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!

Nettie take care of yourself tomorrow, it's hard when you are having to support everyone else, including new school ds1 and MIL.
SC now that's a proper Sunday!
And yes it was Fields of Gold, drat it, I thought it was just flair that made the choirmaster choose it. Do love a bit of Sting.
Nicknacks you must have a lovely calm way to look after the mindees so well
Toffee I'm sure the homework is just US not getting it. The tasks have all been quite "fun". Whereas Ds prefers just straightforward question and answer type work. I bet your ds1 will have a bit of a head start from having done independent research in the last year.

Whole day continued to be dominated by homework

Downton cheered me up! Have tidied kitchen, swept floor, washed up etc, checked bus passes for tomorrow.

Morning all.

Well, in the history of manic weekends, I do believe I have had the most manic ever!
Saturday was my nephews wedding. We all arrived home in the not too wee hours of Sunday! Then yesterday we had a leaving meal at home for 25 guests (and us 7) for DD2 who is going off on her gap year next Saturday. Preparing for that with 3 very hung-over teenagers and DS and DD4 who were just knackered was a nightmare hard work.
DH also did a "round the island" bike race yesterday in the most atrocious weather, but in a personal best time, so happy hubby!!

Result is an extremely tidy house , but an absolutely knackered family! Might not be the calmest of mornings today.

SO today's list is:
Survive breakfast time
Get through work
Throw something together for tea
sofa/feet up/relax this evening
bed (definitely will be doing the early bed tonight - I need it now!!)

I hope you all have a far more productive day than mine will be.

Sorry for lack of personals, I am off to do a catch-up with you all, but a weary wave in your general direction!

Morning everyone

Blue good luck to your ds2 today on his first day at play group!

Rowingboat/Pushme "to Nesbit" = a friendlier version of procrastinating accompanied by bourbon biscuits inadvertently invented by MrsWoodenTop -see my post of 31 August 11.26:24 (right at start of thread)
Rowingboat you are all v. welcome (always cook for the proverbial 5,000 anyway!), arf at kitchen bin and enjoy your holiday today!! (I have so many unfinished sewing projects lying around btw that I am banned from material shops until I finish some of them )
Nicknacks you should feel chuffed - that's a lot of things accomplished yesterday!
rowingboat/blue you are planting spring bulbs already? Yikes! that's v. impressive. Haven't got my alliums in yet ....
Pushme oh that's a relief - was worried you had bought a cut and shunt [have to say that one carefully]
Swan and Toffee will have fingers crossed for both of you for calm homework sessions this afternoon
Crikey PA resting on your laurels as usual I see How on earth did you manage the logistics of that (prepping for Sunday when you weren't there on Sat?) . Can't have been easy and top marks for ending up with a tidy house (if that had been my weekend I would have ended up with a bomb site)!! Well done to your dh for battling the elements and hope you DO manage to get that early night tonight.

Waves to everyone else. Hope you all have a good start to the week!

Hope you will forgive me if I post a long list for weekend and today - need to motivate myself

Saturday:
buy gp supplies done
change beds done
buy two birthday presents + 2 'consolation' gifts done plus bought early St Nic Presents
dd ballet done had lovely chat with other mother
call two friends called one
e-mail another done
get back in touch with fortnightly ironing lady
planning charts
school dates on calendar half
dd hwk supervision done
sort out pedometer
buy next year's wall calendar/plan
carry on sewing
carry on laundry done
wrap 2 parcels
exercise!!!! done
hang up white washing done
fold towels x 2 done
wash posh table cloths done
iron clothes for tomorrow done
2 online clothes orders done

Sunday:
morning routine done
prep veg dish done
make blackberry and apple crumble *done
church NOPE
sort dd craft materials for Weddone
name tapes on dd mac, dd ballet tunic, dd gym trousers done
write letter to gym mistress done
school uniform ironing done
practice times tables with dddone
enjoy car free day!done
roast chickendone
dd bathdone
sewingNOPE

Today:
morning routine inc s&s, dw on, wm on done
tidy master bedroom and put away clothes that are hanging about
home bleurgh ground floor
buy wall calendar/chart thing
clean out gps
recycling
buy new fountain pen for dd
continue laundry
work work
doctor
hwk supervision
supper: cold chicken, brocc, new pots
afternoon/evening routine
early bed

Morning all,

That sounds like quite a weekend, PA. And how on earth did you manage to end up with a tidy house - even on quiet weekends, our house usually looks like a bomb has hit it a little untidy.

SC I think I may have to follow your example and post a long list for today to motivate myself, as I'm feeling a bit rabbit-in-the-headlights at the moment and need to start ticking things off!

Today's list:

Morning routine
15 min decluttering
Meet DDs' teachers to discuss English lessons done
Chase up speech therapy referral
Finish planning tomorrow's English lesson
Plan school English lessons for Thursday
Scan and e-mail article - have just tried, but can't work out how to use scanner and DH is helpfully away until Wed night
Phone DS's friend's mum re playdate
Phone friend re Tuesday's English lesson
Finish letter
Send invoice
Shred
Pick up DD1 from school if still raining
Pick up DD2 from yoga and take DDs to piano lesson
Buy exercise book for speech therapy
Afternoon routine
Pick up DS from kindergarten
Make fish pie
Remind DD2 to write to GPs (DD1 has finally written her postcard - hurrah! However, I think she needs to practise writing in English a little more: "We went on a Bus wot you kann se on the acher side.")
Update diary
Evening routine

I was going to write that I'd try to fit in my routines and decluttering as and when, but decided that wasn't really the spirit, so have just gone back and added them to my list.

Right, I suppose I'd better make a start...

SC didn't get to church yesterday either...family time fightingwithfamily seemed more important

Off to a good start this morning, we are enjoying listening to all the old records on our new turntable..although the slithering pile of records is now threatening to take over the ironing pile

best news of all is that I don't have to drop off Ds1's extraordinarily heavy trombone, as they apparently have one in the school storeroom for now Woke up at 6am worrying about legistics of getting ds and trombone to school for first ever trombone lesson.

done
bins yesterday
washed Sunday tablecloth and hung out to dry
booked Dh to stay at home on Tuesday so we can do strategic planning movebagsofgardenrubbish
linzer v impressed by husband who can prepare concrete bases!

todo
get ahead with garden rubbish
playroom
pistachio nut hotspot by tv upstairs
put away laundry
piano practice me

list update:

up done
ds up, breakfasted thanks dsis!
school run done
laundry
handwashing
Ring hospital and chase appointment that is 3mths overdue.
tackling my room or sleeping to sleep off the sleep meds I took last night that shifted migraine but failed to induce sleep. very sleepy today.
Alarm set for waking me up later done
School run remembering the later collection time and location.
ds' homework

PA

I'm creeping back on to see if I can get myself more organised again. DS is in his third week of school, and I've sorted out working round him, so now need to get into the new routine. DH is away for the week, so that makes some bits of life easier, but does screw up my work, as I have to do drop-off every day now, so am working later to make up for the lost time.

Done so far not a lot
DS bags, nature table stuff, float/sink stuff, letters, money etc etc ready
DS ready for school
Take DS to school
Post Parish mag sub
Recycling and food bin in
Washing on line
Change DS's eye appointment
Phone Council and complain that neighbour's recycling has been dumped into the general rubbish bins!
Pick veg
Find out and file library times
Write out the weekly plan
Order prescription
Work out week for cabin holiday

To Do
RR - living room, kitchen, bathroom, DS room, bedroom
WHBH
washing up
Wash muslins
Dry teddy
S/s
Washing in machine
Zone cleaning/declutter
Phone dentist
Phone ISP
Book cabin holiday
Order stuff on 'net'
Emails - playgroup and WI
Fill in payment form and write letter
Post
Bin in
Check and pay bills
Paper file item
Birthday cards
Find spark arrestor supplier
Look at house insurance
Collect DS
Cook tea
DS homework
Evening routine
DS to bed
Sort work bag and food for tomorrow
Sort DS stuff for tomorrow
Exercise
Washing in airer
Clean washing away

Thanks for the motivating thoughts, Ouch. Coffee is helping too.

List update, to keep me going - only 10 minutes before DD1 is out of school, which is when things normally start to go downhill. I also have an hour less of child-free time after lunch, as I don't normally pick up DS until after the girls' piano lesson but his friend is only registered at Kindergarten until 2 pm so I'll be picking up DS (plus friend) over an hour earlier than usual.

Morning routine bits done
15 min decluttering
Meet DDs' teachers to discuss English lessons done
Chase up speech therapy referral hasn't been received by health insurance company, so need to check again next week
Finish planning tomorrow's English lesson done
Plan school English lessons for Thursday
Scan and e-mail article have given up
Phone DS's friend's mum re playdate done - he's coming over this afternoon
Phone friend re Tuesday's English lesson
Finish letter getting there
Send invoice
Shred
Pick up DD1 from school if still raining dry at the moment, so she can probably walk
Pick up DD2 from yoga and take DDs to piano lesson
Buy exercise book for speech therapy
Buy English lesson supplies from stationery shop
Look for toy bee at toy shop
Afternoon routine
Pick up DS from kindergarten
Make fish pie
Remind DD2 to write to GPs
Update diary
Evening routine

Back in the land of the living dead again.

Tummy bug is not a good thing. Had to get the doctor out as stomach went into spasm meaning I couldn't take on fluids. Now have very sore stomach and back muscles and am struggling to lift DS who has a stinking cold and is very grumpy.

Hope to go out to shop today just for a walk and then a nap together this pm.

My to do list is huge as DH did the house when I was invalided... so no washing (other than for DS) and no tidying, just mess making. Still, at least DS is clean!

However, think I will try and keep it manageable so:
Washing
Clean bathrooms
Find something in freezer for DH dinner

That'll do me.

I've finished RL work for the day, so off to find a drink.

Have a nice day y'all

Mumsnetting coffee time here too!

Crikey Linzer sneeze and your school morning is over!! Good luck with your long list. Why a bee in partic. if you don't mind my asking?

Great to see you Ihate!! We've missed your long lists (and have been following yr example this morning) How is the new job going?? Good luck with all your tasks too!

Glad the migraine petered out Ouch . Does your sister want to come and stay here by any chance?

Swan glad you have been relieved of trombone hefting! at pistachio nut hotspot! Have a good day and good luck with chores.
We need to get back in to our routine Sunday church-going - it all fell apart a bit over the holidays.
Good idea to book one's dh in for a day's strategic planning - think I might copy that one!

Today:
morning routine inc s&s, dw on, wm on done
tidy master bedroom and put away clothes that are hanging about
home bleurgh ground floor done
buy wall calendar/chart thing
clean out gps done
recycling done
buy new fountain pen for dd
continue laundry doing
work work [doing from home]
doctor done
hwk supervision
supper: cold chicken, brocc, new pots
afternoon/evening routine
contact fortnightly ironing lady
wrap 2 parcels
sewing
early bed

Morning all,

Well, home blessing is done bar the hoovering, a friend has just popped round for a quick coffee and I'm having a quick 15 mins on MN before doing the hoovering. Remarkably the house is looking much tidier than usual, the routines are really starting to work here at the moment, despite all the disruption due to sickness last week.

Did someone ask about the verb "Nesbit"? It was coined last month as an alternative to prevaricate, it was a typo on someone's Iphone or similar. So when you nesbit something it means you didn't get round to / couldn't be bothered to do something. I nesbit a lot. Talking of which, the hoovering .....

I think that nesbit was a misprint for 'meaning'
Kind thoughts to Linzer
Not to harp on about it but when my neighbour dropped me and (greatly)improving puppy home from the vet I was able to take her into the kitchen and sitting room (WITH CLEAN CLEAR FLOORS!!!) in order to show her where the various episodes in the night (from hell) had occurred. If it had happenned a week before I think she would have assumed we had been burgled

Just babystepping and houseblessing and deleting 7000 emails.

What I meant was that CHAOS syndrome is one thing, because you can just not invite people over. But in an emergency, you have to have them over.

'mrswoodentop Wed 31-Aug-11 08:50:47
Been Nesbit to join for several months ,have spent the whole summer on crutches after hip op.Now mobile and determined to take control'

(And when you have household crisis, you can't do 'crisis cleaning'!)

Afternoon all

SC a day with no traffic sounds lovely (assuming you don't need to be anywhere urgently)

fuzzledsorry to hear you have been unwell. Take it easy today

PA I am exhausted just reading what you go upto this weekend.

Hello to everyone else.

Well I have been busy this morning and can't believe I have to pick DD up in two hours. Its gone so fast today. DD should be going to swimming lesson after school today but she is really struggling with a bad cold so I may miss this week as I don't think the cold and wet will do her chest any good.

Todays list

• Shopping Done
• Dry clothes washed late last night done
• strip both ours and dd's beds and wash bedding Done
• remake beds
• mission
• put lamb shanks in slow cooker for tea
• online banking done
• recycling
• s&s bathroom and en-suite done
• Read some of 'sink reflections'
• Attack the ironing pile
• Mop floors throughout after moon dough explosion at weekend (There must be something in it as its made all floors slippy after hoovering it up.)

Right lunch time over - back to it!

Afternoon everyone.
DS2 seems to have enjoyed playgroup and wasn't too upset at me leaving - always a relief! He's now napping but DH is at home with some kind of mystery ailment so I'm not sure what to do next...

Ta da!
DS1 to school and DS2 to playgroup
Washing done and on line
Grocery shopping
Collected parcel from sorting office
Morning routine

To do
School run and afternoon routine
Pack snack box for tomorrow
Laundry in and away
More washing overnight
Attempt to drum up some work- sigh!
Look up stuffed marrow recipe

SC - I was mainly planting bulbs because they were on offer in Aldi the other week and because it was sunny yesterday afternoon. There's plenty of time still - the packet says you can plant them till Dec!

Swan - was it you who was making stuffed marrows a while back? I somehow managed to miss one of the courgettes, which turned into the most ginormous marrow without me spotting it!

afternoon !

DOne today so far:

school run/breakfast/lunchboxes
DW unstack/stack
1 load laundry
Welsh dresser top all sparkly!
Window seat cleared - sort of.

Blimey - is that all? I am in procrastination mode. Off to do damage limitation in bathroom and bedroom before the hoards return from schoo1!

Where has the day gone?? 1/2 hour til pick up and then we'll be in to homework and activity time, so too much on my list to get finished today

Done
Morning routine
DS bags, nature table stuff, float/sink stuff, letters, money etc etc ready
DS ready for school
Take DS to school
Post Parish mag sub
Recycling and food bin in
Washing on line
Change DS's eye appointment
Phone Council and complain that neighbour's recycling has been dumped into the general rubbish bins!
Pick veg
Find out and file library times
Write out the weekly plan
Order prescription
Work out week for cabin holiday
RR - living room, kitchen, bathroom, DS room, bedroom
WHBH
Washing up
Wash muslins
Dry teddy
S/s
Washing in machine
Zone cleaning/declutter
Clean washing away
Bin in
Paper file item
Fill in payment form
Wash dusters
Handwashing
Clean vacuum filter
Clean out blanket box
Clean compost box
Clean bread bin

To Do
Phone dentist
Phone ISP
Book cabin holiday
Order stuff on 'net'
Emails - playgroup and WI
Write letter to go with payment form
Post
Check and pay bills
Paper file item
Birthday cards
Find spark arrestor supplier
Look at house insurance
Collect DS
Cook tea
DS homework
Evening routine
DS to bed
Sort work bag and food for tomorrow
Sort DS stuff for tomorrow
Exercise
Washing in airer
Pickle onions

been absent but flying! i promise! last week got a bit crazy (am awaiting results of kidney/bladder scans and then went for eye test to be told i might have a hole appearing in my retina as well ) so i decided mn would make it crazier - i was right, as i popped back on and got embroiled in a fems thread, so disappeared again. but had a Very Productive rl time.

my living room, bedroom, and all bathrooms are decluttered, tidy and clean. and i made a valiant attempt to organise the dc's shared bedroom, which, (if i may say so myself) is looking vastly improved. i can see the carpet, for a start, and the wardrobe door closes! i've got some bags to go to the thrift store, and i offloaded gave a friend a few select items that i wasn't ready to disappear forever as well.

and she pondered our 'where to put the office/ desk' conundrum and came up with the truly brilliant idea of utilising the upstairs cupboard (which i had ruled out due to claustrophobia and size) by knocking two of the walls down - so opening up a space off the hall. and it would have to stay tidy, as it would be open plan - i couldn't just dump everything in the office cupboard and close the door. (pros and cons, pros and cons )

i don't think my w/e was as busy as PA's but it felt like it!

right, the one babystep i've failed at so far today is showering but in my defence, so far this morning it has thrown it down with rain, thunder and lightning storm, and now it's sleeting. and i had to stand in it for twenty minutes waiting for the school bus with the kids. so i decided i would shower after freezing/ soaking my butt off. at least i was dressed to shoes, eh?

as ever, today is laundry day. and apparently it's tumble dryer weather in earnest. the sleet is starting to settle on my deck furniture! eek!

dishwasher - done
laundry
ironing
organise brownie craft for tonight
dd1 ballet
dd2/ me brownies
dd1 pathfinders
grocery store
mop floors

oh, and shower

up done
ds up, breakfasted thanks dsis!
school run done
laundry
handwashing
Ring hospital and chase appointment that is 3mths overdue.
sleeping to sleep off the sleep meds I took last night that shifted migraine but failed to induce sleep. done
Alarm set for waking me up later done
School run remembering the later collection time and location. done
ds' homework done reading and spellings.
finish a project done - nw got 3 christmas presents made

I am in a dreadful mood tonight. absolutely foul. I have had enough to be honest and need to go bad to bed. Early start for tomo.

Tuesday's list
Up at stupid o'clock
ensure ds' stuff is about for dsis to do school run
training
Sort out my bedroom - this is getting stupid I can't put my clothes away.
move sewing machine back down stairs.
progress two more projects to being finished - machine and handstitching.
Put clothes away
laundry
folding
ironing
feed masses
phone calls - eyes, doc etc
supervise ds' written homework
ds' bedding
make up swimming kit
sort stuff for wednesday
early night (10pm ish)

I really want to hit the ground running tomorrow. I need to get sorted. I am feeling more positive about life but need to make some serious changes. And I am starting to want to make them which is a bonus. Need to get this sorted.

Right have lovely evenings going to do the last few bits and then crash.

Hope you have all had good and productive days. may tomorrow be as such.

night.

Evening all,

Managed everything on my list today including running and shredding, the downstairs of the house looks very presentable, DD's room looks tidy, DS's room and our room are a bit of a mess, but they are the target rooms for this week.

Back to catch up a bit later, need to get the DCs off to bed and get something to eat first.

MUST REMEMBER TO POST ON HERE! :)

TO DO:

vacuum
sweep
laundry (always that infernal wash basket )
rampage about with DS and dogs in the yard
make dinner
set out clothes for tomorrow
Mission (I do not have a dresser as such, but will attempt to clean out the baskets on top of my built-in shelves instead)

How to I unsign up for flylady emails? I don't mind getting the missions but I don't want everything else!

Oh and clip coupons

Evening all. Did most of my list, sink is shining and i have spent most of afternoon with sink reflections. I have re- wrote my evening and morning routines and feel generally a little clearer.

Lamb shanks were a success with dh too. Tomorrow i'm slow cooking a joint of ham. Yum

ouch glad u are feeling more positive and got some sleep.

Right off to spend some time with DH and bed by 10

Night all

Hi de hi campers

sorry but im going to post my update and run as dh is feeling decidedly neglected. As is my beauty sleep, am sure i could hit the hay and stay there for at least a week

up dressed, s/s-done
ds school on way visit inlaws -done
Me stay at work and dh whose first day off in over two weeks is going to take dd to softplay and im going to stay at work and try and get mil to help me sort out the myriad of mistakes i have made with the cashing up before she starts her chemotherapy on Wednesday at chemo and at cocking up and having to pester her two minutes after getting back from her break and prior to her whats going to happen to me appointment tomorrow.-done wasnt as bad as i thought. Phew thank goodness, still had time for a computer desk shopping trip and short softplay session with dd.
Try and exe (ece) ? squeeze some family time out of tomorrow after picking ds up from school. maybe play park with dc and dh.-done
see what mission is -not even looked and i dont care
bedtime routine especially school uniform, homework and packed lunch.-done

Also had a nice indian take away with the wrinkles in law after kiddies gone to bed.

Right im going to love you and leave you. Night all. (sorry for being so crap with no personals, thank you for your kind wishes re me mum in law too)