Baby steps leaving footprints in the Winter snow

[roastparsnipsandbrusselsprouts]

Yes, I dropped off but was woken after 15 mins by what I thought was my phone (vibrating alarm) but was actually DS snoring!

ooooo I've just had the local firemen round.

It's o.k. there is no fire, they are just doing house safety checks where they check you have a smoke alarm.

Might join you in a

Bessie 26 what is your Home Blessing?

I agree with Scout, I don't want to put post its around the house. I will get a pad instead. Bad luck about washer/laundrette but good news about toddler cuddles. My DS5 comes into bed for a munch every morning for a cuddle before we get up. I am making the most of this.

I always get a 2:30 slump and I NEED a daily siesta. I miss nap times soooo much but I must do the school run. I may de-clutter a selection box with a coffee before I go. Angel disturbed nights are the pits. Here's a .

egg home blessing info - it's not part of the baby steps, so no need to do it yet!

Scout I agree with bessie that having reminders/lists in your book is less messy and easier to control.

Chocolate and Firemen - does it get much better? I love this thread.

Ds and I have been decluttering the end of the Panettone - Yum!

I am a bit up tight about toy storage. At the moment I have lots of plastic boxes with lids and have all the lego in one box, all the transformers in another, all the Playmobil Pirates in another etc. I stack them in ds's wardrobe but ideally I would have shelves in there so he couldn't pull a whole stack down on himself and could get the bottom box out without me having to lift out all the ones on top for him.

I tend to just have a few things out at a time. This is made easier because the dcs mostly play in the kitchen and all their toys are upstairs so I lift down a couple of boxes and put away the earlier two as I go up.

This works fine for us until another child comes in and pulls out everything.

The biggest mess my dcs make is with craft stuff though. Both of them are drawing or making stuff ALL the time and leave all their debris all over the kitchen table.

I am hoping to encourage the routine of clearing it all before each meal so that it can't build up too much. That is the theory anyway.

Scout my washing machine is in its death throes and my tumble drier has died and we can't afford to have either fixed or replaced just now so I feel your pain. I am limping on with the washer with towels stuffed round it for when it leaks and drying everything on radiators/pulley/airer.

Ugh, roast, I feel your pain. Unfortunately mine is an all-in-one washer/dryer (which I've always hated but was just grateful MrScout had something when I moved in) so when one part goes I can't do anything. When I declutter a bit more we'll have someone in to (hopefully) fix it. Fortunately various trips have been timed well and so I did laundry at my parents' house (Thanksgiving trip -- took dirty clothes home, washed at the start of the trip then washed the day before we left there so had clean clothes coming home) and did the same two weeks later with the inlaws and our two and a bit week Christmas trip there. I need to do the sheets and towels, too, but the work shirts will have priority today (and since they don't get tumbled I hang them on hangers in the shower normally it means a short laundermat trip).

I like the idea of laundry days though, once the machine's back in working order.

Arrgghhh! The DC have gone mad since DS came home from school.
They have been running around, knocking things over, hurting each other and screaming. I have turned the telly off for a bit of peace

black can you send them out into the garden?!

No it's dark and raining and we only have a yard. Thanks for the suggestion though. I have temporarily put DD in her room cause she wouldn't leave the cat alone. I will have to get her back down in a minute.

I have got her back down now. DD is sitting watching telly and DS is playing on the xbox (opposite ends of the room) .
DH will be home soon so I will be able to get dinner done.

Thanks Bessie I will ignore blessings for now. Not sure I could fit any more in. This is hard. I am hoping that once things have been sorted it will be easier for the whole family to maintain. I am self employed and work from home. This would be very difficult to do if I was working my normal full time hours and commuting.

Black I am glad the DD/S are at peace. Scooby Doo is on here and we are chilling out.

This thread is motivational. I have done 30 mins homework with DS 5, made his dinner and cleared up.

Kitchen and Living room are clean and tidy

15 mins declutter in hall (this weeks zone)
Shiny sink
Other than getting things ready for the morning I am done.

To do list for this week:
Tidy our/ DS's room
Ironing backlog
Change beds and do laundry.

Buy paint
Buy more plastic boxes for The Big Toy Sort Out

Eggrules you are doing lots more than you have to which is why it probably feels hard. Be careful - the first thread of this I did I was warned not to do too much or I would burn out and give up. I was advised to go for a slow steady climb.

The theory is that the babysteps gradually become habit and you don't really think about them any more and then you gradually add a bit more of this and a bit more of that.

I am at 30mins homework with your ds. Is that because he was uncooperative or because the school give out a lot?

We have been out to the stables for dd's lesson and the shop for binbags. I think she struggled with her minor injury though. I could see it in her face. It is amazing what a 10 year old girl will do to be with a pony that she wouldn't do for anything else.

I have parcelled ds into the bath and dd into the shower so I have got my first little moment of peace since I got up this morning. [bliss emoticon]

BlackCat do you think it was being pent up at school that caused the mania? Do you have the motion thing (is it kinnect) on the Xbox? I think dcs struggle for a good run around and letting off of steam at this time of year. It is too dark once they get home from school and if the school have kept them in at break and lunch then they are totally wound up by the time they come home. It sounds like an opportunity for a really physical game of some sort. I use the wii for this or have a quick game of "Simon Says". I would feel a complete idiot if anyone else saw me but I don't mind infront of the dcs. The other option is to put on some music and challenge them to a dance off.

Thanks Roast. My work hours have been reduced and I am trying to keep busy and get sorted. Between the school run, DS is at school for 5 hours; I may be doing too much by filling them all . We have lived here for 7 years and I need to decorate and get some major jobs done.

I was told DS was a bit behind starting Reception and so I started doing 30 mins each day with DS over the summer. It really is making a massive difference to him; we will see what is said at parent's evening/ conference. We read and play number games based on targets set by school. For us doing something structured each day when he gets straight home works a treat. If I try a more flexible approach, I get distracted with work, chores etc and it doesn't get done. He also has homework set from school via Education City which we do on a Sat (if there is any). He stopped football training before Xmas and I need to sort an activity out for him to wear him out

Sounds like your DD enjoys her lessons. Here is your .

Ah Egg thanks for the Your ds's homework makes much more sense in the circumstances you explain. If it is voluntary it is likely to be much more fun.

My ds has some problems and although very bright the school struggle to get the best out of him. They are applying for some one to one teaching for him as he works better by himself and struggles with the classroom environment. Now I am thinking that he might benefit from some one to one teaching time at home. Where do you get your ideas/materials? Or do you just make it up as you go along?

I seem to have got myself glued to the sofa. Anyone got a boot handy?

Boot!!

The DC seem to have calmed down a bit now.
I'm going to escape to the supermarket in a minute and stock up on a few basics.

As requested a BOOT for parsnips! What else do you need to do today?

parsnips His school is fab. They give broad targets to work towards and I decide what to do. For example all parents for his class were asked to read a book each day with their LO and practise letter sounds over the Summer. I incorrectly taught him cuh/duh/huh instead of ccc/ddd/hhh but it made for a good start with reading. He was missing some of the practical skills such writing his name. I know it helps his confidence to practise at home. I like BBC, Oxford Owl and Education City (school provide).

How are people getting on with Babysteps?

Sorry for going off at a tangent everyone. Thanks for the links Egg. We have Education City too so I should make more use of it. He will do nearly anything if a screen is involved.

hello everyone
think ive def got the shiny sink down now.ive washed up straight after t 3days running and shone it.makes the start of the day sooo much nicer
Barked at the kids when they got in from school to hang coats/put shoes away etc.they were so stunned they did it so other than bookbags and lunchboxs its as i left it fresh and tidy
whats the plan for tomorrow?

liveinazoo I know how you feel on the too many toys front. My dparents used to do this to a crazy degree.

I begged for a few years for them to buy less and they have slowly got the message - helped in part by now having 4 grandchildren rather than just mine.

I did take some stuff over to theirs to be toys to play with at their house as well which did stem the flow.

My dmum actually hands over gifts and says that will tidy up her house a bit without that hanging around I don't think it computes what she is doing to our house.

She also handed over 3 gifts in the run up to Christmas that she knew dd wanted. We knew she wanted them too so that is why we had BOUGHT THEM FOR HER FOR CHRISTMAS. It was too late to fix so dd got 3 gifts from Santa and us that she already had. Spoiled the moment a bit! I know she meant well but Gah!

Anyway, my point is, it does seem to work if you make the excessive gift giver house a large portion of their excessive gifts. Can you get each dc a large plastic box or large carrier bag and ask each to FILL it with toys they want to keep at their ddad's? Next time they go they take them with them. Do this every birthday etc and they might get the message.

It is actually stressful for children to have too much stuff to manage and tidy. We all know how we feel about our own clutter.

Sorry, that was a bit of a rant

liveinazoo I'm the same with my sink - I'm sure DH thinks I've lost my mind the amount of time and care I am showing to the sink!

Was a bit more productive this afternoon -
Meals planned for next week
Online food order updated
Dinner dishes done and put away immediately
Some random paper work done
Washing load in for first thing tomorrow

Really hoping we all get out of the house tomorrow - the weather is vile up here atm and we are all going a bit stir crazy. Nipped to shops this morning but DD whined the whole ways so cut it short

Have a relaxing evening

Hard to have a shining sink when I'm cooking dinner three times. Toddler eats early (as he should) then I cook for MrScout & I since he gets home around 7:45-ish. I've just had an email saying he won't be home until 10. ARGH!

redlac it has started to bucket here too.

Scout It's rotten when they have to work late. Will he be fed/past eating or will he still want a meal?

I need to go and make a and do the dishwasher and worktops while I am there.

Anyone else still doing wee jobs?

roast thats not a rant huny,just a sad fact!
i will endeavour to work out how to manage toys and we shall work together to declutter our lives!