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

Thanks BlackCat - I have to take it very very seriously as we are very rural and can't walk to a supermarket, although we do have a small shop. The thing is that if we can't get to the supermarket then the deliveries can't get to our shop so it runs very low on stock. I also end up with a lot of children as many of my friends work locally so can walk to work but if the school is shut they need childcare. They were all very generous with chocolates and flowers etc which was lovely but I did feel like suggesting a loaf of bread or block of cheese instead as I ran low feeding so many children.

This year it will be cosy warm all winter as we are all braced for Artic conditions again.

You have got lots done today BlackCat. Our kitchen still looks respectable tonight so I am happy.

I hope everyone is having a since it is Friday [hgrin]

Hello everyone. I've not posted much as I've not really been doing any FLYing and have been quite busy.

Carrots and blackcat, you sound like you've been busy lately. Gossip, hope your week isn't too manic.

I've been feeling very run down after finishing my stomach bug, and I've lost about half a stone . Off to the doc's next week to get it checked out. DS's eczema is still very bad which is waking him (and me) lots at night.

I liked the cold weather list on chat too. When I can get round to it, I need to:

• make DS some fleece trousers
• fleece line curtains esp living room & hall
• make / buy a couple of draught excluders
• work out how to deal with condensation

I suspect I'll get round to it in a couple of years' time then.

Apart from that, I need to restart all the babysteps but I'm waiting for a bit more motivation before trying that. For now I'm on ultra-basic firefighting maintenance mode (well, that's my excuse for the house being a state ).

DH is away again this weekend, this time with our church's youth group. DS and I are going to visit this afternoon if I can manage to get us out. Before then I need to organise some food, pack the nappy bag and have a nap. Oh, and have a shower and get dressed.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Angel I am sorry that you still aren't feeling yourself. I hope the doc has a solution. Meanwhile try lots of vitamin C food and plenty water.

We used to have a condensation problem in the flat we lived in and got little troughs for each windowsill that absorbed the condensation. I will see if I can find something similar and link it for you.

This isn't the exact make we had but this was the idea here

I would check out whether it is safe around the dcs though as we didn't have any when we lived there so didn't need to worry about someone eating the contents.

Yooo-hooo! Where are you all?

I realised that I have to seat 8 people for DD1s birthday lunch tomorrow, so have been trying to clear out the dining room (it has become the junk room) We had 2 sets of visitors this morning, DH is no help because he's making the cake, and DD2 has decided she only wants a short nap this arvo

Hi ladies.
Just checking in. I'm still with you, sort of!
I've been using my control journal and making adjustments to it as I go along and am nearly happy with it.
I'm not really doing the posted missions as I have a section in my folder that holds list of all jobs that need to be done in each zone that I tick off as I complete, so try to spend 15mins a day in the weeks zone doing my own appointed jobs.
I need to have a look at the Flylady's journal and finish the steps there, and I would really like to get a christmas journal together too.
I seem to remember a few of you use one.

Just popping in to say "Hi", Can't stay long as I am waiting for the oven to warm up to cook dinner.
We used to be on a thread with AngelDog back in July.(I have name changed a few times)[hsmile]. I might stick with BlackCat as the first part of my name now so I don't confuse people.
Anyway might catch up later.

Hi bessie I am still here. I have been distracted by kids birthday parties and the free listing on ebay this weekend. I have listed loads to start tonight so if they sell that will be a massive clearout declutter achieved.

Amongst us we are keeping roughly on top of things. Dh has been doing the dishes although dd loaded the dishwasher and emptied it today. She also cleaned out the guinea pigs without being asked - oh the power of Hollister!!

I have been on laundry duties so that is more or less under control. I have also done some hoovering but more needs done. There is still a massive improvised pet shop/hairdressers set up in the hallway and I haven't the heart to make them tidy it away so the hallway will have to stay needing hoovered for now.

Heeelllloooo Silvery nice to see you are still with us. I haven't got a Christmas journal but I would be very interested in Christmas routines if there are any. It always gets very stressful here around then.

Hi BlackCat I like it. How is *AngelDog" has she come over too?
I haven't posted on this thread for ages, but keep promising myself I will keep up

Carrots I'm sure there is a section on the website all on Christmas routines/journals.
Will have to have a look later, if I can be arsed.

Silvery Yes AngelDog Joined here too.

I did "leave" for a while as I was struggling to keep up with the FlyLady thing and I was/am a bit ill. Making a slow recovery but getting there. I started the
"Back to basics" thread but now I hang around on both. [hsmile]

Hello all, ds2 is poorly now, I have been handy with the sick bucket all day but did manage to do some laundry, cook a roast dinner and keep on top of things, I also have a date next saturday [hgrin]

Oh Gossip poor ds2. That sounds grim for both of you.

Well done with the flying in exceptional circumstances.

Tell us much, much more about the date - pretty please???

[nosey]

Hi all, I'm back now after a busy evening.
Gossip Hope ds2 gets better soon. You seem to of had a run of people not being well.

Is there hint's and tips for being more organised on the run up to christmas on here or is it on FlyLady?
I need to try to be more organised in general!

Ds2's illness was a 24 hour bug, he's back to his normal self and climbing everything, and eating too.

The date is with an old friend who has apparently fancied me for ages but we were always in relationships so couldn't do much about it, he's taking me out on Saturday night,and I'm really looking forward to it [hgrin].

I have still got a mountain of washing to do, I've got pots to clean and to get dressed and all my other stuff as well, and a sick bucket to disinfect too, ohh the joys !!!

Gossip Glad Ds2 is better.

I am just having another coffee before I go and set my timer.

How is everyone else today?

Oh dear, just revealed my secret name.
Just shows how much I need my Coffee!

Morning Gossip I am glad things have settled down. Keep us posted about Saturday night. It sounds intriguing.

MysteryMe hello! Who are you? Are you BlackCat on another name change?

I have washed and dressed to shoes and swished and swiped the ensuite cupboard bathroom. That is it so far today. I am sure I will get going though

I am currently waiting for ds to get dressed so we can go and look at party plates etc for his birthday party in a few weeks. It is taking a while

Hi Carrots. Yes MysteryMe is/was my other name I used when posting about more personal issues. I forgot to change back.

I'm finding it a little hard to move off this chair and get going. Can someone give me a boot?

BOOT!

No time to post properly now but thought I'd oblige. :)

Time for a new personal name then I think BlackCat.

Have you got going yet?

I have hoovered, been to Tesco and into the shops in the nearest town. The dcs got a subway for lunch (bribery) and I have discovered the added bonus is there are no dishes as they ate out of the paper Not a long term plan but Black you might invest in insulated paper cups and free yourself from the perpetual dish washing.

I am off to further scouring of the internet for party ware for ds's party. Now it is me struggling with the party bags bessie. How is your party planning going anyway?

I have:
Made beds
Ds to school
Attempted to potty train dd again this morning(with no success)
had shower and got dressed
Washed up x 1 (doing more in a minute)
Used the same cup all morning

on the cup BlackCat.

I have made tea and decided to have an apple crumble we had in the freezer because I really fancied it it is cold, windy and rainy today.

Party stuff is hideously expensive. I can see my ebay winnings slipping through my fingers on total tat. Ds is too old to be persuaded that a book would be a good idea. He has such massive social problems I don't want to make him do anything he feels uncomfortable with so he is getting his own way in a limited way (ie I am stingy and rejecting anything that is too expensive)

Ebay items are posted so that is another little bit of space in the house and a small part of the party spend refunded now.

Gossip how are you getting on with ebay? Have you made any money yet? Angel was it you who was selling nappies? How is that going? I am completely addicted to this ebay lark. It is a great motivator on the decluttering front. Everytime I think I have sold everything I can I start on another wardrobe, bag or box and off I go again.

I still have a load of washing to hang and a bit of ironing to do somewhere along the way tonight. I also need to tidy and clean the kitchen table and worktops. After that I am chilling out

To be honest the ebaying isn't going as well as I planned, I think I'm just going to give or chuck the rest away tbh, sold one thing so far but the netbook which I wanted a bit for, has only got a fiver on the bids so far, 28 watchers though so I'm wondering whether there will be a fight for it in the last 6 hours [hsad].

still have washing to do haven't washed up yet as it seems that my main job of the day is to stop ds1 battering ds2 and vice versa, I have the walls to wipe,sofa to wipe, floors to mop, etc etc but ds1 is constantly being aggressive and cant leave him for a second today it seems, oh well I cxan put ds2 to bed now and ds1 will only have me to contend with.

Apple crumble sounds lovely .
Can anyone give any advice about how to get dd to eat some food (preferably dinner). She is too busy running round. Today she is pretending to be Strawberry Shortcake. She seems to do a lot of pretending lately which is quite cute apart from when she needs to be doing something else.
Also Ds seems to be on a go slow doing his homework. Does anyone else keep having to "keep on" at their dc?