thanks to our previous thread leader Blue for navigating us all through the August school holidays...and for doing it so consistently and well!!

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. Some of us (SC stares at feet) -are even embarrassingly stuck at decluttering stage after two years

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

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

All newcomers welcome!

well, I have spent the ENTIRE evening supervising homework, that's why I haven't been on here Nicknacks. The minute I took my eye off the ball, to drop ds at football and dd at ballet (quite reasonably I thought, the whole of our life can't grind to a halt), Ds did not start his homework and when he did, he got the wrong end of the stick, and had to redo it, cue hysterics.
We've only just finished it now at 9.30 with a short break for supper
Not possible to take him to Scouts as there was literally no room in the evening for anything extra curricular.

Have written a note in his homework diary to say homework took him 2 and quarter hours (it was meant to take between 45 and 90 mins, so they said in the Homework Diary...[grr] all work to hand in tomorrow, and that's not counting the stuff that is carried over from last week till Wednesday

Toffee I would feel like you, except that ds has now realised he has to come home or he won't finish his homework. Anyway he's looking forward to after school club on Thursday which continues to 5pm (badminton, hope that doesn't count as a contact sport) Must be very weird though to go from having your ds close for so long, to this new life. But satisfying too that he is so independent and has found a good mate

How exciting about dh business venture! But scarey. Still, nothing worse than being in power of annoying employer.

Fuzzled hope you get good night sleep
Nicknacks how sweet she looks through the cat flap, babies are the size of cats aren't they..at least she can't fit through...

done
sleepingbag to dry cleaners
mopped and swept downstairs
both bathrooms deep cleaned, clutter removed
assembled all Roman books in one place [sigh]
oh yes he has to do his Roman frontispiece again as apparently it wasn't good enough - but luckily only due on Friday

got to hoovering stage in all bedrooms except ours, but then....unaccountably ran out of time [grrr]

cooked supper, including pasta sauce, and leek soup
shopped for I suppose what amounts to one or two days food

TMI, and TOO LONG...goodnight

Blue congrats on first day at school
Nettie hope your school age ds1 is alright

Good evening

Sorry for being AWOL.

My tada today (just to keep me on track)
Washing x2
Dwx2
S/s
Tidied dc bedrooms
Bought new car seat for dd
Bought 3 Christmas presents
Picked ds up from school. (hoping they are taking him on a tour if the school as he has been in headmasters office today)
Play park with dc
Home to do packed lunch sort out uniform
Dh ironed uniform
Floors swept
Ladies circle meeting attended

Now to chill. I promise I'll catch up soon.

whoknows I have had life book for 3 years but couldn't cope with online calendar, weekly calendar and lifebook. Now just have weekly planner and one of their shopping list/meal magnetic planners
swan thanks about teeth advise. I am trying very hard to take it easy! (it's not easy taking it easy)

Humongous waves to everyone

Oh dear. Hello everyone (well, you are probably all asleep like sensible people, but hello anyway!)

I think it's me who should apologise for being awol! Felt a bit tired/a bit ill as day went on - nothing dramatic - just fatigue/a bit of a cold. Had dinner and then fell asleep reading to dd and have only just woken up now.

So many apologies for not posting links before now. Here they are ....

Baby-step number 13 for Tuesday 13th September is here. It?s worth doing (introduction to missions).

All this week we are in Zone 3 (the kitchen and one other room) here

Tomorrow?s mission will appear here once the Flylady website updates itself.

But if you want a sneak peak at the missions for the entire week see here

Tuesday is deemed ?a free day? by the Fat Fairy ie baby-step + 15 minutes in current zone and that?s your lot (if only it were so easy!)

Will be back early as early as possible tomorrow morning for round-up/catch-up

G'night all

[SC looks around for Ouch with whom to share a medicinal snifter before going to bed for the second time!]

I've completed a few things from CY's Mammoth List. Well...it's a start. :)

Finish laundry
Swish and swipe
Clean bathroom floor
Dishes
Shine sink
Clean stove
Wipe down cupboards and counter
Organize living room shelves
Tidy living room
Tidy dining room
Clear off table (MAJOR hot spot)
Sweep and vacuum
Vacuum carpet
DS's homework to preschool on Wednesday
pack DS's folder for preschool tomorrow (immunization forms and emergency contact list)
shake out dog bed and rug
sweep and mop entryway
wash and replace sheets and pillowcases
get to work/preschool on time (we'll see )
get to bed at a decent hour (11:30 ish...not great but could be worse)
lay out clothes the night before so not running around frantic in the mornings

SC sorry I missed the snifter. Have another tonight on me!
nicknacks sorry, missed your question as was on my phone while watching Doc martin (multitasking!) - DS is 11.5 months. I have no idea how he got that old!

Anyway, slept 10.30-2.55am then about and hours hiatus as DS was awake. Only back to sleep by cosleeping with me on inflatable, so I didn't sleep too well. Still, I'm upright and functioning!

About to go for a shower once coffee is done. Then hopefully DS will be awake (DH now with him on the mattress and I can hear both snoring - colds ) so breakfast and on with the list. Emailed work and told then I'd be working tonight instead, so hopefully if DS naps this am, I can crack on.

Toodles!

Morning all,

Had one of my despair-about-all-the-clutter-and-state-of-the-house episodes last night, so stayed up until about 11.30 pm trying to restore some order. As a result, slept through my alarm and was only woken by DH's half an hour later. I think there's a lesson to be learnt in there somewhere.

An even shorter morning than usual today (the child-free part of it, at any rate), as I have to pick up DS from kindergarten for his appointment with the speech therapist at 10.45 am. I'll take him back to kindergarten just as DD2 is coming out of school - she's going to be walking home (well, to meet me at kindergarten) on her own for the first time today as I probably wouldn't be able to get to school in time to pick her up (and the traffic round the school is a nightmare at the moment, as most of the first years are still being driven to and from school). She seems fine about it, though; I offered to phone the mum of a girl in another class to see if she's finishing at the same time and could walk with DD2, but DD2 said she wanted to walk on her own (she's only ever walked with other children and/or DD1 before).

Right, must get on. I am going to make a determined attempt to at least get my morning routine done today.

Morning pop-pickers ...unexpectedly sunny and bright here this morning and I've woken up sneezing but generally feeling better.

Again, apologies for going awol yesterday (wish I could say I had gone awol in the home office Nicknacks but that would be stretching the truth. Got to get in there at some point today though!)

First of all, a very warm welcome to BrokenWingedFlier Jump right in! Getting back to basics sounds like a plan! I am VERY intrigued by your bus shelter !!

Right you lovely lot, what have you all been up to????

Nicknacks/Fuzzled/*Messy Arf at mirror/window/cat-flap/sole-licking dc!!!

Linzer has been rescuing her house until late at night, discussing the merits of the Pocket Life Organiser Book and preparing her dd2 for her first ever solo walk home from school!
Fuzzled has been manfully sleeping on that inflatable again, tending to her poorly family and her dh has tidied the garage (we do like it when dhs/dps get in to the Flying groove). She is preparing for guests today. Will join you for that Snifter tonight if I may )

CY has been boldly making her way through her list [geddit?]
CNettle has bought 3 Christmas presents and has not found taking it easy at all easy!
Swan has been supervising homework and deep cleaning bathrooms (very bizarre about the lard btw - usually oodles of the stuff over here (v. old fashioned) but seems to be national shortage.

Re: traditional ingreds: have taken to goose grease! You can buy it by the jar here and if you use it to fry potatoes ... well ... results are heavenly and apparently it is the sort of fat that is good for one's heart ... Speaking of health, hope your back-ache/neck-ache/ear-ache /are not still troubling you and you haven't succumbed to a cold.
Blue has been decluttering things for charity despite feeling dizzy [glad your ds1's first day went well and that vertigo is improving]
Nicknacks (nourished by a good Sunday roast dinner) has ploughed through her list and cleared up after the boiler man
Ouch has been swinging and nuking the tea
Toffee completed her entire list, has been adjusting to her ds1's new-found independence and is becoming involved in her dh's new enterprise (sounds exciting and don't worry about not posting frequently - just post when you can!)
Messy has been side-stepping hurricanes and kept her spirits up by posting a long ta-da list! Well done!
Oops managed to make delicious home-made bread, despite enduring painful elbows, a cracked head and cat sick! She is hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Whoknows has worked her way through a substantial list, has been sorting out her weekly plan and is still shredding!!
Ellie had a lovely weekend but a grim start to the week
PA had a grim weekend but a cracking start to Monday morning ... (Hope your dd3's first day at college went well!)

Oops re: Ooops that should have read Oops is hoping for a better day TODAY!!

Right, just writing myself a little list to get motivated (most of it brought forward from yesterday )

Ta da:
morning routine inc wm, dw, s&s, boudoir tidy
home bleurrgghh (just ground floor)
cleaned out guinea pigs
recycling
online orders

To do:
grey wash
white wash
dark blue wash
15 mins in home office of doom
errand shop
buy birthday present
French study
sewing
afternoon/evening routine

Have a good day everyone!

todo
write email on cousin's behalf re: adoption
routines
tackle garden rubbish before tomorrow's collection, ditto recycling

that's it really, will come back when that's done

feel absolutely shattered, need to go to bed at 10.00 from now on. Haven't watched Tv for weeks, there doesn't seem to be any time...

Morning all,

Well, today was turned upside down this morning when DD got up and was promptly sick. So, no school or ballet for her, no work for me. Extra washing and decluttering and MN here I come.

Back later

Oh dear

this middle bit of the month is always tough going

Sorry to hear you are feeling so shattered Swan and sorry to hear your dd is ill Whoknows

Take it steady both of you

I am in the home office and I should be decluttering but I am Mnsetting instead

Dp is still in bed, and dd2 is napping so I am doing nothing :o

Have done dishwasher, washing machine emptied and on again and that's about it :)
Kitchen and bathrooms are clean, dd1's room is spotless and dp is in bed so can't really go in moving stuff....I mean I could clear off a hotspot or something, but wouldn't like to wake dd2 so will just MN instead!

To do later:
groceries shop (Lidl) with dp
collect dd1 from school
keep washing :(
hotspots (mantlepiece, shelves, washing machine and kitchen table)
wash windows
make dinner
clear up from dinner
sort uniform and lunch for dd1
bed time routine

will be back later when I've actually done something and with personals :)

Still here - life seems to have taken over.
Very little Flying, house descending to CHAOS again, too much to do, too little time - it seemed so much easier in the holidays

Need Linzer's 3 things on a list approach:

• WORK (note to self - stop avoiding it!)
• Hang up washing
• Speak to event insurance person

master bedroom tidied, sheets changed, and hoovered so much easier every time (after first three batches of decluttering over last three years...)
summery look items removed from wardrobe put in loft
dh's clothes put away
make up bag decluttered

not done other things on list fnding it difficult to concentrate for some reason

Aaargh, was lovely and sunny and windy all morning, as soon as I put the washing on the line, whoosh, the heavens have opened, it is lashing it down (as we were saying last week).

DD is sitting on the sofa being sick approximately once an hour, I am wondering about getting DS from school, think we'll take the car, sit in it till the last minute and then run in and get him, luckily he's allowed out on his own now and I don't have to wait for teacher to let him out.

Been having a big sort out of all the downstairs toy boxes, just on the last push now to put them back into place and take all the odds and sods which belong in other rooms back to the correct rooms (in other words the boring bit). We have had a row of baskets of crap toys along the hearth in the front room annoying me for as long as I can remember, although we cannot get all the toys out of that room I would love to have all the boxes hidden, so that has been achieved by merging the contents of all the small baskets into one big plastic crate to go in the corner. Giving it two days before the stuff creeps out onto the hearth again.

Today is a burnout day. I think I have cooking rsi :( and the kitchen looks like a bomb has gone off in it. But was necessary due to some kind but misguided person who thought surprising me with some lovely apples would be nice. Apples appreciated, not being told that they were there and needed dealing with a real pita that resulted in today's cooking marathon. Also as the middle part of the week is crazy I have prepped teas for the next three days so that it is a put on timer in the oven/reheat in microwave type tea.

Sat on the bench in various stages of cooling is: risto, prepped for oven cottage pie, apple crumble, carrot cake. In the oven is an apple cake and on the hob is some apple for apple turnovers. In the fridge is more crumble top as it appears that I have also been given some rhubarb. Thinking about making them danishes with custard though but will wait til tomo for that when the pastry will have defrosted and yes I am cheating with the blooming pastry my arms hurt from all the sodding peeling coring and debugging of the windfalls.

done
Up
school run late
fall out with ds who was in awkward and rude mode this morning
deal with windfalls
apple cake
carrot cake
apple crumble
apple turnover filling
cottage pie
risto
3 loads washing
folding up to date
turn kitchen into bombsite
sort through training kit
drink not enough coffee
put ds' ds thingy onto charge
Some project work

Left to do:
School run
discover kitchen
bins
washing.

I need more coffee.

Hope you are all having good days.

Oh and I forget - i have also cleared out the fridge of suspect items which is how i discovered the rhubarb and apples.

wow Ouch! have you read that book called "Jam" by M Mahy?
ds will be delighted!

10 minutes later and it is a beautiful sunny day again. But my washing is soaked and dripping.

Ouch - I was just about to make a cup of tea, will do you a quick coffee and send it up. Am very impressed with your kitchen productivity. I was going to make a chocolate and beetroot cake today, I steamed the beetroot in the slow cooker yesterday, but vomiting girl in the other room is not conducive to baking.

Whoknows I still remember to this day a terrible tantrum dd had aged 3 when I took her to Kipling's House and tried to buy her a choc and beetroot brownie from the NT tea room, instead of Ginormous Choc Fudge Cake Slice, thinking choc and beetroot was healthier What a relief she's not three anymore, although I suspect she still wouldn't touch anything with beetroot in it

Hope your dd's feeling better by this evening, every hour does not sound happy

Swan - I tried chocolate and prune brownies last year, I quite liked them no one else did even though I didn't tell them what was in there! If I get to make this one I will probably take it to work, they'll eat anything there.

Well, managed the school run in between bouts of vomiting. So far, all but one have been contained in a bucket, and that was a small one, such a nice change from when they were toddlers and were sick all over everything randomly. Night time might not be as good though.

Swan I made some gorgeous chocolate brownies last year, took them on a picnic and all the children gobbled them up after I challenged them to guess the mystery ingredient. It was... 2lbs of courgettes!!! Amazing how many courgettes you can 'fit' in brownie mix!

Children were suitably disgusted surprised.

Today's list (all DONE!)
Coffee/brunch with friends I haven't seen since pre-Summer holidays
Clean up kitchen
Shopping for mum
Photos and listings for eBay
1 load laundry washed, dried, put away, 1 load in on timer for tomorrow
Sewing - repair 2 pairs trousers, 1 skirt
Sort Wii and DS games for sale

Afternoon all

Whoknows hope dd is better soon. No time to catch up on thread. Been for job interview today. Didn't get it though so back to flying tomorrow.

back later

Cross now as DC faffed around with yummy fish pie and ran out of time so it will now feed the cats as has been pushed around plates too much to be appetizing to anyone else .

Whoknows - would love choc and beetroot cake recipe, bet they would eat that (still )

Managed to get 3 things done though couldn't get far with insurance as apparently they were all 'in a meeting'

3 more things for this evening:

• Stew peaches before they all go off (ready to make jam tomorrow)
• Ironing
• Sink shiny