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!

[Hands AliceVanW aspirin, tissues, dustpan and brush. Well done on tidying and ratatouille front.]

Feetheart congrats for being nearly 75% through your list at lunch time. Nothing calms the "rabbit in headlights" feeling as getting stuff done!

Swan sorry you had to experience homework hell again last night but well done for ploughing on through. A home-made chicken pie can only smooth things along tonight.

Ouch hope you had a lovely snooze and that your glasses turn up

Whoknows have a good day at work. Will definitely try the cake.

Hi Nettle glad one of you is better! But should you get that tooth looked at again? Shouldn't abs should be kicking in by now?? Don't suffer over w/e if you think it isn't improving. Good luck with your frantic day!

CheerfulYank there really is some superlative Flying going on at your place! Well done and sweet dreams!

PA Oh no! How disappointing you had to cancel. Am sure your interviewers will note your dh's commitment/sense of responsibility though which can only count in your favour. Bit difficult when you have built yourself up for it though - it being the start of your new life no less. Hope your humungously long list of tasks proves sufficient distraction! Good luck with it! And sorry to hear your dd3 is struggling again x

As for me, I am still in odd mood = one, big, fat, NESBIT

Oh Linzer what awful news. That is so so sad . That poor, poor child.

Hi all,
having a busy day here, just got a threatening letter from our property management brigade so have to phone them - hate all that [quivers], but have prepared a list of questions so they can't throw me.

Linzer thanks for the input on the morning routine, I will take your advice and include washing (if there is some) and the sweeping of the kitchen thank you Costoonettle
Oh and also wanted to say that I would be feeling a bit miffed at the friend's mother if she had let me down and generally been a bit of a PITA and then the dog training event - the final straw (even though you had suggested it - drat and double drat) she should have said 'No I wouldn't think of it, it is too much of an inconvenience' or at least double checked that you were happy with it.
I do things like that: make gestures and then thing 'what on earth!' You will be better primed next time. Just say NO to everything she says. She might think you are deranged, but you will feel better.

So quick list
morning routine done
washing on (forgot to do last night)
hang washing out
phone horrible property bunch
clean bath
clean kitchen window
clean kitchen cupboards
wipe round kitchen floor
cut back plants
take ds's stuff for football
meet friends for coffee
cancel savings account
update Ebay listing
Get photos for ebay listing
hotspot
Do babystep 9

Phew
Turned out I had done babystep 8 and babystep 9 was 5 mins declutter, which I am pretending to have done by sorting out some Summer clothing and some stuff for the second hand shop.

Linzer you have been such a kind friend to them too. I remember you had the little brother to stay whilst they went for treatment abroad(hope I haven't got that wrong)
But as for other the wretched woman and her annoying behaviour! Your House, your Rules! May not have been a big deal for her but that's not the point....
Broken very sorry too.

Sympathies, rowing - I hate difficult phone calls too, and usually get DH to make them on the pretext that his German is far better than mine (am not that keen on phone calls anyway, so it's nice to have an excuse!). Glad to have been of help with the morning routine; it's a nice feeling to be able to tick off the washing without actually having to do any.

Thanks, SC; I feel desperately sad for both the wife and daughter. Was thinking only the other day that it's a shame we don't see more of them (the girls drifted apart when they went to different schools and their DD did so many activities in the afternoons that it was difficult to find time to meet) and now wish I'd been a better friend. Will write to her this evening.
Am also in a rather Nesbitty mood today, btw...

On a lighter note, my Lakeland Christmas catalogue has just arrived. That reminds me - we need to look into booking flights for Christmas and also ask the DDs' teachers whether it's OK for them to miss the last day so that we can actually get back to my parents' for Christmas.

To do in the next 20 minutes (back to three manageable items):

Supervise DDs' homework
Put washing away
Pick up DS

That was actually another friend, swan (DS's friend's father) - and they have, sadly, now split up. But as far as I know, he's now doing OK as the cancer was caught at a fairly early stage. I probably haven't mentioned the other friend very often as we've haven't been in contact with them much over the last 3-4 years. I did keep thinking I should make more of an effort to keep in touch as we got on very well and she's a lovely person, but time was an issue, as was the fact that the two girls had very little in common (her DD is very ambitious, highly achieving, rushing from one activity to the next - DD1 is more, um, laid-back and rather less motivated...).

Homework supervised (DD1 refused to let me check hers as she says the teacher does it - a sentiment that I agree with but DH does not), so now off to pick up DS. Washing still on clothes dryer.

Woohoo! Have managed to tick off all my list and still have time for a before collecting the boys!

:( that HFW didn't answer my question, but :) that I've managed to draft a first post for a blog I'm considering starting...

Sorry to hear your news Linzer and broken.

I'm off to put the kettle on now - lined up for SC, anyone else?

So sorry to hear about the loss of your friend's DH Linzer.

DS has been sent home from school sick . I was allowed to pick DD up early too (she was not happy as she has had to miss PE) and we'll have to skip tennis tonight, which is a shame as it's a beautiful day.

I need to get on with my paid work too, it is all going a bit pear shaped this week.

BWF - so sorry to hear about you dreadful day yesterday, I have read your thread, I love Cairns, MIL used to have one.

Rowing - I have put all my daily jobs into either the morning or evening routines, home blessing on one of my non-work days, ironing and paperwork on the other non-work day (I work 3 days) so on work days all I have to do during the daytime is the mission and a bit of tidying/decluttering/hotspotting. Seems to be working well, although I don't always bother with the missions .

I've decided to join in! Over the last couple ofdays I've had to get the house presentable for estate agents photos so have been tidying and sorting (or in some cases throwing things in cupboards) as well as giving it a quick going over cleaning wise :o

I feel now that I can keep on top of it all - whilst sorting out the bombsite that is the garage.

We have people staying over for the weekend so tomorrow I'll deep clean the bathrooms, and use my new mop on the kitchen floor

Just got home from a huuuuge day shopping, mum rang this morning to say she and dad are going away this weekend and could I drive her into town today to get 'bits', so today's list got binned and I went off to shop and drink coffee and eat cake all day!

I did manage to:
Wash all the towels (2 loads but they 'do' themselves IYKWIM)
Clean the cat-feeding-area (a wipe-clean board with a lip round it)
Mop kitchen floor

I got home JUST in time to meet the Tesco delivery man, so cupboards are nicely stuffed full and shopping for the week is done - except for the two fresh whole chickens, which Tesco somehow managed to forget.

So tomorrow I need to poop to shops before I get stuck into my to-do list.

POP to shops! POP!

@ poop!

I have to admit SC I'm struggling abit too. I've kept the basics going, which is something i guess but i don't really feel i've moved forward very much this month. Very little decluttering done and hardly any missions. As i said thought morning routine is ok, evening is ok for the most part, i rarely lay out clothes though. House is fine and tidy ish and I def don't live in CHAOS anymore.

Will try harder this weekend as DH is working so i find it easier to crack on without him around! :)

Im pooped

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

So am I despite Nesbit today. 90 mins of trying to cajole an over-tired and tearful dd in to focusing on her hwk. 60 mins writing letter in French to one teacher. 90 mins (still at it) trying to write letter to teacher in Dutch (tortuously)

Still got to write one 'good bye and thank you so much' letter in French and wrap up a present.

Thanks for Blue - it got me through! You sound on top of things - well done.
A warm welcome to Dizzyday Sounds as if you are off to a v. good start! Good luck with house sale.
Brokenwingedflier so glad you have had good news!!! (on other thread)
Oh dear Whoknows sorry your ds has caught the wretched bug
Nicknacks keeping the basics going is good! I'm doing baby-steps and am/pm/eve routines and nowt else. Can't motivate myself to declutter. This is precisely the time I should be using the 15 min motivator technique and I just CBA!!
Oops Shopping, eating cake and drinking coffee - now you're talking!
Linzer nine is such an awful age for it to happen (I know it's unbearable at any age) but nine is somehow old enough to understand quite a bit and to have formed huge attachment/memories but still so young and vulnerable at same time.
We have same Christmas dilemma. DD broke up on Christmas eve last year so no hope of travelling. It's the 23rd this yr I think. Haven't decided what we are doing yet.
Rowingboat letter sounds horrible. Hope phone call went OK. Here's some belated Dutch courage
Waves to Swan and everyone else ...

Back later ...

"poop to shops" :o

So sorry Linzer . :( That poor little girl, too.

Oh no Brokenwing ! I'll look for your other thread.

TA-DA!
*At school and preschool almost on time

*Repeated instructions to 8 and 9 year olds approximately fifty time without shrieking "I TOLD YOU THAT ALREADY NOW PAY ATTENTION BEFORE MY HEAD EXPLODES!"

*Picked DS up from preschool

*Made a semi well-balanced lunch for both of us

*Put a load of laundry in the dryer and one in the wash

TO DO

*Finally vacuum!
*Poop to the shops :o :
-bookstore
-dairy for milk butter eggs
-Woo Store for gluten free stuff
-Bank
*put laundry away
*Garage sale
*Dishes
*Mop/sweep
*Let dogs run amok for a bit in the backyard
*Evening routine

In the next few days: Round up library books and DS's birth certificate for preschool screening

Good evening everyone

Quick update of my list then to find out what you have all being doing.

Get up/dressed/dc bathed & dressed-done
Dw on/ wm on/ td on-done
S/s-nope
School run and nursery run-done
Work x one million jobs-done
Home tidy-done
Mop living room floor-done
Not go to gym (don't need an excuse but throbbing mouth doesn't entice me to exercise. - did soem gardening instead and found some grapes growing in my garden. hark at me int i posh init!!
Type up minutes of mondays meeting and distribute.-not yet, not sure i can be bothered tonight.
Bed-not yet

pa OMG at at dh messing up interview. Nothing worse than all that nervous excitement just to have it postponed.
swan is it long walks in the fallen leaves making you long for a dog?
brokenwingedflier aw at poor little dog, mil has a cairn terrier, beautiful little thing but very stubborn. What happens now? Will he get used to his surroundings?
linzer so sorry to hear about your friends DH. Its a truelly awful spiteful disease. How is she doing?
sc ooo i hope not, i dont ever want to go back. I dont know when anti bio should kick in. I want to be finished them as have a party to go to and want lotsa drink!!!
whoknows hope ds is feeling better what a nuisance.
dizzy welcome to you
oops at pooping in the shops.
cheerful at exploding head syndrome.

Huge waves to anyone i've missed.

Off to bed and to decide whether to drool over jack harkness or laugh at billy connelly.

Quick post of tomorrow's list then off to bed- in serious need of some zzz's!

Pay in cheque
Return library book
Pay mahooosive library fine
Picnic with mindees
Beaver Run
Sew badges on
Hoover cobwebs in bathroom
Hoover hall and stairs

Thats it! Working as usual tomorrow so errands i can do whilst out and about with the little ones, the housework will have to wait until the evening.

Good night. Many apologies for the lack of personals- i don't even have the energy to read tonight as the screen is making me feel even more sleepy.

Evening all

Linzer sorry to hear about DHs friend. It really is a cruel disease.
SC Doing little bits however will keep things ticking over and is better than nothing.
Brokenwingerflyer sorry to hear about Dog.

well I've been a terrible flyer today as I have had a migraine since lunchtime. Had a snooze at lunchtime instead of flying but I still have a bit of a sore head now. Did manage to get to shops for sisters birthday present for tomorrow and have delivered it tonight.

Despite lack of flying today I will be doing none tomorrow either as its my birthday. I'm taking dd to school then I think I'm going to treat myself to some windown shopping or a film at the cinema, then I have booked myself and DH in at a local restaurant which has come highly recommended and DD is going to GPs. Well thats the plan...we'll seeif thats what happens.

cnettie - Billy on here and Jack being recorded to drool over at later date :)

Linzer - so sorry to hear about your friend's DH. Poor friend and poor little girl. Are they in same country as you? If so, how good are the bereavement services? Finding out quite a bit about Winston's Wish at the moment as I think I would like to raise money for them when I run the half-marathon next year.

Ta da:

• Posters up at school - done
• Ring plumber to discuss bathroom in property 1 - done left message
• Ring builder to chase quote for property 2 - done useless, need another builder for elusive 3rd quote
• Buy mattress for property 1 and organise delivery - done
• Ring window company re property 2 - done and missed call back!
• Buy tiles for bathroom of property 1 - done
• Visit property 1 and get lots of stuff out of loft for Car Boot sale this w/e - done Rather and at the amount of cr*p up there. Will take a lot few more trips/days to sort it all
• School Assoc display changed at school - nope, will do tomorrow

Not bad and feeling far less 'rabbit-in-a-headlights' now. Need another day like that again tomorrow now. Might even get some Flying done

Need to get to bed now...............night night all.

evening

Linzer :( so sad

sorry brain is fried.
did sleep earlier
took ds training.
got ds through shower and bedtime without killing him - bonus.
been filing out paperwork - which fried brain
Now trying to sort out an important email and consuming chocolate buttons in the vain attempt to refocus the brain

Going to be crazy tomo. Early start, late finish, stupidly long to do list in the middle, So must sleep soon.

List for friday:
Up
ds up
school run x2
laundry
ds' bedding
tidy car out
hoover car
sort out ds' training kit that stinks
sort out my training kit for the evening
folding
Ironing
clothes away
tidy ds' room
tame the bathroom
wash the bathroom floors and ds' bedroom floor
tame the landing
tame the chaos so that passage into and out of my room is possible
see about getting some taming done in the garden so that garden furniture can be packed up for the winter whilst dry - assuming it doesnt rain tomo
feed the masses
Training.
get important email sent
finish filling out paperwork and get necessary extra bits for attaching
find library books, return and pay fine.
Pick up a new floor board for a project for ds.

I suspect that I won't be able to acheive all of that but what ever gets left will have to be carried over to the weekend.

Sorry for lack of personals. Bar is open, help yourselves!!!

Evening all. Late again. Sorry.

Baby-step no. 16 for Fri Sept 16th is http://www.flylady.net/pages/bbd16.asp here - can be totally ignored

This week we are in zone 3: the BATHROOM + one other room here

Friday's mission will appear here once website updates

But you can see last mission of the week here

Oh dear, oh dear. I am a hopeless thread leader! Nearly at the end of the week and I discover this on the last day!! So sorry! Didn't realise it was there before! Will try to find the one that corresponds to next week's zone on Monday!! Promise!!

Friday is a day for paperwork and miscellaneous tasks (like cleaning out handbag)
Friday night is date night.

Baby-step link again here

Quick round-up:

Ouch has been snoozing, writing herself a humungous list for tomorrow and eating chocolate buttons
Feetheart has tamed that "rabbit in headlights" feeling by getting lots and lots done
MC has ben excused from Flying today owing to a migraine, has bought her sister's birthday present for tomorrow and planned her own birthday celebration for tomorrow too! (Identical or non-identical MC ?)
Nicknacks has opted for a much-needed early night in advance of a busy day with her mindees tomorrow
CNettle has got loads done, put up with a throbbing jaw (which is in danger of cramping her style this w/e) and discovered grapes in her garden.
CY finished her mammoth list (yay!!!!!), watched her dogs gambol and visited the Woo store.
Oops "pooped" to the shops (sorry, couldn't resist ) ate cake and searched in vain for two missing chickens
AlicevanW was just pooped but made a ratatouille bake nonetheless
Dizzyday has joined the thread
Whoknows has another patient to look after. (Hope your ds feels better soon!)
Blue finished her entire list in time for a before the school run! [Respect!]
Linzer heard some sad news
Rowingboat had a huge list to work through and had to make a difficult phone call
Brokenwingedflier's cairn terrier gave her a fright
Swan has been juggling homework supervision, piano practice, chicken-pie making and reading Robert Harris
PA had to postpone a life-changing meeting and do lots of chauffering
SC did a Nesbit, then hwk supervision, and tested her limited language skills

Huge waves to Ellie Pushme MissJ Toffee and the loads of people I've inevitably missed.

See you in the morning!

Urgh. Sleep fail. Today there is not going to be enough coffee. :(
Spose I might as well get up and get started on that list...

Right coffee drunk
I am showered and up.
My bedding is on to wash.
I have done a finance overview as complete as possible without getting an uptodate balance which i can't do til later.
Ds' lunch is made and uniform laid out.
Bread dough is in bread machine
Ds' kit is soaking in the bath
DW is running
Apply common sense to a situation I'd rather let my heart rule and now have to come to terms with the disappointment.
And I am about to start to tame my bedroom.

Not bad for being only about 6:30am.