Working our way through the babysteps - the new installment of the back to school flylady thread

[Carrotsandcelery]

Hello again everyone! This is the new thread for us as the old one was getting a bit unmanageable.

Angel Glad your still around as you hadn't posted lately. I hope you keep up the good work! I will still pop in to have a chat or whatever.
I think my health issues are letting me down a bit as I am now full of cold so a bit more out of breath than I would be normally. I am trying to take it easy till I feel a bit better.
Good luck everyone, Keep up the good work!

I'm doing a literacy course, to help with kids as well as adults, and its numeracy in February for the same thing, its all a bit boring tbh but it'll stand me in good stead for my career. DS1 wants a bleeding guitar today so I've told him that I'll be taking it off his xmas money, he doesn't believe in Santa. however I think I might sneak Odin in, lol.

I don't think so, shouldbe - I think it's a combination of laziness, tiredness, being sloooooow at everything, bad at multi-tasking, rubbish at mornings, distracted by the internet, needing other people around to give me energy, a very busy DH and other little things like e.g. co-sleeping so I can't get up earlier than DS.

I've managed to:

• hang out wet washing
• do another load of washing
• tried to have a nap but couldn't sleep
• put breadmaker on
• have lunch

Got to:

• scan something
• go out & collect something from Freecycle
• cook dinner
• clear up kitchen after lunch
• cook more apples for crumble

And I fell in to mumsnet again, at least its not the pub. The ds got his bloody guitar, and I have taken the price off of his Christmas money. He still hasn't managed one chord despite strumming it for twenty minutes. He's now put it away, thank goddess.

I am going to do my flying when I get off here whilst the kids are kicking the crap out of each other playing upstairs. I'll pop on tonight all being well.

hang in there Angel and gossip you are both really busy and you are achieving loads even if it doesn't feel like it.

I've just started a numeracy course. Here's hoping that I'll find it easier to help my DS with his homework

I set the timer and cleared out two cupboards in the living room, DD helped apart from a few old telephone directories it all went back, oh well.

Well I have just been flying BIG TIME! All whilst ds1 was doing his homework, yes you read right, his homework. His reading is getting better than mine. Anyway's me banging on how awesome ds1 is, I think I really need a nice glass of as I've been awesome and sweaty.

I've made beds
2 min hotspot x3
5 min room rescue x 3
laundry x2
swish and swipe
dinner
shined sink
washed pots
hoovered downstairs
laid clothes out

I'm good.

Gossip there are supposed to be good guitar tutorials on youtube. If you hunt around a bit you might find something to help your ds with his guitar and keep him occupied for a while.

Sounds like everyone is busy. I have been really busy today but have done absolutely nothing in the house - and it shows. I am only just in too so I am not starting now.

Tomorrow will be much the same but much more fun for me (shopping with my mum, a beauty appointment and a haircut and then lunch out with my mum - Yay! What a skive!)

I hope the rest of you work hard to make up for me sloping off

Wow, well done Gossip.

Enjoy your fun day, Carrots.

shouldbe, when I taught year 6 we did numeracy sessions for the parents as it's taught so differently now that even people who are naturally good at maths found it confusing (not to mention the teachers!)

This afternoon I:

• collected something from Freecycle
• cooked dinner
• cleared up kitchen after lunch and dinner
• washed up
• cooked more apples for crumble
• general tidy
• eventually got DS to bed at 9.30

Hopefully I can get a few things done tomorrow when my parents visit for a few hours.

Today I will be flying and doing my avon that if me and my friend dont waste copious amounts of time stay in town all day.

Funny you are talking about literacy/numeracy, I was just thinking last night I need to find out how they teach these things at school so I can start doing things the right way with DD1. Any suggestions on where I should look? I bought a phonics toy from ELC a few months ago, but according to a friend it says the "m" incorrectly!

It's sunny here today, so hope to get some laundry out on the line, but don't expect to get much other flying done here today, need to take DD2 swimming this morning, am then hoping to get showered/hair done while she naps as I'm going out tonight (first time in 6months!!) and need to leave the house as soon as I've put her to bed!

bessie the local adult ed centre does free courses. I've bought a book which is quite helpful called something like maths for mums and dads, you'll see it if you go to Amazon.

Well done gossip go girl! Thanks Angel you're very kind. Enjoy your shopping trip Carrots, a well earned day off.

It's such a beautiful day here, DD and I have been tidying up in the garden, ready for winter. Done loads of washing which is on the line now.

Well I got my Avon done and that is about it really, I seen the ex on the way to college in his mums car and guess what, there was an unknown-to-me woman in the back of the car!!!! I'm gutted that he got over me so blooming quick. However I have since learned that my printer will take Avon slips, so guess what my printer is doing for me now that will save me quite a few hours!!!! I am off to do some flying now my Avon drawers need doing.

Evening all! I am sitting in total chaos here. It is horrible. It definitely makes me appreciate the little bit of flying I manage to achieve.

My day off went slightly wonky but did have some fun moments and I had a laugh with my Mum. I ended up doing 4 hours driving though and my shoulders ache. As we were in town I felt it seemed a good excuse for a takeaway pizza as we live too far from any takeaways to make them the quick option normally [country bumpkin emoticon]

My other good news is that so far this month my decluttering has earned me £110 selling unwanted clutter so I am

I also used my vouchers to buy dd clothes so I didn't spend any hard cash in the shops either.

So my cash flow is clean for once, even though my house is very dirty

I will be back on the wagon tomorrow with a lot of work to do before my exercise class but for now I feel obliged to eat the double caramel Magnum dd has just bought me from the weekly visit from the ice cream van.

Gossip the mystery woman in the car could have been anyone. It doesn't mean it is a new "lady friend". It could be a grief counsellor helping him come to terms with his loss

Wow, Carrots, £110 is amazing. Your talk of Magnums has had me digging in the freezer for mango & blackcurrant sorbet - nom nom nom.

bessie, I don't have any good suggestions on the lit/numeracy front, but the difference with how I was taught is that children now learn lots and lots of different methods of doing the same thing e.g. division. That's good because it means that if you struggle with one method, there's probably another one that suits your way of thinking better. But it does make it harder for parents to follow.

I felt a bit dispirited earlier as due to a variety of circumstances we got nothing done at all while my parents were here (and I didn't do any of the usual jobs either).

But now DS is in bed (early for a change) and I feel cheeful and raring to go - for a while at least.

I've:
done 3 loads of washing
hung 2 out
made dinner

Need to:
Clear up kitchen a bit
Boil up apple juice for jelly making
Get jam jars ready and fill with jelly

My parents brought me zillions more apples & pears so I think the next few weeks will involve a lot of peeling & cooking.

I lied earlier. I have done 2 loads of washing and hung one load to dry. The only thing is it is not out laundry, it is my friend's. I am not sure that counts as flying.

Angel We have hundreds of fairly small apples all over one of our trees in the garden. Should I pick them or wait for them to fall? I would love it if you could share your recipes/methods with me for using them up.

I've lost all motivation, the sink is still shiny though as nothing has been in it lol. I also have ds2 sleeping next to me and ds1 is still awake too, so I think its going to be a long night again.

Gossip ds is in my bed already and dd was making a play for climbing in with him. It is roasting here as well. I don't predict much sleep. I may have to take a medicinal alcoholic ginger beer for the sake of the whole family

Alternatively, I am tempted to sleep in the garden. It is tidier than the house, cooler and quieter

Carrots, I'd probably pick them or they'll bruise when they fall.

I've just made apple jelly using the method from here but the quantities from here. I'd definitely add a bit of lemon juice but I have - ta da - just made 2.5 jars of it (I'd never tried it before). :) You don't have to core or chop much so that's good.

The other recipe is from Delia and is a bit fiddlier.

Core, peel & slice 2 lbs cooking apples.

Put in a saucepan with:
3 oz raisins (or sultanas)
1 oz soft brown sugar
1 level tsp powdered cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbs water (sprinkle this over the rest)

Cook gently until apples are soft & fluffy.

Makes yummy crumble filling.

To add to my to do list:

• hung out washing
• made apple jelly
• washed up
• tidied kitchen
• hoovered kitchen
• cleaned floor under high chair (it needed it! )
• made tomorrow's porridge

Tomorrow I need to:

• Make sandwiches for DH for the freezer
• Make white sauce
• Order new bin
• Send a couple of e-mails

Thank you Angel I will have to add that to my to do list eventually.

I have just discovered that there is nothing obvious to give the dcs for lunch tomorrow. Hats off to all of you mums on this thread who work. I go out 2 days in a row and we are in total chaos!

Have just realised my bung it in and see method, might not be so great for the fruit crumble and pies I've been making all these years

tbf I have only made around four crumbles and pies over these years.

Hi all, I'm up early today,(woke at 5.30am) dd seems to wake at around 12.00 midnight every night lately so we have resorted to putting her in our bed in the middle of the night (she then sleeps fine). She has been moved back to her own bed since I got up.

Well done on your washing up Angel I'm impressed! .
I am still -hopeless- trying to improve in my kitchen but I think I spend far too long -procrastinating- MNetting.
(Makes note to self, Try to do better today.)

Well done Carrots on making all that money. Was that on ebay?
I am a bit of an internet novice so not quite sure how I would go about selling stuff online. (Any hints tips gratefully received) Also how do you get it to people if you don't live near them? Is it only small items?
Hope you don't mind all these questions.

Right I ought to go and get some breakfast.

hey autumn hows your other thread going ?

I'm planning on putting those spring bulbs that I've had on my kitchen side for 4 weeks in the garden today.

carrots well done on the sales !!

I think it's going o.k. although I haven't made a huge amount of progress at home this week . I'm putting that down to a cold I had though so hoping I will start making some progress soon.
I'm sat half looking at MN and half looking at an Avon book. Lady comes to get it today.
Good luck with your bulb planting, That will look nice in the spring!

Oh I'm an Avon rep that outspoken intense is uber lush, and the best eyeliner is the supershock gel eyeliner, it has staying power !!