Pointy sticks at the ready... and a few choc biscuits and brews too.

[carrotsandcelery]

I'm alright, carrots, just tired. I've been run down lately. And, as you say, Toddlers can exhaust you. Thanks for asking.

scout, I'm not always happy with the way MrBessie does the washing up, but I still let him do it, then re-do what I feel is necessary!

carrots you must be exhausted! That sounds like more than enough socialising for a week, let alone a day!

The organised thread has slowed down now. it took me over a week to read it all, but think I need to read it again while taking notes! All I can remember right now is colour coding the kids (to make it easier to sort their stuff) the importance of having and USING a diary/calendar, and meal planning

DD1 announced at the weekend she no longer likes tomatoes & on Monday refused to eat the ever-popular sausage casserole because the sausages and beans were "dirty" from the tomato Luckily she is still eating everything pre-school & the GPs put in front of her, so she's getting a few decent meals a week!

Whew, I already live & die by my planner and meal plan. I only have one child, will only have one child, so no color coding needed.

So....why aren't I more organized?

Let me rephrase that -- why isn't my house? Other parts of my life are organized to within an inch of their lives.

Have just done some train ticket budgeting for the Seniors trip to the Big Smoke.

I'm going to bed (very late ).

Fingers crossed that I'm more motivated tomorrow.

Morning all, I was woken up at 4.40am by the neighbours DC crying.
Mine were both still asleep.

Bessie I wonder if all DD start to get fussy at this age ?
My DD wouldn't put on a pair of pyjamas last night as she said they were dirty!
They only had a tiny bit of cereal spilt on them which she does most mornings.
I have a feeling I am going to have to wash her clothes more often.

Black, I think it's called being a threenager!

scout which bits of your house aren't organised?

Morning all,(again).

I need to go shopping but am sitting here munching on snacks (Too keep warm) Not sure I've convinced myself of that one!

May require a pointy stick!

So if I do manage to get to the shop I won't be around to "buddy" anyone till after 1.00.

Hope everyone is well.

Morning all! We are on babystep 1 today

Today's mission is here for those who do it

I have been up early with ds but suspect he was up even earlier as he was freezing when I cuddled him. I am a bit worried but see the psychologist on Monday so will ask her what we should do. How can I return him to bed if I don't know he is up

Ta Das:
Washed and dressed
Dcs breakfasted
Went to shop for food for lunches because dh ate it all last night
Made packed lunches
Got dcs to school
Wm on
Dw loaded and on
Worktops cleaned
Animals fed
Kitchen rescued

Both my dcs went through these fussy phases and I just continue to put the family meals in front of them. I make sure there are foods there that I am fairly sure they will eat but I still put a little of the thing they might make a fuss about. With ds I also express and expectation that he will eat it (something I was always against but I have since realised all dcs are different - I wouldn't do this to dd). I think you have to assess their growth and weight etc when you decide how pushy you are or aren't.

I am off out with a friend shortly and I think we are going for lunch afterwards.

Hopefully I will be back for a bit of buddying before pick up at 3.15.

Ds has a friend coming after school which I am really worried about. He is really not good at having friends over to play and I am generally a nervous wreck now when he has friends around. He has been clearly warned about my expectations but I have been here before. I may appear for some hand holding. We have very few people who will let their dcs come to play with him and I don't want it to be one less.

im around for the 1o'clock club buddying today

carrots will be lurking for a bit afer school to hand hold if required

all little zooz didnt settle til after 9

this is unheard of and i had to drag them ALL up at 7 to get breakfast

was trying getting sleepy kids organized but at least clothes laid out and belongings where we could find them eased it a little

ta das
s+s bathroom
made beds
ironing
washing on
bit shopping/paid bills
indulged a leisurely breakfast after the school run

considered attacking the front garden as it a disaster zone of weeds and remnants of hollyhocks..but im too cold and the wind howls down our street and theres no sun so its perishing.i may have to attempt bit more decluttering my room

Black I'd be up for buddying after Toddler's down for a nap.

carrots You are a busy woman! I am envious of your social life.

bessie Admittedly, all of it. Well, most of it. Part of the problem is MrScout and his hoarding. Things just get tossed and not put away. That's what I'm doing with the flinging you didn't love it enough to care for it properly, it's out. He also thinks because someone gave you a gift even something you don't love/never use/don't think about -- you have to keep it forever. He'll keep a box "because the company/a museum will want it in 20 years time." I am not that way.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when I lived on my own, I was a tidy and organized person. I was the girl who had a CD bookcase and the CDs were organized by artist and within each artist the CDs were in order by release date. DVDs were alphabetical; series were in order by volume. You get the drift. I'm not sure whether to be or by it. I wasn't retentive about it -- things could move and I wouldn't freak out. But it made life easier.

I live and die by my planner and lists. (Again, not so retentive that I'm incapable of life without them though if I lost my planner I'd be stuffed as it's also my address book and has all of my hospital appointment slips, scan pictures of Toddler when he was FetusScout, etc.)

Even whinging -- today's Ta Das:
TS & I dressed to slippers
TS breakfasted
slower cooker washed out and breakfast dishes done (forgot to turn the slow cooker off until 10 p.m. and it was still too hot to wash last night)
all papers are (FINALLY) out of plastic pockets
all said papers ready for the recycling bin
with Toddler: one picture painted, Duplo played with, Brio played with, email sent to Daddy (TS is his father's son and loves computers and sending email)

To Dos:
recycling to bin
town for donations
shop for bits I didn't have on my shopping list and need for tomorrow's dinner
Crafty Capers with TS this afternoon (toddler group)
living declutter & fling
phone calls (hair appointment, reserve room for Seniors, etc)
emails for Seniors (re: change of venue and various upcoming trips/activities)

Is it sad to think, as much as I love Seniors and Guiding, roll on July when I'm taking at least a year out? I'm tired and all of the time I put into it is getting ridiculous when I'm trying to organize my life, raise a toddler and am about to undergo round two?

Right, shopping done. It's SO COLD out there! but still they have it worse in some other countries at the mo so mustn't grumble too much!

I will be back at 1.00 for the "Cleaning buddy club"

TS lunched and down for a nap. (I think he's sleeping but I dare not peak as the afternoon sun comes through the hall window which shines right into his room if I open the door.)

Recycling put out in bin.

Lunch made and currently being consumed. Experimented a bit. Am having a cheesey bacon wrap with a side salad (lettuce, carrots, peppers, salad dressing from home). It's yummy. Might need to go make another wrap!

scout am i being too nosey/thick you posted something i missed.whats happening in july for a year?

Hi all, I am still munching my lunch. I bought a ready meal for me today, it is vegetable lasagne and very nice!

zoo I'm due to start round 2 of a medical treatment that has some nasty not very nice side effects (and round two they're adding a drug to the cocktail so goodness knows how I'll react to that). The treatment is 11 months long. I struggled through the first round trying to do everything and be everything for everyone (read: acting like nothing had changed and I was fine when in reality it had and I wasn't). I decided not this time. I expect I'll start this course any time between June & August. I made the decision to see Seniors through until the end of the school year, no matter when I start, since I am the only leader for the unit. The Guide unit I'm giving up the end of this term (so, end of March) since there's a full leadership team for them.

Out again carrots?! I have taken the baby swimming & been to the drs to order a new prescription.

carrots hope DS & his friend get on ok. I'm sure you've thought about it already, but have you identified likely triggers & got some ideas of how you can nip any signs of conflict in the bud? (does cake work on boys that age?)

zoo thanks for reminding me about the front garden, I need to prune back something dead looking - I have no idea what it is (big ball like pink/blue flowers) or if it's the right time of year to prune it, but it's annoying me and I don't care if I kill it

scout your DHs hoarding must drive you mad! My DH feels obliged to keep hideous presents his family have bought him, but thankfully has a huge clear out a couple of time a year.
Are you making some progress with his stuff? Do you think that once he sees how nice it is to have a bit of clear space he will be more open to helping you? (or will he just try to fill it up again?)

Bessie That plant might be a hydrangea.

Right do we have pointy sticks ready ?? -->

I need shoving off this chair so I can go and rescue the kitchen

scout im soo nosey/rude sometimes[blush
bessie sounds like a hyderanger(know ive spelt that wrong )

i cant procrastinatge any longer...shall we meet at 2 with reports?

bessie I fear it may be a bit of both! He's commented on the kitchen. He didn't comment on the table in the living room but when he cleared out his camera bag (in preparation for the Guiding event he was asked to photo) he dumped all of the cords, spare batteries, goodness know what other crap stuff on the nice, almost clear table. That was Thursday evening last week -- it's still there.

I've decided to just keep plugging away at it. He'll get it eventually! I've said my goal is to get it where I feel we can have a play date here (right now I don't feel we can). I've chucked out soooo many boxes, scraps of paper, etc, and he hasn't noticed. But I also know I need to go "slowly and quietly." Too much at once and he'll flip/sulk for ages.

-> jab jab jabbity jab at black

lets get cracking!!

2.00 sounds good for a meet up.

zoo No you're not. Don't worry. I did mention the bad news earlier in the month but I don't expect internet strangers thread folks to remember stuff like that. I'm quite open about certain aspects of my health though I don't go announcing what the problem/s are (that's just a step too far). I do have some RL support and MrScout is fantastic about it.

Right, 2 p.m. See you then!

Hello everyone. Scout that is all my social engagements passed and it will no doubt be social death for me for months now. It is like buses. They all come at once.

I have laid out a huge box of Lego for ds and his friend. Hopefully there is enough for there not to be a big scrap over anything. I have already identified all triggers I can think of and warned ds. eg no wii, ds, laptop, tv, bossing around, dominating etc. I have told him that the guest gets to choose what to do and which "characters" he is etc. Ds gets over excited and very bossy otherwise.

Unfortunately I can't use cake. I have to keep snacks to a minimum as the wee boy can't eat too much after school. Ds is obviously the opposite and needs to eat loads. I have got some pancakes and fruit as a compromise between both their needs. Ds will be unbearable if he is hungry.

Ds wants to walk home from school and it is quite a long way so that should burn off some of the mania and tire them out a bit. I reckon by the time we do that, have a snack and sit down with the Lego we don't have too long to fill. We also have to nip out and pick up their big sisters after a little while which should break it up a bit too.

I don't worry like this at all if dd has someone round. I just put food on the table and leave them to get on with it. Ds is a trickier character though.

Scout I was also suffering from CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) but am getting to the point that, as long as they don't go upstairs, it is just the normal level of mess and clutter that any normal household would have.

Mind you today, since coming home I have only made the bed and set up the Lego. I am going to keep my kitchen jobs for when ds's friend is here so I can be in the room but busy and not too overbearing.