Remember, remember the fledgling Flyers: dusting, and decluttering a lot..

[DarknessSoothes]

Come one come all, fledgling reunite. 1st of the month and we survived the fright. Bonfire month and lets burn though the housework to prepare for the festivities of December.

As from the 1st we will be babystepping, mission and deep cleaning our way out of the C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome).

For newbies and those who need reminding here is the principles behind the babystep system.

The basic is this:

1. Do the babysteps.
2. When you do the babysteps with consistency add in the missions
3. When you are doing the babysteps and missions as a habbit tackle the deep cleaning.

This thread is a mishmash of people at different stages. The lists can look long, but look carefully, some of us are reposting lists and parts of lists from day to day.

Our motto is this: Do not strive to be perfect, Progress is progress and anything is better then nothing and my personal favourite part of the fly lady system is you are never behind, just jump in and start from where you are.

So on that note here we go. With much thanks to Ellie who lead us with amusing roundups last month.

Day 1: Babystep 1 - How to shine your sink

Mission here - this will update overnight ready for the early fledglings

Tuesday's reminders are here: It's planning day

And for those of you who are eagerly awaiting christmas here is the flylady's crusing into christmas page. Personally i did some of this last year and done some this year and it does take a chunk of the stress out of christmas.

Well now that I have suitably scared you, see you all tomo!!

Nicknacks - now you're just showing off!

DC are still being soooooo demanding . I am losing patience. Why won't DS2 go to sleep? Why? DS1 wants me to watch telly with him, but we keep being interrupted by DS2 shouting for me. If I go to him, DS1 is upset and if I go back to DS1, DS2 is upset. It's impossible.

Ooh, it's working, just watching dh pick up the toys as I type!!!
I'm so tired, but I honestly promise to do menu planning for next week, if nothing else.

Ok he's just ruined it by saying if I have any energy could I clean the table (Obviously walking across to the kitchen to get the cloth and spray would have been taking it too far with the helping)
I am actually horizontal on the sofa (after having toddler pretty much all day while he and dd1 had a rest then went to the cinema this afternoon) and he is asking me to clean the table ????????????

Please someone tell me I am not being unreasonable here!

Nice to see lots of people lolling about in the naughty corner, on soft pillows - with freshly laundered and ironed pillow cases of course!

Toffee just read your post - really feel for you regarding the long endless walk with two overtired children - the worst thing is knowing that getting them home is not even the end of it, you still have to try and get everything done and them in bed!
And then, after a day like that, ds2 not going to bed. I had that yesterday. dd1 waiting for me so nicely and patiently to read her a story and dd2 refusing to go to sleep, kept going between the two, by the time I was done wth dd2 I found dd1 half asleep in my bed next to a pile of books she looked through herself .... I really wish I could give her more time, but dd2 is so demanding at the moment.

Hope you get ds2 sorted soon and have a lovely peaceful evening.

actually my eyes are hurting too much to scroll back and reply personally to you all. Going to go and take contact lenses off (just realised I haven't had a glass of water for about two days and only drinking coffee.... urgh).

Same here, justonemore - my lenses always start to hurt in the evenings but they're worse tonight as I've been on the computer for a while, and it's more like two weeks since I've had a glass of water. But I have been alternating coffee and mulled wine over the last few days.

Toffee I get very impatient with the DC if they're not in bed when I want them to be, so I know how you feel, and it's so difficult when they're all demanding your attention at once. DD2 kept coming downstairs this evening, but I left DH to deal with her as I am off duty from around 7.30 pm. Even if he's spent all day with them too.

Am getting far too easily distracted this evening, so am not going to go back to the previous page otherwise I'll never get my work finished. I may be back later, though.

Evening all. We've had one of those days with the boys too. At intervals they were lovely and charming, and the rest of it, fighting, screaming, bickering... DH and I too wound up to deal with it well either. Sigh.

Also joining OFM and Toffee in sobbing over lost curls - DS2's have never regrown after his first real hair cut either.

Linzer - I've been going to Aldi for Lebkuchen, Mozartkugeln, Stollen usw. I'm sure I'd be off to Tesco and M&S if it were the other way round though...

NickNacks - nooo - no Christmas trees in November! You're scaring me!!

Swigs from Blue's bottle (sorry- am in dire need! )

Dispenses to all of you with over-tired dc

Dd's overtired too but that is completely my fault not hers. She was already tired - and I only managed to get her to bed at 9.40pm Far, far too late bearing in mind she has exams all next week She is under strict instructions to lie in tomorrow.

Haven't stopped for a minute since posting last - complete crisis clean/reorganisation of house - just about to get dd to bed when dishwasher hiccupped, spluttered, died and flooded the kitchen floor Spent 40 mins mopping. Why oh why does the wretched machine function perfectly well for seven years and then decide to give up the ghost the day before I have twelve 8-yrs olds over to bake cakes [sigh]???? Sod's law I suppose!!

Anyway, when we finally got upstairs I'd completely forgotten that I'd stripped but not made up all the beds so then there was another 30 mins delay ...[neglectful mother/spongy middle-aged brain emoticon]

Have done all the essential shopping/prep/tidying though. Now just have to go and hang up school uniform to dry and clean kitchen surfaces again.

Tomorrow must go to church, prep mahoosive tropical fruit salad, re-hang laundered linen/net curtain things, do final hoover and primping then make tiny finger sandwiches and try and tame barnet fair (didn't have time for haircut today) ....

Sorry - that was all terribly boring but felt need to vent and clear head before bed.

Darkness don't be so hard on yourself - you did a mahoosive amount on Thurs/Fri

at Nicknacks Christmas tree being up already!!!

Frantic waves to one and all ....

oh poor SC. The dishwasher broke temporarily over half term, it took me almost two days to catch up with all the associated horrors, so you have done very very well just to sort it out in 40 mins.

Please get a good night's sleep and dont worry too much about the visitors, they will have a lovely time whatever the state of the nets! NB. weigh out ingredients onto grease proof paper in advance if they are all doing separate cakes...I once helped at a cake baking party for eight year olds where there was only one set of scales, and it was mayhem.. Maybe you have done this before

Dh put all mine to bed at about 9.30. Here's hoping no one will get up till 9am tomorrow. Everyone was pretty good most of the time...I think dd only screamed at me about twice, and ds1 only screamed at his siblings about twice, and ds2 was in good form...although think that was due to the fact that he spent quite a lot of today either watching F1, the Wii, or Merlin .
However he conversed with visiting children quite politely so that was a plus [and showed them his scrapbook

Still they are all terribly loud...And ds2 drives dd mad. I hear these awful shrieks GET OUT when he goes into her room....

SC - sending huge sympathies to you over D/W breaking down the day before your baking party. Yes, it is sod's law.

Justonemore - re: not wanting to get off sofa after exhausting day with toddler: YANBU!

Linzer - ooh, I like the idea of being off duty from 7.30pm! I'd love to arrange that, but it might be hard to argue my case as I don't have any paid evening work to do at the moment.

BlueEyes - sorry about the lost curls .

Swan - lovely that you had a 'date night' with DH over a bottle of . My own 'date night' with wine and DH last night just ended up with me snoring on the bed .

Darkness - hope you feel better tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you who sympathised with me over demanding, non-sleeping DC. It's quite comforting to know that other children do this too. However, I do think DS2 is running rings around us at bedtime and we need to come up with some sort of plan to get him to shut the fuck up go to sleep peacefully without me being there .

DH is back. He seems to have sobered up on the long journey home and was very sympathetic about my day (and grateful because we visited his mother, which earned me Smartie points ). So he has promised to deal with the DC if they call in the night and give me a lie in tomorrow .

Hiding in loo and using phone so no personals but and with to everyone

Today has been a disaster so far.

DS woke at 5.30 although cuddled down with me for a bit before getting up properly. It's only 1/2 an hour but seeing 5 not 6 on the clock is a bit soul-destroying! I then went for a nap, but DH let DS fall asleep and then brought him in to sleep with me - end of my nap so I stropped off. DS then only slept for 1/2 hour so will be a nightmare this afternoon.

Still, DH will take us shopping (and I think I may seek out some nice 14 size clothes as compensation!) and we'll occupy him that way. 'Twill only be Tesco, but it's miles away and is one of the super duper ones. I'm easily pleased! also means any clothes won't be extortionate so I won't feel guilty when I lose more weight

Only flying today will be laying away shopping and maybe washing from yesterday (that I forgot to list!) so I can do big loads tomorrow.

Oh, the exciting life that I lead...

Have a good day folks!

Hoya all! Another one on the phone so sorry about personals!

Apart from nicknacks Christmas tree up?!

Horrendous night last night DD was up several times in the night being sick, then decided at 3 she was just going to cry, no matter what...for 2 hours

DP promised me at 7 that when she next woke up he would get up with her so I could have a bit of a sleep, she woke up ten minutes later and he got up and sat in the loo for 20 minutes so I ended up up with her after about 5 minutes and haven't been given the opportunity to go back to sleep

So tired flying today!

To do:
Wash up/dry/shine sink done
Declutter kitchen done
Filing
Accounts

That's it as its lazy Sunday

Hope everyone is ok!

To be fair next weekend is DH's birthday celebrations, weekend after that is DS birthday party and weekend of 17th is my mums birthday and a friends leaving do. So this weekend was my only chance guv I promise!

Another one on phone as the laptop won't load MN!

List

Washing x2
Wash sofa covers and recover
Homework with dcs
Wrap some presents
Clean kitchen
Bath all dcs
Write some cards with dcs
Bake a cake
Mop kitchen floor
What's for dinner?

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

Sorry you had such rotten starts to your Sundays, Fuzzled and Lauren. Starting the day so early is just awful . Minimal flying for you both, I should think - just get through the day!

DH got up early with DS2, as promised, so I did manage to lie in till 8.30 this morning, then woke up with DS1, who had decided he was cold and he'd use me as a hot-water bottle. Have spent all morning doing Christmas planning and online shopping (ooh, nice pair of new boots on their way from Next, plus a pretty top). I note that DH hasn't dared to disturb me! Am now about to get dressed and attempt to make myself look decent . 11.46 and still not dressed - Flylady would not approve!

Glad you managed to have a bit of a lie-in, Toffee. I also slept until around 8.30 am as I didn't get to bed until 2 am, so didn't even hear the DC or DH get up. You sound very organised with your Christmas planning; I really must make a start.

NickNacks at Christmas tree up already! We usually put our tree up a week or two before Christmas, which causes and here as Austrians don't put their tree up until the evening of the 24th and children believe that it's brought by the Christ Child. The mum of one of DS's friends told me last year that she'd had to tell her DD that the British Christ Child comes early, and they actually ended up putting their tree up about a week before Christmas too.

lauren So sorry to hear about your terrible night and that you had to get up early with your DD this morning too. I hope you manage to get some rest and can take it easy today.

Fuzzled Sorry to hear that you had a very early start too. Enjoy your trip to Tesco - FWIW I love going to the huge Tesco in Bratislava, although it would be even better if they had more than a few items of British food. They have plenty of other (British) items to make up for it, however, and I managed to find myself a new cardigan (which I really needed) and a new coat (which I didn't - DH pulled a face, although admitted that he liked it), so I was happy.

swan Hope all the DC slept for a decent length of time - we seem to have got into the habit of DH getting up with them at weekends.

SC Sympathies on the dishwasher - my parents' DW flooded recently too, and it turned out that it hadn't been fitted properly. They've now been talked into forking out 12 pounds a month for insurance (the call-out fees are very high, admittedly), so I hope it's worth it for them.

Took DD2 out ice skating this morning while DH revised with DD1 (not sure what DS was doing, but he wasn't too disruptive apparently), and I'm now back at work. Well, I will be once I've got off MN. Three of the DC's friends are due to arrive in about 15 minutes, but I shall continue to hide away up here on the computer - DH said he may bake some Christmas biscuits with them.

Hey all!

I've managed to complete my lists, plus a few other bits of work related stuff and DP is making a pie for our tea before he goes off bowling with his friends! Im a bit I can't go too but things can't be helped!

He's going to be living with his grandad to help with night / morning times and evening meals etc Monday to Friday for the foreseeable future so it looks like I have to get used to just me and DD again!

nicknacks your ds party is the same as DDs

Same weekend as**

Evening all.

Another bad start to the day here - my turn for getting up with the boys, so of course it was last night that I slept badly and was woken twice by DS1... Grr!

Dinner/tidying up/bath seems to be threatening to go into total meltdown too.

Done no flying either. Sigh.

Anyway, SC - sorry about dishwasher. Hope you made good progress today and that the cake-baking goes well.

Hope the shopping trip was good Fuzzled.

Linzer - at the British Christ Child coming early!

Toffee - glad you got a lie-in!

Lauren - sorry to hear about DP having to live away.

Waves to all. No idea what I'll be doing tomorrow - depends if DS2 is at playgroup and if this job comes in. All fingers and toes crossed...

Lauren - that's wonderful that your DP is looking after his grandad so well, but I'm sorry that it will mean that you won't have DP around so much. It must be very reassuring for DP's grandad and lovely that they have such a close relationship.

Linzer - sounds as if you have lots of work at the moment. I hope you'll get a break in time for Christmas.

BlueEyes - sorry to hear you also had a bad night and an early start this morning. Hope you catch up on sleep tonight.

Spent the afternoon with a friend, four 12-year-old boys and my DS2 (6). Managed to drag the boys off the computer and out to the playground during the afternoon. I can't remember which writer said walking with children was like 'herding water' (Anne Tyler, maybe?), but it was just like that. They meandered all over the place, oblivious to traffic or other people and certainly to us. Then one of them (who has autism) took exception to me saying "yeah" in response to something and became very agitated. It's astonishing how many times it turns out I say 'yeah' without knowing it!

It was quite a relief to get home and have a cup of tea later.

Now it's the bedtime hour. Here we go again...

evening all
Sorry to hear about all those with early starts and non-sleeping DC....
toffee your morning of on-line shopping and planning sounds fab
lauren hope you adjust OK to being without DH, it's a lovely thing he's doing moving in with his grnadad though.
nicknacks well done on tree. The neighbours have put up their many many outdoor lights today and it is sending me into mild panic! May have to venture into the loft tomorrow! Although like you we seem to have stuff on every weekend between now and Christmas so who knows when we'll get the tree!
blue typical! whenever its DH turn to get up with DC they seem to pick that one morning to sleep in untill 8.00!!

well,not the best day hear. I woke up feeling just a bit bluergh really. All dc very tired and grumpy. Have been lacking in patience and motivation all day really
I did manage:
washing..(some)
7 mile run (lovely - but blustery!)
raost lamb and syrup sponge (yum!)
tidied littlies room
Put up wall lamps in newly painted littlies room
ordered couple more Christmas pressies
ordered some baking bits and pieces
ordered new light shade for littlies room

oh and trimmed ds2 hair a bit to try and even it up....

oh, that list looks better than I feared - have the feeling I havent achieved anything today LOL

tomorrow girls have an inset day so I am off work...but DS2 is at nursery so I may actually be able to get some stuff done (here's hoping!!)

So my plan for tomorrow:
up, breakfast dressed, me and dc
clear breakfast stuff
bathroom S&S
Tidy littlies room
ds2 to nursery
home
reboot laundry
text babaysitter to arrange upcoming dates
find calm non-messy activity to amuse dds2,3 and 4
Kitchen: surfaces,doors,sweep and mop
Lounge: Dust,clean windows, hoover
Dining room: tidy shelves,clear piano, dust, sweep,mop
excavate decorations from the loft
sort through decs and decide what is going where.
Tidy girls room
strip girls beds and wash bedding
tidy our room
hoover upstairs
prepare dinner - cottage pie??
do something inspired , easy, yet creative with DDs LOL
collect ds2 from nursery
dinner
baths/stories
littlies bed
Fill in forms for LEA for dd3

right...well, think maybe I may need more of a week off work not just one day - hey ho!

BBtomorrow

Evening all,

Sorry to have been AWOL again, been out most of the weekend and decluttering madly the rest of the time, I started feeling depressed about the state of the place again about a week ago and decided to have a real go at the clutter again.

Toffee - my DS can whinge for Great Britain when he is made to walk anywhere (he doesn't like being parted from his scooter), his legs are tired, he's exhausted, blah blah blah, so I sympathise with you too. But if he actually wants to be somewhere, or is doing something interesting, like a treasure hunt, he can walk for miles. They are usually charm personified at bedtime though, playing together beautifully (when we are trying to get them to go to bed).

Linzer - symapthies re the work life balance, although I go to work rather than working at home, I sometimes struggle to fit my paid job into the week ( I only do about 10 hours but it is entirely up to me to schedule them) some weeks are so busy with the DCs stuff, especially at this time of year.

Fuzzled and Lauren - sorry you had such bad nights, hope tonight is better.

A good weekend here, DH took the DCs to swimming lessons yesterday so I could press on with decluttering, then I took DS down to Portsmouth to the football, this is probably hard to understand if you are not a football fan but I have been going there to support them for about 25 years now, it has been a huge part of my life, but I have hardly been since the DCs were born, all my old school friends still go, so it is a huge joy to me to be able to take DS now, he loves it too, everything from meeting up with the friends in the pub by the ground to the journey home talking over the match, a really good day out. Sad to see the news about Gary Speed tonight though.

Today we went to Winchester to the Christmas Market, DH and DD went ice skating, DS and I watched, it was a beautiful warm afternoon. Got home and finished my decluttering of DD's bedroom. I need to do about another hour on DS's room and the landing now, so I can press on with Phase 2 (downstairs) tomorrow. I started in the loft at the beginning of the week to clear space for toy storage, I then moved a lot of stuff out of the DCs rooms up there and tomorrow I am going to move stuff from downstairs into the space vacated. Whoever it was that liked empty drawers, they aren't going to be empty for long!

Better go, still got all the washing to put away, packed lunches, clothes to put out, shoes to clean as well as the decluttering. Yawn!

Evening all

Sorry I have been AWOL again but I have caught up with everyone.

Nicknacks I am of you are your organised xmas. I have done about 1/2 of present shopping but that is all.
OFM Oh no re DS curl. I also had this with DDs when GPs cut her hair against my wishes and didn't save curl
SC Dishwasher sounds a nightmare hope it didn't ruin your day too much
laurenmium Sorry to hear DD is poorly
Toffee your morning sounds lovely and well done DH on not disturbing you.

Well had a mad two days here. DD had her party yesterday. Was a bear party at the local play area and everyone went home with bears so went really well. I was exhausted though, and its not even her birthday until Tuesday so we've still got more to come.

Went to Manchester xmas markets today. Spent more on food and parking than anything else but it was lovely and made me feel really festive. We took in-laws though and they really didn't get into festive spirit. They don't spent money and were talking about how the german / Austrian food etc could be bought in Lidl at a fraction of the price. I was

DH is in a foul mood and we have had about 6 arguements today so I guess I ought to go and spent time with him. I'm also writing a shopping and job list for tomorrow as I have a mountain of things to get to over the next two days before DH and DDs birthdays (can't believe they fell on the same day)

Ta da list for today

• 3 x washing
• manchester xmas market shopping
• clean kitchen
• DD homework
• DD thank you cards for party yesterday - bought and written
• Lunches made for tomorrow
• 3 more meals made for freezer
• Uniform sorted for tomorrow

Right off to spent time with grump. Back tomorrow with hugggge list (unless a miracle happens and a supply call comes in)

Today I tried to be super woman and failed. But was also at the manchester xmas market briefly.

ta da list:
Do a friend a favour
xmas market
empty lounge of furniture and other bits and bobs
Clean lounge, stairs, landing and spare room carpets.
deal with ex
end up in tears and feeling fragile.

been one of those days. Woke up feeling ill and fragile. Everything else has just been too much. PMT doesnt help with feeling emotional.

Would love to scroll through but internet connection is playing up. am going to get the links up and head to bed.

Monday is home bleurgh day

missions

babystep is to look after yourself

Hi all
I always come on here when my eyes are hurting and I should be going to bed!

Fuzzled and Lauren sorry about your nights, same here!
Must have been something in the air last night as my dd2 also decided to play up at 4.30am, so I have been up since then (except for a brief hour at 7.00 when I literally got in to bed and pulled duvet over my head, so dh had to get up). By 8.00 dh is back in the bedroom asking where her clothes were so he could take her out to get milk (uhm, in the drawer???).

I was a bit at lack of milk for dc's breakfast but was too tired to argue. Turns out there was but he hadn't looked properly (bit of gender stereotyping there but so true)

Linzer I am so of people whose dh doesn't mind getting up at the weekend! Lucky you! (was it you that posted that? Maybe I'm getting confused)

Despite all that I have a shiny sink and reasonably tidy flat, also managed to heroically take ironing pile from bedroom, set up ironing corner but gave up after two shirts.

Couldn't work out why I just couldn't face it until I reminded myself that I've been up since 4.30!

Oh and well done fuzzled hope you found some nice new size clothes.

darkness you're not sounding great, here

MC I to have been dealing with incredibly grumpy dh here, good job I somehow was in a collaborative mood or today would have horribly degenerated.

OFM wow! Quite inspirational flying going on there!

Slightlycrinkled hope the baking went well!

and enthusiastic waving to everyone else!

Set up a reward chart for DS2 this evening. I told him he would get a reward tomorrow evening if he didn't keep calling us after we'd said goodnight. He really wanted time on Club Penguin after school tomorrow, so I agreed that would be his reward. Result: not a peep out of him and he was asleep within 10 minutes !

I daren't think of all the wasted hours I've spent trapsing up and down stairs to calm him down (too hot, too cold, scared, thirsty, etc etc). Oh well, at least if this works I will gain an extra hour or more in the evening from now on .

Have just finished online shopping for this week's groceries. There are quite a few ready meals in there , but I ran out of inspiration and didn't fancy the Menu4Mums menu this week.

Too sleepy to do any personals - sorry.

Oh, and if anyone has any idea where DS1's PE kit might be, I'd be most grateful. Losing it is becoming a weekly event.

btw toffee thanks for the YANBU!

Anyway today very busy so not sure what I can achieve:

try not to let sleep deprivation get the better of me
put load of washing before school run
organise where new shelves and chest of drawers will go(yay!)
ironing (as if)
Wash floors
Dinner

Don't think I'll add any more as I'll struggle to get those done as it is....