We have finished the babysteps - cautiously moving into toddler sized steps now.

[Carrotsandcelery]

You are all going to be so disappointed. My hobby is horse riding. Ta da!! I really wasn't trying to be coy. I didn't realise you were all so nosey took such an interest in fellow thread members I am totally mortified that it is not hang gliding or rally racing or anything a bit more adventurous

Hello all, I have returned like a bad smell from the dead!

Hope you are all well, I apologise for my absence....

I have just been catching up a little on the thread, I have lots of excuses from not being around, if anyone cares!

Internet broke for two weeks (bloody sky switchover nightmare)
A set of horrible molars for DD causing no sleep till 11pm for ANYONE
Crazy busy month at work
plus I needed a break from MN anyway, was beginning to swallow my time.

I have got a bit lost with the whole flying thing though, for the last month or so have just been surviving as was having to do three hours or more work a night, then DD not sleeping just threw everything out. I am surprisingly still fairly organised though, with only one or two bits of total chaos hidden away!

This week I have been off on half term, so had a chance to calm down a bit and catch up on sleep, I was so run down and we have all had colds for weeks now. I am determined to get back on track, however we have decided to finish all the unfinished jobs in our house, starting with the kitchen, with a deadline of xmas for that and one other room, so after a weekend of hard slog we currently have everything on the kitchen table, a new door, stripped and sanded walls nd paintwork, lots more to do next weekend though, including coving to put up and a ceiling to paint - and we have in laws (very picky and pristine housed MIL!) coming the following week, so I have to clean everything up by then!

Never do things by halves.....

So who wants to fill me in then!! I need to get back to the routine, although I think keeping the sink shiny etc stayed with me, also pretty good at swiping the bathroom most nights - it's the zones and missions I think that got the better of me - what are you all doing to keep on top of it all?

he's gone home :( however he did shine the sink before he left :) (really does sound like a euthanism now)

Hi, missmakes, I'd been wondering where you'd gone - thought you might appear over half term. Sounds like you've had a manic time.

I wouldn't say I'm keeping on top of much. Actually, things aren't too bad.

We had a nice time away at my parents, although my mum fell and broke her arm in 2 places while we were there. :(

I hoovered the dust off 2 lightshades and some bookshelves yestday and this morning I?ve hovered part of the bedroom.

Today I need to finish putting away some of the stuff we brought back from my parents and put away dry laundry.

I?ve not been doing lots as I?ve been busy napping alongside DS.

BlackCat - ironing...remind me what that is? I used to iron all clothes including casual but I gave up after DS was about 6 months old and since then I think I've only ironed a dress to wear to a wedding. DH wears 'proper' shirts but even when he's working he can get away with them being slightly creased (he's a student at the moment but has spells of part-time work around that).

Gossip, any chance your new man could come and give my DH some FLYing lessons?

I got very excited when someone wanted to buy 8 more of the nappies I?m selling, but then she discovered they'd be too big for her DC so pulled out. Never mind - it makes me optimistic that people will want them.

miss good to see you are still with us. We haven't done anything dramatic. We are just cleaning as we can with the ebb and flow of life really.

Gossip

Angel hang in there with the nappies - someone will come along eventually.

I am having a bit of a laundry crisis. I can get it all washed but I can't get it all dried so it is hanging all over the house. It is too warm to put on all the radiators and the pulley is full. It is a bit of a pain tbh.

On a plus note we did better with our routines last night which meant the school run this am was much smoother and without agro which is always a bonus.

Is everyone organised for Halloween tonight? At least it is warm so the kids won't freeze in their flimsy outfits [hgrin]

Carrots I have a similar Laundry situation to yours. I have two airers, one large and one small and they are both full. I find though if I put the heating on for just a hour, it helps dry it. It's too warm to have the heating on long though.

We have stocked up on sweets for Trick or Treaters (Just hope we don't run out as last year we had loads of people come knocking.)

Our school run went well too this morning.[hsmile]

Just wondered, Does anyone know anything about Nursery funding for 3 year olds and how I can find out more about it.

Hi miss welcome back!

carrots can't you turn the heating on, but turn all the rads down apart from in the one room where the laundry is? or put the airers outside? I hate hate hate having wet washing hanging (in sight) in the house - now all the bedrooms are full we have to dry some clothes on an airer in our room & it really really annoys me!

blackcat you have reminded me I need to find out about nursery funding - All I knew was that you get it the term after they turn 3 (we will get it in the new year) this Gov site says you need to contact your local "Family Information Service" - I have no idea what one of those is, but there is a link so you can search for yours.

ahhh blackcat - it sounds like you find somewhere you want the DC to go & they will arrange to get the money from the gov. Are your DC already at a nursery? I'll double check with mine on thurs.

bessie that is what I did. The lounge is like a sauna but no one goes in there so at least I don't have to look at all the underwear drying.

blackcat our nursery arranged the funding. I would choose where you want to go and then ask them about it. It makes a massive difference to the monthly budget. I worked at that point and to not have to pay for those 2 1/2 hours really helped. Our nursery allowed us to take two 2 1/2 hour sessions in a day as well so if, like me, you worked 2 days a week, you could have 5 hours a day of that funded.

We have the Halloween loot in too. I have hidden it from dd though as it will be struggle for her and she will get her own loot tonight.

I have also filled ds's party bags except for the cake.

We have been out most of the morning so that is about it so far.

DD1s nursery becoming "free" (she only goes 2 days a week) in the new year is perfect timing for us as DD2 will probably start going there in Feb ready for my return to work in April

Thanks Bessie and *Carrots, did a bit of Searching around and have found out that the Nursery near DS school can get government funding so I popped in to see them and they gave me a form to fill in. She is elegible to start January.

I feel a little sad at the thought of her going to nursery.(I will miss her)But it will
hopefully be good for her. (at thought of empty nest).

Black I was so sad when dd started nursery I used to sob in the car on the way to work but it did her so much good. It did me good too. I am a better mum when I get a little bit of time to be me too. Glad you got it sorted.

Aahhhh we have trick-or-treating-gate in our home, but after the nagging and questioning and the excitement of getting out the front door, ds1 has finally gone out with one of the neighbours while ds2 plays mario cart, he gets scared of the masks.

Thanks for the welcome back, thought I might have to shuffle in all ashamed of my absence...

Hope your Mum is ok Angeldog? Sounds painful - I don't know what my mum would do if she seriously hurt herself, my dad is useless, partly why I want to do this, get the whole family helping out, I don't want to be like her, doing everything.

Today was a mission in itself, I got zero sleep last night, my coughing kept me and DH awake, then DD was up from 2 till gone 4am...sooo tired..have had this cough for over a week now, it's getting really annoying.

I have got in from work and tidied the bathroom, cooked dinner, cared a pumpkin, fed DD and tidied the kitchen. DH has washed up and made lunches, just have to put some washing on and I might try to keep on with the missions from now on, in preparation for the outlaw's visit in 10 days (eek!)

Bit of work to do, then bed, I think I will be asleep in about 2 seconds.

miss is it a night cough? I find that Actifed tablets (blue and white box) stop a night cough and knock me out for the night too. I wouldn't take them in the daytime as they make you drowsy but really help me at night.

I hope you sleep well.

We have been out with the dcs and now have buckets of sweets. I am not sure I really want the kids to have that many.

Hi all, Just checking in to let you know my name change now Halloween is over.
Off to bed soon so catch up tomorrow [hsmile]

Ugh miss I have an annoying cough too (although not as bad as yours) - mine gets worse if I have a drink (of water) so what am I supposed to do in the middle of the night when I wake up coughing?! I hate cough medicine & can't take anything drowsy because DD2 is bound to wake up (to be fair, I think the poor thing has the same cold as me)

Anyhow, I was thinking, new month, new (half) term, less than 2 months to go until you-know-what... Do you think we should re-focus on the flying (unless of course you have a fab new DP who shines sinks! ) I'm going to try to do a bit of zone work this month too as then the whole house should have had a decent clean by the time I start panicking about Xmas!

Hey,
I hope everyone had a good Halloween.

I have to.... tidy and declutter the whole house.
Eek - shame I have to go to work because that really does not give me time for tidying.

Morning all,
I need to re-focus my effort so I thought I'd post the link so I can remind myself what I should be doing.
www.Flylady.net
Hope that works

Right I'm off to set my timer!

bessie I am definitely with you on a refocus. Dh goes back to work on Thursday so the timing is perfect. I would love the place to be clean and better organised for Christmas.

So far today I have:
Washed and dressed to shoes
taken dcs to school
loaded dishwasher
cleaned worktops
baked for ds's birthday party
put a wash on

miss I hope you had a better night. bessie medications are tricky with wee ones about. I hope you shift it soon.

I have got off to a lazy slow start today,

I have:
Made beds
Dressed
DS to school
Played on MNet for too long
set timer and washed up x1
Am now on a tea break but have set timer so I don't sit here for too long.

I have folded laundry and put it away bessie you will be so proud of me.

I have hung a new load of washing and put a new load in the machine. There still seems to be loads though.

I have decluttered most of the kitchen table too.

It feels so much better when you get going again.

I am now considering decluttering some of the left over Halloween loot

carrots - just throw it in the bin!

I've just put my control journal into a new format (while I was feeding DD2) - I do like the app on my phone, but it doesn't handle tasks going over from one day to the next - in case you are interested(?!) I put in in a spreadsheet and it looks a bit like this

so far I've

• spent ages looking for DD1s new swimming nappy - where have I put it!?
• googled 'how to get a baby to poo before you take them swimming tomorrow"
• swish & swipe
• started laundry
• tidy up downstairs

need to go get lunch ready now - DD2 is having prunes!

Hi all, your all doing so well! I'm getting there, loving the spreadsheet by the way bessie what a fab idea!

So far today Ive
met my dad after the school run,
then a met a friend,
then baked some cakes for the raffle tomorrow,there cooling ready for the icing, ive folded the washing not put it away yet, ds1 is at school till 4 today so ive got a fair bit of time,
put another load in
disinfecting the mop bucket after three pumpkins inerds were left in there to stink the house out,
and that's it so far so iI'm going to get off mn and do some more... ill check back later.