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

[carrotsandcelery]

Evening everyone

Greetings Neenook

'Fraid I'm another East Anglian at the moment and can confirm that the sun came out just as I walked into the house having got soaked in Norwich this morning. DH has a big job interview tomorrow so we may be moving into carrotsandcelery territory later this year.

Dinner for us was beans on toast, however this was good as DS did actually have 2 helpings of beans, therefore getting carbs, proteins, iron and fibre. yoghurt and banana afterwards so a reasonably balanced meal for DS. He's now flaked out and snoring gently .

Our big discovery of the day is that DS can now get around the toddler bit of the soft play all by himself so I don't need to lifeguard any more. Lucky as I nearly got wedged the last time I followed him around and I'm several weeks down the line from then. I figure that once the DC-to-be turns up, we can always go there and let off some steam whilst I get on with some BF.

Just need to hang out the washing and put the dishwasher on and I'm done for the evening. Can't face doing anything else as am soooooo tired, it's getting ridiculous.

Well done everyone else, sounds as if the pointy sticks are working! Will try and get a bit more done tomorrow when DS is napping.

Have you done Fly Lady before?

cairn I order you to go sit on the sofa & eat chocolate biscuits! You need to put those feet up!

DD1 is always a bit of a nightmare on Thursday's as she's exhausted from two days at pre-school with no nap, but tonight was horrendous. She's in bed asleep now, fx she doesn't wake until the morning!

Not sure what i've got to do tonight, but it's going to start with some kind of chocolate!

• tidy living room
• cook & freeze apples for DD2s breakfast
• tidy kitchen
• shine sink
• put soup in freezer
• go to bed early
• possibly drink wine in bed

DH has just gone out, i'm just feeding DD2. I might have to do a "no sitting down until it's all done" rule coz I think once I touch that sofa, I'm not going to get up again!

awscout thats sooo cute

is blackcat around?was useful having a cleaning buddy today
evening ta da
tea

as you are all flying/sorting kids/drinking in bed bessie i am obliged to retire to the pit as my eyes are reviewing the inside of my eyelids!!!
my lot have colds(me too) and arent settling.could be a long night....
carrots hope tonight goes ok with ds
blackcatif you want help each other again tomorrow i will be around from 9.30
til tomorrow....happy flying!

Hello all and welcome Neenook .

Things have been pretty hectic here this evening. DS announced that his teacher wants to see his homework project tomorrow. He had hardly done anything on it so it was a bit of a mad rush to do some tonight.

Not sure how much I will be around tomorrow as I need to be somewhere also DM may visit.

Damnation -- think the boiler has failed.

carrots me and you are the only Northerners here! Although you are a lot further north.
Our radio said it would be 5'c tomorrow so we are not as cold as Scotland.

I didn't sit down until it was all done! [proud]

• tidy living room
• cook & freeze apples for DD2s breakfast
• tidy kitchen
• shine sink
• put soup in freezer
• go to bed early
• possibly drink wine in bed

I also thought about what we were having for lunch tomorrow & got it out of the freezer in the garage & put it in the freezer in the kitchen so it's easier to get to tomorrow.

and the dishwasher & washing machine are on (will be finished before I goto sleep)

I'm at home with both the DDs tomorrow, so probably won't get much flying done. I want to do some cooking with DD1 in the morning - either flapjacks or muffins I think - had better look for an easy recipe I have the ingredients for!

Hi neenook!

Did you find the BabySteps worked for you before? Are you going to start them from scratch again? Some of us only started a few weeks ago & others have done them before, but have been using the new year as an opportunity to re-focus on them (will probably do this again in feb!) - we're on day 26 which was to read the last line from her emails
"You are not behind! I don't want you to try to catch up; I just want you to jump in where we are. O.K.?"

DH likes to leave things in the sink to "soak" for days on end - I just take them out & put them on the worktop! The important thing for me is that I can use the sink in the morning without having to move a load of stuff out of the way, or having to put my hand in a bowl full of cold, dirty water to pull the plug out

I have decluttered the chocolate [piggy], just the wine to go now

Morning! This is weird, we spoke about this yesterday!

Babystep 27 - What's for dinner?

We've got freezer stuff for lunch, the DDs have got pasta for tea (need to make vat of sauce for them & freezer) and DH & I will be having take-away for our dinner! [lazy]

morning!bessie i read that post twice as i thought ir said you were having the freezer for lunch

sooo glad sorted the sink etc before bed.that wouldve made me want retreat back to bed if was greeted with a pile of crap and mess mood im in!
have friend visiting bringing me goodies i ordered at 10 so will be around breifly after school run then from lunchtime onwards...need reminding to keep on top what ive already cleared as i tend focus too much on current zones/declutter then turn around and rest place degenerating under a sea kids stuff again!!!
hope you all had some sleep
blackcat hope todays starting as an ok one
neenook i will sharpen my pointy stick in preparation of any necessary prodding and crack open a fresh packet biscuits
to anyone near a waitrose..i picked up their weekend free mag and has a voucher for 2pint free 1%fat milk valid til 2nd feb

Yes, boiler definitely failed. It's sooooo cold and we don't have hot water. MrScout's going to call to get someone out and when Toddler goes for a nap I'm going to do a crisis sort/fling/hide. We've all slept in layers and I've been boiling water to do the washing up. I love camping but not in my own house! Fortunately we're going to soft play with friends for the morning so while not flying we'll be somewhere warm. Hoping to convince MrScout that if the plumber can't come until next week that we can go to the inlaws at the last minute.

Cleared out two boxes into bags to take up to the charity shop. I've decided to do it that way, rather than take the boxes themselves, since the boxes keep everything much more orderly while I'm flinging. That and if I remove too many boxes at once MrScout might go into crisis panic mode and start rooting through them. Also now have a bag of toys to take the village toddler group toys that TS never played with in his 2.3 years of life and even when I offer them to him he runs away or ignores (like the plastic baby he plays with his soft homemade baby from his Grandmom in the US but avoids the plastic-y one like the plague). I really can't see the point of keeping them.

All of TS's out grown clothes have been in bags in the upstairs all (in front of the boiler closet) for months. We had kept them "just in case." Well, honestly, "just in case" isn't going to happen. Have a friend who's pregnant with a son who had gotten rid of all of her baby things thinking she was done with babies I'm going to offer them today if I see her (not sure if she's joining everyone for soft play) and if she doesn't want them they're going to the shop/donation box. I told MrScout last night, after hauling them away from the boiler closet, that they were "going out since we're not having any more babies I can't stand looking at them any more!" (They're reminding me of what's happened and about to happen again they're making me sad looking at them.) I have an under-the-bed box with the TS clothes I want to keep (outfit home, first bear suit (winter coat), first Halloween and Christmas outfits, baptism outfit, cards, etc) -- the rest can go.

I am being brutal.

Someone please hold my hand an reassure me his clothes are just things and things we don't need. I'm sad looking at them but sad at the thought of putting them out since it means no more babies.

Morning!

Right, have done school run - actually on time for once - and dropped DH at work as his car wouldn't start.
I'm giving myself till 10 on here and then I'm off - have promised DH he will see a difference when he gets home so I can't get out of it now!

Have copied down today's babysteps so hopefully will feel like I'm back on track a bit by the end of today....

Scout I kept a few of both DS's things - you know, the odd babygrow to remind me how small they were (esp. DS1 who was only 5lb 6), one or two outfits/items I loved them in and some lovely toys that I can't part with that I'll finally dig out of the loft with a flourish and a smug 'see I told you they were worth keeping' as a Grandma

I still get broody especially when I watch One Born Every Minute, and would love to have had more, but circumstances meant it just didn't happen, no regrets though. If we had've had more, the last few years would probably have finished me off!

((((hugs)))) for Scout. I went through this a few years ago. Dh wanted another but I was advised not to have more due to the problems I had had in the past. Not as tricky as your issues I know but the end result was that I knew I had to get rid of all the baby stuff.

What I did was go through it all and keep just a couple of outfits. The rest went to a charity shop and helped the charity and another mum with a new baby, which made me feel better about it all. I also gave away the cot bed, bath, pram etc. It was hard but also a bit of a relief to have tackled it as it weighed on me having it all there and not knowing what to do with it all.

I realised that however many babies I did or didn't have there was always going to be a point where I had to say, "no more babies."

You are doing a good thing. Try to rejoice in TS (as I know you do) instead.

You are doing brilliantly with the decluttering.

You will never believe what happened to me last night.

DS SLEPT IN HIS OWN BED ALL NIGHT UNTIL 6.15!!!!

I feel a celebration is in order

He is really, really chuffed with himself.

My ta das so far:

Dcs lunches and snacks sorted
Washed and dressed to shoes
Dcs to school
Ebay parcel posted & milk and choc digestive top up shop
Dw loaded
Wm on as airer stuff dry
Just having my breakfast and a now

I am going for coffee at a friends at 10.30 but will have to be back and cracking on as Dh has taken the afternoon off. I am not sure why but he suggested a coffee too [skiver]

What's for dinner? - More leftovers and something simple for the dcs today as I am going out again tonight.

today's mission is here. I hope to do a few of them as there are a few I haven't got to yet

Cross Posts Neenook but we are singing from the same hymn sheet it seems.

(((hugs))) Scout again.

Welcome Neenook

carrots, blackcat We moved down south (but not in East Anglia :o) recently but I'm a still a Northener at heart. May well go back one day as our families are still up there.

lol at bessie decluttering chocolate.

WELL DONE minicarrots. That's great news.

Scout - hope you get your heating fixed soon. :(

Morning everyone.

I actually feel awake today!

((hugs to Scout)) hope all the sorting out goes well and have lots of hugs and cuddles with TS afterwards

Neenook tis very rare that I follow any of what we're meant to be doing on the day that we're meant to or any other day. I'm sort of drifting along in my own dream world but am gradually getting more organised and motivated to get stuff done.

Huge hurrahs for minicarrots

bessie26 - am also planning on making a vat of pasta sauce with lots of hidden veg-- and using it for pizza topping tonight and pasta over the weekend.

liveinazoo that reminds me that our Avon lady is coming on Wednesday and she only likes cash and I can't remember how much I owe her

blackcat hello if you're around but I think that you might be meeting your mum today? Hope you're having a lovely time if you are.

diamis you are a splitter for living down south yet NOT in East Anglia

Right to do:
washing on
pasta sauce on to simmer
swish and swipe ours and main bathroom
2 minute hot spot on kitchen counter again
consider taking bins out, but the bin men forgot to pick up the bins yesterday so have nowhere to put the bins if I do take them out. Will ponder this one further.
have a and sort out lunch for me and DS once he wakes up from his nap.

See ya's all laters x

hi all
congrats to minicarrots-crack open the crabbie carrots.thats worth celebrating!
hugs for scout tough get rid baby bits but your head holds lots memorys and they are forever.x
i dont have a ta da,more hmmm....er
after schoolrun had brakfast
played little zoo(feeling snotty and poorly)
5min walk clothes bank with 2 carrier bags stuff
sat bum and ate twix and read paper!
painting with little zoo

so i sit here no get up and go breakfast dishes mocking me and in desparate need large jab with the pointy stick!

dlamis i lack an anti sentimental claptrap stick,will you settle for a kindly shove and the remaining chocolate fingers?
am now going to sit here and have lunch and hope someone will come along and break my apathy!

Hello again everyone.

It sounds like loads is going on.

zoo ----> that is for you. Come on! 15 mins somewhere and then you can have a chocolate finger and a

Ta Das

Cleaned main bathroom
Cleaned ensuite
Made beds
Decluttered top of chest of drawers
Decluttered my bedside table (wasn't bad but did it before it was)
Decluttered my pj drawer and drawer with vests and swimsuits and odd things like that in it (now have huge bag of stuff for the recycling for clothes near the school)
Dusted master bedroom and spare bedroom, including door tops and frames.
Hoovered both bedrooms and hallway.
Tidied hallway but there are a lot of things still on the stairs.
Cleaned kitchen worktops
Saw friend for a coffee (well herbal tea)
Played with dog
Had my lunch

I feel quite pleased with my progress today.

Decluttering is definitely the most satisfying out of all the tasks.

you are going great guns carrots
i will now get up and room rescue front room(will take more than 15mins but at least i will have somewhere to sit thats not a pigstymess!

Have hung the washing now too. Next load of washing will have to wait for school uniforms first.

Having a choc bic reward.

Just home from soft play -- stayed later than I thought. Decided to have a (hot) lunch there before coming home so we had warm food and didn't have to worry about trying to wash up. (I can still cook but the thought of washing up filled me with dread.) TS is snug in his bed for a nap and I'm giving myself 15 minutes computer time before going to start my crisis clean.

Spoke with pregnant friend today who seemed overjoyed at the offer of clothes. Gave her a carrier bag today of unused/still had the label on outfits and I think I nearly made her cry. Have told her I'd go through and bag up outfits & clothes for her and will give them to her next week when I see her. I know she likes all of Toddler's overalls (dungerees) from the States and was definitely thrilled when I said I'd make sure all of them were in the bag/s she received. I won't thrust all of the clothes on her (it really is overwhelming how much we have, thanks to over-the-moon & generous grandparents) but will make sure she receives the outfits I loved the most as it's a lovely feeling knowing someone I know will get as much love out of them as I did. And, as she said, I'll get to see the baby in the clothes and know they're being well loved by another set of parents and baby.

Besides soft play other ta das include:
TS & I dressed before breakfast
breakfast
recycling to bin
recycling magazines to tip

This afternoon will include:
start some crisis clean upstairs for boiler man
bag up TS clothes for friend (other clothes for charity)
town for charity shop drop and to finish drying clothes (that won't get dry in cold house)
emails and phone calls for Seniors

Thank you for the hand holding!