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.

Read that back and thought I should add, the floor HAS been cleaned and also the cupboards, this afternoon I'll be cleaning the cleaning bottles

well, I've done nothing so far today except
school assembly
help in library
talk to builder about fence
piano practice, and my fingers are freezing - why is my house so cold???

tonight I have to go to Welcome Mass at 6.45, and take ds2 to piano at 5.20, and finish his school project with him, otherwise hopefully all quiet on homework front

Horrendous row stern words with dd this morning over roller skating on the upstairs landing!!! I'll be laughing about it in years to come won't I?[hopes she'll be laughing Confiscated roller skates as I'd warned her!

omg, I forgot that I've got Parent's Eve at primary too, and I'm meant to be cancelling something else that clashes...

Oh dear, everything seems a bit of disaster at the moment...Still pride is stopping me cancelling my Mazurka lesson (fiddling whilst Rome burns again)

DD taken to school. First time I've done it since DS arrived, not that's it's far, I can see the head teachers office from here, but getting us all up and dressed is a new challenge. It's DH's birthday so I'd planned to let him have a lie in, but DH got up (just as I realised I hadn't made DD butties) and he saved me having to take DS out in the cold.
5 minute room rescues done upstairs.
1 load of washing done.
Kitchen cleaned.
MN profile updated with photos. :)

Just feeding DS and going to nap while he does
Also plan on finishing writing birth story for ante-natal thread tonight.

No other plans DH is the cook here. I've offered to make something, or get a takeaway, but he says he'll do it.

Oh and happy anniversary Ellie

Lauren my brother's dwarf rabbits used to beat up his cats. But the rabbits were fully grown when the cats were kittens so put them in their place early on.

feet whoknows - well, bah, i had no interest in the blardy book either until now. and now i'm wondering if it would be helpful are you on commission?

i'm a bit freaked out. was just eating my breakfast and a huge raven landed on the kitchen balcony and seemed to be trying to get in through the door. it was one of the really massive ones we get here - about a foot and a half tall and beefy. i shooed it off, but it keeps coming back to the balcony, so i've closed the mozzie screen (have the door open for some fresh air as it was a bit stuffy and i cooked bacon for the dc's breakfast). i keep getting flashes in the back of the mind which i am stamping hard on about omens and suchlike. bleurgh. i'm sure it just wants bacon, really.

sr lol at roller skating on the upstairs landing

i love today's babystep, btw. it's a life essential in our house. and i might put up 'nothing says 'i love you' more than clean underwear' in our about-to-be-designated utility area.

ikea delivery is here (one package damaged and the corner of a wardrobe broken, bah) so it's full steam ahead for the girl's room/ utility refit! i suspect i won't be around much for the next few days but hope to reappear on monday with a beatific air!

bilblio in case of the rabbit...I won't write off a happy friendship for them both just yet!

The liquid softener is all cleaned up, and my kitchen smells like clean washing

Quiet on here today! I've not done all that much flying today, although I did hoover, but I've done ferrying about, shopping, baked cakes to use up vile bananas and been out to a meeting tonight. Freezing now though. Brr!

Anyway, happy anniversary Ellie.
Hope things improved, swan, and that the welcome mass etc went well.

Waves to all. I'm off to run a bath to warm up, I think.

Hi all,
half-term is taking its toll and not a lot of flying is happening, but I need help with this bloomin' party next week, so am going to make a list here to spur me on. YOu could all throw boots and eggs and stuff like that, to help motivate me.
Biblio give the baby a cuddle for me! [cuddle emoticon]
Hope you are all well and over any coughs, colds and toothaches.

to do list
In addition to morning routine-ish minus - sweeping and room rescue, decluttering and everything except making meals. Also have visitors over weekend, but not staying here, just coming to be entertained and probably fed a meal or two (makes mental note to go to cafe for food)

start making party bags
find a pinata somewhere - I might have seen a donkey version in Asda?
ice and decorate some bought fairy cakes - probably should do that a bit nearer the time, day before?
put some music on a cd for the party - that is bound to take ages, but there's always the radio.
wrap the parcel for pass the parcel
put things in pinata - oh dear, we don't have one yet - just pour things on floor and tick as done.
find some stickers for 'winners' of things
make a wolf hat for Mr wolf game
Have to cook cocktail sausages, sausage rolls and pizza fingers before. Just do it the night before do you think or would some of it keep longer than 24 hours? I really don't want to do everything the night before if I can avoid it - but of course that's how it's going to go... [hshock]

Ds was so excited about the party bags he opened a pack and was running around the house with them. I don't think he realised they don't have anything in them when they come from the shop in the packet. [hconfused]

Morning all! Quiet on here yesterday. Hope we are all ok!

Your babystep for today is another looking at the wisdom of Fat Fairy one.

The mission for today is here.

Have a good day everyone!

Thanks for the anniversary well wishes. We had a lovely evening .

rowing at ds and party bags and just emptying piñata sweets on the floor!

I'm planning dd's birthday party and there are some piñatas online at www.partypieces.co.uk, they have ribbons on that the children pull rather than blindly wielding a bat around

Hi everyone, hope you are all ok.

This week has been no fun at all. Filling in at work for someone which has been intensely tedious and involved lots of filing- have almost lost the will to live. And in Flying terms it has been one fat Nesbit. Also not feeling that great - new medication regime which was working and was meant to cure all ills has now ceased to be effective so in all likelihood facing operation and it's all a bit disappointing. Still, thank heavens its Friday !

Am also in a bit of a harrumph over a note received from dd's teacher last night about signing the hwk book. I neglected to sign it only one night out of 40 or whatever it is since the start of term because dd refused to do the hwk on that night, so I refused to sign ! So the teacher sent me a note. And as the person who goes through the nightmare scenario of cajoling, entreating, persuading, blowing a gasket every night to ensure the hwk is done (and frankly it wouldn't get done otherwise) I am mightily pissed off !![anger]

Good luck with party Rowingboat I must admit for a dc party/or when cooking for large numbers, I would do everything the night before just to ensure freshness and all that. Hope it all goes well!
A belated 'happy wedding anniversary' for last night Ellie hope you had a lovely evening
A warm welcome to the thread to Lauren
Bilblio I'm amazed that you are up and about and going to school meetings/doing school runs so soon after giving birth! Respect!! Take it steady though won't you?
Hope mass went ok in the end Swan
Whoknows hope your dh is feeling better today
Madwoman ravens all very Hitchcockesque!! Good luck with room refit.

Mahoosive waves to Feetheart Linzer PA Blue toffee MC Nicknacks LadyinPinkNettie¨and anyone else I've missed. Better get back to kicking the photocopier ...

my computer seems to have now defaulted to a Russian Firefox search engine, meaning every instruction is in Russian

Translator alert!!!

Yesterday was seriously hectic, trying to get ds1 back to school for evening do and at the same time finish ds2's Powerpoint with him and attend two parents' eve appts. It turns out that he can't do Powerpoint whereas dd made it look deceptively simple. So we had to borrow her, cue a lot of head tossing.

Mass was fine, though it was all a bit late, they sang lovely songs.
Priest gave a sermon about how we were the childrens' first teachers, and we should sit down and help them with their homework every night
Judging by the standard of work on display that was what was happening in every household....
The cell models were AMAZING. I felt embarassed at the plasticine model we had sent in. Every parent said their children were finding homework a trial. So that's a relief.
Met ds1's teacher, and felt he was having social difficulties, although she didn't quite articulate it It wasn't a parents' eve,just social occasion...

Every bit of my message is underlined in red, obviously spellchekc Russian does not recognise it

House now a complete and utter tip in every room. Builder here again today.

Rowing if you ever look back on the old Flylady threads from about two or three years ago, you will see the lists and lists we all used to do before giving children's parties...I feel a bit more blase now, but just getting the timing right for the pizza fingers - suffice it to say I feel your pain.
In the end they don't eat much (visiting Mums/Dads do though!), and they just want it to be standard party fare, and it always goes well, as long as birthday boy/girl is happy! You can buy a lovely party mix CD from ELC I completely recommend it for musical bumps etc. Stickers sound a v.good idea for prizes, very non-confrontational unlike sweeties/prizes!

Madwoman now but isn't there a lovely raven in the Unbearable lightness of Being (book) who they rescue, and symbolises something individual against totalitarianism
However, now that I think of it, Macbetth raveny isn't it?
Ah but what about Elijah? Another good raven?

rambling...must deal with house..good luck with your divisions and room dividers.

x-post SC but must dash.
The wheels of bureaucracy keep turning don't they...it drives you crazy when they send you these little officious notes...Still it would be worse if they didn't pay the slightest attention to your child's work..
I suppose
sorry new medication isn't working, and about op. That is v.depressing for you.

Morning all,

Sorry to have been AWOL, just been a busy week. INSET day here today and the sun is shining, so we are having a lazy morning, but the sunshine is highlighting the mess that the house has slipped into over the last few days. .

Just going back to the Flylady book again (I'm not on commisssion!), it is called Sink Reflections, not Flylady. I would just say that it is very Christian in tone, much more so than the website, I find it quite uplifting and I'm not particularly devout, but worth bearing in mind if Christianity isn't your cup of tea. IYSWIM.

Better go. I've just put a packet of Jus-rol croissants in the oven and the timer is beeping. .

Morning all.

Well what can i say about this week except i'm glad its nearly over. Didn't get the job on Tues despite feedback saying i was strongest at interview and gave an inspiring lesson. Had an interview lined up for long term supply yesterday which I couldn't attend as dd waa sick wed night and had no one to look after her yesterday. She was fine all day then sick again last night. So for the last two nights none of us have had much sleep. Today we are going away for the weekend so i'm packing, tidying and hoping dd isn't ill again.

List for today

• shop for essentials
• shop for dd swim cap to see if it stops dds ears hurting
• pack dhs clothes from scratch and finish mine and dds
• pack food
• tidy house as fil is cat sitting

Right will go and get dd some toast for brekkie and switch on pc for catch up

Back in a bit

Well I've got my stone roses ticket for June so that's me in a fantastic mood

Time to tackle bathroom mission whilst babies are sleeping!

Sorry about the job makingchanges

It's OK Swan (thank you though!), I'm looking forward to sitting in the naughty corner and swigging tonight!!

And, and, there's a poetry thread on here atm which has cheered me up no end!!

Glad mass went well although sounds like yr priest and school could do with a bit of synchronisation over hwk instructions!! Comforting to know hwk a bit of a bugbear for everyone though!

MC sorry to hear about job but hope you can get away this w/e for a change of scene and that your dd recovers for trip!

Lauren well done on the tickets!

Whoknows oh yes - when the sun is shining - I daren't look up at the part of the walls that the sweeper doesn't reach! Highlights all the cobwebs and dust!!

Better get back to counting paperclips filing cabinet ...

SC Sorry you have had a rubbish week at work. Enjoy the tonight, sounds like you need it.

Swan homework does sound like a chore but at least DD was able to help with the powerpoint. I think powerpoint is either something you get or don't. I taught it to a year 6 class on my first teaching practice last year. Half the class zoomed ahead and others just couldn't get started.

Lauren well done on tickets. I was impressed with myself yesterday for getting Westlife tickets for their last tour. I know its sad but I've been to every one except the year I had DD so I had to go. I drag DH along too but to his annoyance

Waves to everyone else. Must get on. No packing done yet due to busy shopping centre and grumpy DD.

Thanks MC! Hope you get away OK.

I still can't handle powerpoint

Seems lots of people needing so I've bought an extra bottle for you all.....

I'll settle for a good just now.

I've just finished work and have a week off now- half term so although I have DC's underfoot and they're mine, it means i can go upstairs and hide crack on with the decluttering.

Instead of daily lists I'm going for a weekly one and hope to get a couple of 'big' jobs done. Sorting DH's wardrobe out is the first one. He has never decluttered it and just buys clothes without getting rid of old ones to the point now of having nowhere to put the clean clothes away and they just sit out on a chair or pile on the floor. He's working this weekend with a long w/e off next week so we plan to do family stuff then.

Hope you have a lovely weekend away MC and sorry about the job.

Bathroom mission complete but didn't get round to DDs room, just got back from buying rabbit paraphernalia, I had no idea it would need so much!

Busy day tomorrow so won't be around much I don't think!have a good weekend everyone!

Popping in quickly to say good evening to everyone. Not much done today, but went to a Story Café thing at school with DS1, which was fun. Not sure that anything much will get done over the w/e either... Boys definitely in need of half term though.