October's Fledgling Fliers: Seasons of Mists and Mellow Flyfulness

[elliepac]

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.

Nettie well done for raising all that money!! That is fab!! And top flying marks to your dh!

Sorry to hear your mil is feeling a bit grim though. Hope she feels stronger soon x

SC I so want you to have curtains and grape scissors. My granny had grape scissors, on the other hand she didn't do puddings, maybe grape scissors were a consolation.
I am now imagining you as a sort of inverted Scarlett O'Hara, turning ballgowns into curtains (I'm sure you have lots of ballgowns)

The school saga continues..Ds was asked to copy out his best work for a welcome Mass on Thursday which will be then laminated in honour. He copied it out wth much gnashing as well as all the ohter umpteen bits of homework he had to do, and then was told the original he chose was too long!!! And to copy it again, in a different format.
I rang up his tutor she wasn't there, rang head of year he was clearly fed up with the whole subject of laminating his students
Ds is in a state, dh is in a state and we are all writing billets non so doux to each other.
Welcome Mass is becoming less and less welcoming by the sound of it...

nettie poor MIL, kind dh

Morning all! Off on a course today to learn how to be a better teacher in York so late start ish. Don't have to set off until just before 9.

Your babystep for today is to read the 11 commandments further endorsing the theory that the fat fairy thinks she is God. I think she may have ideas above her station .

Your mission for today is here.

Have a good day everyone!

round-up time. I have 15 minutes so if I don't get to you in that time please don't hate me [hgrin].

sr was having more homework woes and has a head of year who is laminating his students. I don't think mine would fit through the laminator but will bear it in mind if they annoy me in the future . I saw your other thread on this issue, I was going to post and then got distracted. From a teacher's point of view, I think I prefer it if my students do their homework themselves because it is a vital tool in checking whether they have understood what I have done. A bit of a gentle hint/hand never goes amiss though. I would also say that if he is struggling with his homework ask him to go and see the teacher concerned. I would much rather a pupil came to see me and ask for extra help than struggle alone at home/not do it/get their parents to do it iyswim. Hope it all sorts itself out. Oh and fwiw, loads of students struggle with the amount of homework at the beginning of Year 7, he will adjust and he will cope, it may just take some time.

nettie has raised the most ginormous amount of money. Well Done! I was prepared to forgive her for halloween smilies and then she did it again!

sc was back to the mundanity of reality yesterday after fab weekend and was dreaming of grape scissors. I really must be a philistine because i had no idea that there were even such things in existence. I should definitely not post on those middle class thread around at the mo because i would clearly fail the test

rowing was joining in with the strudel love and exercising not flying. I must admit that I thought strudel came from Mr Tesco. Clearly I am mistaken, clearly more evidence about my lack of class

blue had a spectacular day and gets the gold star. I am muchos impressos.

nicknacks scared us all with talk of Christmas presents being bought. Every fecking year I say I will be organised, every fecking year I fail miserably. This fecking year I am going to say I will still be buying on Christmas Eve and then I can't fecking fail

toffee's tooth is sorted and she was being a lovely supportive mum to ds1 .

mc has been poorly . But is feeling better . Good luck with the supply work.

linzer was also being a supportive mum and quite rightly whinging about Word. It is a nightmare at school when kids e-mail work and it won't convert. Big design flaw!

Anyway I had better go and get myself to York. Have a good day everyone and big waves to anyone I have missed out!

Hi all,

Ellie thank you for the round up, only love from me! York eh? What's in York?

Swan what is a welcome mass? It sounds lovely. Not the laminating bit though.

Nettle that frocktober thing sounds fantastic, I take there will be frocks. Are you a model? Poor MIL having chemo she is bound to feel down, you are being very supportive, I can't imagine anything nicer than having support through such a harrowing time.

So we, I mean I am a bit late in rising today (lovely half-term) so not really done much so far, but am about to start the morning routine....
On my list was also to phone the book people to ask them to take back the three duplicated items they have sent me, so that is done. There was a nice Cornish sounding man on reception oo arrr!

To do
MR
lunch
dinner
vits
email birthday list to my mum
check list and buy some things today
contact some friends about this afternoon - still a bit grey, but it is supposed to pick up.
library trip after shopping.

Oo that's quite a bit to fit in, better get on with it!

Hi all, a little boy has caused me to fall off the thread. :)

He arrived at 3:12 Friday morning, my waters went Thursday lunchtime in the car park of the aquarium shop (I'd cleaned my tank so could treat myself to some new fish.) An hour before I'd been in work showing my replacement what I do!

I had to spend 2 nights in hospital due to heavy blood loss (I'm ace at delivering babies, hopeless with placentas.) Eventually on Saturday night they decided I needed a transfusion, so after 2 units of blood i was allowed home on Sunday.

I'm very anaemic, so need to take it easy... not that I'm physically capabale of doing much, and a certain someone is causing me to spend hours at a time sat on the sofa. Thankfully my marvellous mum had been staying while I was in hospital so everywhere is clean. We just have a lot of sorting out to do. All the newborn clothes I put in drawers barely fit him... and most are pink. I was expecting a 7-8lb baby. He was 9lb 2oz.

So I'm still trying to fly by telling DH to do the tasks, doing (several loads of) washing everyday and 5 minute room rescues when I can. Oh and getting dressed.. although not first thing.

Next task is for me and little man to go back to bed. He's been cluster feeding for 14 hours so I'm trying to sleep between and during feeds.

I'll keep trying to keep up.

Ooooo, a baby :o :o

CONGRATULATIONS Bilbio and welcome to the world BabyBilbio
ALL you should be doing is sitting on sofa/laying in bed feeding and cuddling - it is Flylady newborn rules you know and you are amaemic. Sit down and let everyone else run round after you for as long as you can :)

I'm still here but RL seems to be full-on.
Have meeting for parents of DD's class this afternoon to tell us what is happening - teacher off after less than 2 weeks, 3 weeks with HLTA, 3 days with supply teacher last week, now back to HLTA. And all of this for one of the most difficult/disruptive classes in the school (a title shared with the other Yr 4 class!) I am beginning to despair that DD will ever get the primary education she deserves :( Am having fleeting thoughts of changing schools or even home educating (though that wouldn't be in DD's best interests and I think we might kill each other) New head better have a VERY convincing plan of action to announce.
Thankfully DS is thriving in his lovely, supportive, friendly year group.

Flying has been minimal though I have made a start on the dark pit of doom loft and have photographed lots of things to go on ebay. It is a very small start - the loft contains 50+ years of crap stuff plus lots of DC's clothes and old toys. I'm working on the latter, then I may be tempted to hire a skip. It will be a looooooooooong project.

Sorry for me-post, too anxious about this meeting to do much. Will go and wander around aimlessly some more!
Hopefully normal service will be resumed asap.

Congratulations Bilblio you take it easy. We haven't had a thread baby for a while, it's exciting!

Hope the meeting goes well Feet

OOOooooooohhhhhh!!!! A baby!!!!!!!!!! [SC starts knitting while jumping up and down with excitement which is a tad difficult] Many, many congratulations Bilblio to you and all your family!! Your little boy sounds lovely!

You are absolutely BANISHED from even thinking about Flying, never mind doing any. You must nest, rest and recuperate (as far as is humanly possible with a wee baby to attend to). Take it steady and many congratulations again. V. v. happy for you x

Good luck with the meeting Feet that does sound difficult and so unfair for your dd (and so stressful for you). Hope the school can come up with a good plan and more importantly deliver it this time.

Waves to Rowingboat - enjoy the holidays!

Thanks for round-up Elliepac and hope the course proves useful.

Ha Swan you do make me cackle!! Fyi I haven't worn a ball gown since 1986!!! Hope the laminating saga resolves itself and all goes well at the mass on Thursday.

Nettie hope your mil is feeling a bit better today.

So far I have done not a lot this morning except enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. DD at hwk club this afternoon so I still have time to go and do something useful with the day ....

Huge waves to everyone!!

Welcome BabyBilblio I love little babies.

Well I have been burning off nervous energy cleaning, baking and shopping this morning. My interview is at 1.30 and I can't decide if I prefer all day interviews or waiting around all day. I'm really excited as fingers crossed I think my lesson is great but I'm really nervous that my mind will go blank. I'm not sure how long the job is for as its maternity cover so i've gathered loads of questions to ask too.

Also need to empty fridge as forgot to do this yesterday and do an online shop as going away at the weekend and would like to take things with us.

Tonight have to am volunteering at Brownies so may or may not be back to catch up.

Yay, babies! Congratulations Bilblio. :)

Hope the interview goes well MC, and your meeting Feet.

Been rushing around madly all morning, and will be rushing around madly all afternoon, so just having a little rest now while DS2 naps...

BBL. Waves to all.

Wow I love this thread!! can I join?!

Of course Laurenamium, all are welcome here. Have you done Flylady before? We do a bit of FLying and a lot of chat and often stop for a quick or .

No I haven't but I have had a little nose and I love it!! I'm a childminder so tend to go wild running round being mainly stressed and getting nothing done at 7 when the kids go home and my own DD is ready for bed, this flying business could be the key to me having me time on a night!! (and with it a lot less arguments with boyfriend over general laziness/ messiness on his part)

I'm a bit excited

Well, fingers crossed!. Most of us have seen some success with this system, I think it's fair to say that none of us adhere 100%, but I can certainly say it has improved the state of my house and mind. Got to dash, school pick up time.

Congratulations Bilblio - hope you're managing to get some rest and not even thinking about doing any FLYing.

Welcome laurenanium.

Hope the meeting goes well feetheart.

Well done on raising all that money nettle; I have been admiring your frocks on FB.

ellie Hope the course goes well.

MC Good luck for the interview!

Have just finished teaching the second of today's English lessons, after which I dropped all the boys off at one of the other mother's, who invited them to all go and play afterwards. Rather embarrassingly, DD2 also invited herself to stay too (the mother's older DD was a friend of DD2's at kindergarten) and DD1 has now defected to the neighbours, so I have about an hour to myself. Really must get on with some work, though - still not much time for FLYing.

There's a parents' evening at church today for the parents of the first communion children. I'm sending DH, under strict instructions that he is on no account to volunteer me for the role of "table mother" (i.e. one of the parents who helps prepare children for their first communion). Not being a Catholic, I'm not sure whether I'd even be allowed to be a Tischmutter, but better to be safe than sorry.

aw, congratulations bilblio, and welcome to the world babybilblio!

have been busy flying, and my tinternet had a crisis, so apols for absence!

the basement room downstairs is now completely empty awaiting the mahoosive ikea delivery tomorrow. by sunday it should be a calm and orderly oasis of girl's bedroomdom. i am ridiculously excited, because it finally means that all the kids' junk can be emptied out of boxes/ piles and Put Away, and there will be No More Excuses for crap all over the place. it also means that ds1 will not be on the top bunk any longer, and so the daily grind of stripping the bed, laundering everything and re-making it will be a bit easier.

i've also located the tv/ media shelving for imminent purchase, which will hopefully have the same effect in the living room, and spied a neat little desk which will fit in the alcove in the dining room, thus saving me knocking walls down. all good!

right, today:

wm
dw
brownie planning meeting
grocery shop
collect parcel from post office
plan dinner (this is one babystep i really need to get a grip of)
make soup with all the leftover past-best veg (before it is unsalveagable)

i'm going to attempt handing over the packed lunch task to the kids. anyone done this? best way to tackle whilst ensuring they have balanced diet and don't fill box with sugar? ds1 is basically not eating anything at lunch which is soul-destroying after making it. he also isn't eating breakfast (he stares at it and frowns and whines for 40 minutes and then runs out of time), so by the evening he is both foul and horrible and in danger of becoming a murder victim. he's only 9 and it would be a shame if he didn't make 10, so i figure giving him the responsibility is worth a try?

oh, i didn't get the job either i was overqualified, apparently. but he has passed my cv on to some colleagues who may have some opportunities. i'm toying with the idea of just making up a cv which won't baffle/ frighten anyone and is nice and middle of the road, and might actually end up with me getting a job. my cv is easy to misunderstand as an employer. i wouldn't employ me, either.

actually, add 'contact recruitment agency' to my things to do list.

Congratulations, Bilblio! . Don't even think about Flying at the moment. Just enjoy your new arrival (oh, I'm so about you having your new baby to cuddle).

Swan - sorry your boy is having such a tough time with his homework. It all sounds so stressful. I hope he - and you - will get a break over half term.

Madwoman - sorry you didn't get the job, but it's good that your CV will be passed on to other contacts and maybe something will come of that. Very exciting about the Ikea delivery! We were there last week and I am still admiring the new runner in our hall and looking forward to the new dining-room table and chairs.

Linzer - I hope your DH doesn't volunteer you for 'table mother' - you don't need any more commitments by the sound of it!

Welcome, Lauren! I was a childminder too before I had DS2. I remember what hard work it was to keep the house in order in spite of having children in it all day. The Flylady system definitely helps.

SC - good for you having a bit of peace and quiet this morning. I'm sure it's a rare enough event and you deserve it.

Feet - sorry for all the trouble your DD is going through at school. What a rotten start to the year for her. I hope the meeting proves productive tonight.

rowing - yes, thanks, I am feeling better now. Slept and slept last night (in various beds - started off in DS1's bed, spend a short time in my own bed with DH, then ended up in DS2's bed) - so much so that I overslept this morning, giving DS1 about 20 minutes to get ready for school . Tooth is fine today, so temporary filling is doing its job.

Nettie - congrats on being part of the team who raised all that money for such a good cause. Sorry your MIL is suffering at the moment, though . I hope she feels better soon.

Waves to Blue, Nicknacks, WhoKnows, Ellie and anyone I've overlooked (and sorry if I have).

DS1 was sick on the way to school this morning, so was back at home again today. School were on the phone later to express concern at the amount of time he is taking off. I think he is just exhausted by trying to keep himself together enough to get through the school day and needs a break (thank goodness it's half term coming up).

The CBT therapist we saw with him yesterday was lovely. We have seen all sorts of difficult and unsympathetic people over the years, so it's a great relief to feel that we are in good hands. It was hard to hear how bad DS1's OCD is though (for some reason, he told the therapist far more about it than he'll tell us). Treatment starts next week, so at least DS will be getting help then.

Spent the morning having my hair cut and coloured . Came home to find the house in disarray as DH's new project is redecorating the dining room, which is now in a state of chaos.

Right, have to cook something for DSs before dashing off to a meeting at DS1's school about 'target setting' .

I go away to York for the day to learn about maximising student potential in GCSE History and come back to a thread baby .

Massive congratulations biblio and welcome to babybiblio. Don't even think about flying just enjoy those lovely newborn snuggles .

A hugewelcome to laurenaium as well. I second what whoknows said (she is a very wise lady). I am not perfect at this housework lark and never will be but I am a damn sight better than I used to be after 2 years on this thread.

Back later!

Congratulations Biblio wonderful news Rest loads and enjoy baby snuggles.

Finished cleaning out my kitchen cupboards (the top ones this time) so that's my kitchen done. On to the bathroom now...

Scrubbed the wardrobe/chest of drawers/side tables as we are experiencing mould (my nose is def detecting it) and will unattach the fitted wardrobes and dressing table to see if walls are mouldy behind next week. Did skirting and window frames too. have a very old damp house so it goes with the territory.

Parents evening went well and DD is keeping up with her peers (was struggling with maths and spelling at the beginning of term but is finding her way - have been doing extra with her which has been hard but obv paying off)

Off for a glass of

Congratulations Bilblio How exciting! I miss those lovely early newborn days. You feel exhausted and overwhelmed at the time but yet look ack on those days so fondly too. Enjoy the cuddles and as everyone else said forget the flying and leave it to DH.

Welcome Lauren. I am also a CM and have found FLYlady has helped massively! I've had to tweak it to suit my lifestyle but the routine and order it creates is wonderful. The children even get used to it. How many children do you mind at the minute? I've dared not turn any work down in recent months so currently have 3 under 2.8yrs (1 is DD) and then they go and I collect 5 more from school (2 are my DS's). Life is busy!

Sorry for terrifying everyone with the news that I have started my xmas shopping. In recent years we've been very poor (had to buy food on a credit card poor) and this year has been amazing. We've cleared all our debt (£8,000) and can now buy presents with cash so we are shopping with pride and enthusiasum! (sp)

Ellie I hope you had a lovely day in York, even if it was for work!

I desperate for a hot bath as have done lots of walking today and fat legs are really tired.

Might be back later with tomorrows list.

Wow nicknacks that's a lot of children! And well done for clearing the debt! I've started Christmas shopping too but only because I need to budget! It's DDs birthday 11 days before Christmas so there's a party to plan presents AND Christmas presents all at once! As far as CM ive only got a 3 year old I pick up from nursery and have half days then a 15 month old who I have 50 hours a week with my DD who is 10 months old

I've got all decluttered tonight (apart from my bedroom) ready for a first day FLYing tomorrow

Biblio hugs to your baby. Keep resting and eating plenty of the right stuff.

no flying at all here except a bit first thing
Builder is doing garden fence for me, cue piles of thorns.
lots of dts friends round.
Physio Ds1 (he's been basically signed off, Hurrah)
And Yay he went back to footie practice this eve

Toffee - school will have to realise he needs the time off to cope.
I know that as the term goes on, it can get more not less difficult, as the adrenalin fun feelings about school wear off and it becomes more like a familiar burden. I remember that from university. I think I'm beginning to realise that my ds's shoutiness/homework aggro is all a way of releasing ss stress, and that he will get there eventually on his terms. [More mum aargh! Q. What's the difference between coal and oil as fossil fuels. A. They have different names. Q Why are coal and oil valuable? A. Because they are fossils and they make money. His forte may be Spanish...luckily I have no way of knowing whether it's right or wrong.

Welcome Mass seems to be going better now, African drumming and a day off from most subjects preparing.

Thanks Ellie - good advice
hope course was useful

Hi all,

Biblio you sneaky one, sneaking off and having a baby eh, thought you had gone a bit quiet. What lovely news and fantastic to have a mother who is taking care of you - not too much I hope . Never mind the flying at the moment, unless your plan is 'have a drink' 'sit on sofa with little book' (that's your son), have a nap, have something to eat....

well the half-term is kicking in and not a lot of flying is being done, but I did manage a morning routine, without the sweeping because DP was standing around in the kitchen for ages. Still it doesn't look too bad and ds even tidied away his lego very well.

Well, not much Flying today,

school+work+tap+ballet+parents eveningx2+broken Sky+ box which I have spent half the evening tinkering with has not left much time for chores.

Never mind, there's always tomorrow. Which is school+work+running+meetings about DS x 2+friend round for tea+Rainbows. Oh I give up. Roll on half term.