Flinging our way through the chaos: February’s Fledgling Flyers

[LinzerTorte]

Welcome to the February edition of the Fledgling Flyers' thread.

If you're living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), this is the thread for you! We follow the tips on the FlyLady website in an attempt to restore order to our homes, but advise against signing up for the e-mails; all the information you need is on this thread.

Each day, I'll be posting the links that will enable you to do any of the following:

• start or repeat babysteps

• repeat babysteps and do 15 minutes a day decluttering in the current zone

or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

More information about the babysteps is here.

So please join us - there's always plenty of chat, , cake, encouragement and the occasional to help us on our way!

toffee thanks for lovely PM, and everyone thank you for lovely kind wishes. i am finding it quite hard with DH away, just got to get used to it. DD1 woke up with splitting headache and being sick in the night. Was worried about it being something very serious, spoke to doctor at 2am etc. She is OK today, says it still hursts, but off school. DD2 seems to be brewing another cold. Thank god I have an amazing nanny.

Am trying to clean with the kids where I can - I haven't had a chance to read how one actually swishes and swipes but i think i may have achieved it yesterday while they were in the bath?

Henry vacuum has broken now. Started thread about what to get to replace - Miele? Don't have pets but just want an entry level one. Any ideas?

Glad you had a better night's sleep, thewaffler. Getting rid of baby clothes can be very upsetting, even if you know for sure that you don't want any more children - it's almost like saying goodbye to an era. I'm not sure whether FlyLady would approve, but I think that hanging onto them for at least another few years sounds like a very good idea - and hopefully you'll find it an easier decision to make when you come to review the situation.

Lifebegins Sympathies on your early start. I don't mind getting up early, but am not quite as happy when I have my early morning peace disturbed. DD2 has been in an awful mood so far today (and DD1 doing an equally good job of winding her up), which is a sure sign she hasn't had enough sleep.

Honu Hope you manage to get home OK before too much longer.

We're still stuck at home waiting for the tiler to arrive. It's typical - any other day it wouldn't have mattered, but we're now going to be at least an hour late at DD2's friend's (if I'd known he was going to be so late, I would have taken them already). DH has his phone number, but isn't answering his phone. In the meantime, DS has been invited to another friend's house and has decided he does actually want to go there (it's somewhere he's often been before and knows the mum quite well too, so I'm not worried about him changing his mind about that). By the time we can finally leave, however, there'll probably be about half an hour of the morning left.

waffler I think there is always room for one more! If you are still young and energetic! I wish I'd had four while I still had the chance despite my difficulties dealing with current three... Don't throw away the baby clothes just yet. I remember feeling so broody when ds1 was about 6 weeks; I missed him being a tiny baby
linzer that reminds me to get dressed for the builder! Dd has walked to school by herself and the other two are in bed with terrible coughs so I am still in my pjs.
toffee I tried out my TLC method of communication this morning, unfortunately it took loads more time and I think I'll need to get up earlier in order to allow me time to get dressed and polite Dd announced she couldn't go to school at 8.35 due to coughing up some phlegm [tmi) but I managed to convince her, as she had got dressed and was completely ready so it did seem a terrible waste not to go after all that!!! Hope CBT goes well; I bet she has seen all sorts of houses.
honu I agonised over ds getting to school on icy pavement this morning, as I would so worried he would slip with a combination of ten tonne knapsack, barking cough, and violin, and break yet another limb. He has done all his homework so it is bit annoying not to get in with it and be all topsy turvy for this week too..Dh has just phoned me to say road is clearer now, so I'll try to get him to school after lunch when cleaning lady is here. I don't dare drive. And this is balmy London.

todo
supervise kids
stay calm for cleanign lady
order dd some waterproof winter boots

Thanks for all the kind words re Statementing.

Honu - good idea about the CAB for DLA. I am going to phone up and ask for a form to be sent out this week. Not sure if CAB will be the right help for getting it for a child with SN, but I will definitely need help from somewhere so I might give the CAB a ring and see what they say. Hope you get home safely.

Cristiane - we have a cylinder Miele, had it for several years and very happy with it (no pets here either). WE've talked about them on here before and Miele always seem to get lots of positive opinions, they also do well in Which reports.

TheWaffler - Arf at 32 eggs in a tree, that's a lot of omelettes!

Better go, I am supposed to be picking something up from Freecycle in a minute. Back later

Hi all
Thanks for the kind words re Christening! Hey Ho, Is my attitude now, you just have to let these things go.

DD1 is still not well so both children at home and sludgy snow everywhere!

Anyway, I do look forward to when I will be able to read through these posts properly!

Christiane how old are your little ones? I was once on my own with the 2 for two weeks, all I can say is that you'll be amazed at how you become a machine of efficiency (and then privately break down when they are both asleep).
My DD1 is 4 and also had terrible headache for 2 days solid, I was really worried as I didn't think headaches were normal in such small children, but anyway, she's improving a bit.

Slowburner That sounds really terrifying... I hope you are all recovering?

Can't really write much more, so I'll just offer all round and hope to catch up later

Oh! and

To Do

Get through day with 1 sick child and one energetic toddler.

That should do it!

Morning all. Feel much more human today as I "got tough" last night and ignored DS when he called out
It worked though, 2 mins later he was quite again and went back to sleep and only got up that once

So today:
Babystep 6
Clean bathroom
Dust
Hoover
Try and sort toys in lounge
Take DS for fun swimming this afternoon

Not sure it's all achievable but I'm giving it a go

Morning all. Thanks for your kind comments re the vile sickness bug. We all seem to be over the worst of it, although I'm still have waves of nausea now and again (thought I was going to throw up on my way to the office).

toffee hope the appt with the CBT therapist goes well.

Welcome to newbies

Commiserations to all those with sick little ones!

honu hope you get home soon. What a nightmare!

Am in work now but managed to get a fair bit done before getting here.

Ta Da

Up and dressed to shoes
Drove dd1 to work (after discovering brakes had frozen on car so had to take dh's van which needed to be completely unfrozen)
Swished upstairs bathroom
Swished downstairs bathroom
Made bed
Wiped floors
Loaded dw
Shined sink and worktops
Put dinner in slowcooker (whole chicken with chinese spices and fresh plums yummm)
Put on load of washing

dd2 is staying at home today with dd3 and dd4, so she has said she will hang the washing, put a second load on and hoover.

Getting off here now as VAT return has to be in by tomorrow and need to get the last of the accounts shoved into sage. Sigh.

Have a good day everyone!

Cristiane Poor DD1; hope her head is better today. Re swishing & swiping, it doesn't come up as a babystep until towards the end of the month but you can read more detailed information about it here. The short description is that you swish the toilet with the toilet brush, wipe down the counters and sink with a rag (although I would recommend a microfibre cloth) and put everything away that you've got out.

Hope your DD is also feeling better soon, justonemore.

swan You're a braver woman than me to even contemplate it; I think a fourth might tip me over the edge. I used to like the idea of four, but that was before the reality of three hit me. Mind you, the two calmest mothers I know have seven and four children respectively.

Glad to hear you're feeling more human today, MummyNic.

I'm also feeling more human now that I've got the DC out of the house and have coffee. I shall be child-free until 2 pm, which rarely happens during term time so half-term has got off to a good start. I suspect it's the calm before the storm, however; we'll have an extra four children here this afternon and three extra ones tomorrow afternoon. However, my English friend (the mum of two of the visiting DC this pm) will also be here so I intend to drink tea, gossip and ignore them all.

Bitchy - haven't read much but picked up your DS's news!!
My DS has had 2 breaks so far - leg at 3.6 and wrist at 4.6, nothing for over 18mths now but I'm sure it will happen again
Not sure what everyone else has said but once he gets the hard cast on and the pain is sorted you need one of these. Absolute Godsend, we even took DS swimming in the leg one!

Pain control was hard for the first week or so with his leg - Calpol then Ibuprofen alternately every 2 hours worked but even missing 1 dose by 20mins meant a very upset boy :( Once that had gone there was no stopping him - I will dig out broken leg scooter boy/broken wrist paddling in a canoe boy photos if you want.
Only other problem after that was when the cast(s) came off - think he felt very, very vulnerable and with leg one he refused to walk for at least a day, after hurtling round like a loon for previous 4 weeks!

However looking after a child in pain who has suddenly become much less independent is very, very hard on YOU. Be good to yourself and sort out as much time for you as you can - that's when I started running!

Need to get on but will try and catch up with everyone else later - no list, just need to DO things!

Lugholes what was the recipe? Hope Sage goes well

done
builder, loong loong chat which I could have done without, then I spilt coffee (luckily cold) over ds2 who was sitting behind a door and now feel completely all over the place and still in my pjs and dressing gown

Panic is setting in, bathrooms vile/bedrooms vile - [as cleaning lady here and requiring instructions] surrounded by coughing spluttering children who keep putting on very loud television programmes and leaving disgusting tissues everywhere.

I think I will strip the beds, then I need to go and buy some washing powder clear my head remove worst laundry from bathroom (hide it?) as there is no where to put it anywhere else well I suppose I could put in a bin bag in dh's study

Will perk up in a moment!!!

Feeling so tired this morning after waking up so early and then not being able to get to sleep again. I have decided that I am good for nothing at the moment, so - after dealing with the kitchen, which is in a sorry state - I am going to take myself back to bed. Hopefully, I will wake up with more energy.

DS1 couldn't get to the hospital, so the CBT therapist met him here at home instead. I had managed to do a room rescue in the sitting room and hoovered up the crisps that someone had spilt all over the carpet, but that was all. For one terrifying moment, I thought she was going to walk into our (very untidy) dining room, but I managed to redirect her . She was lovely and helpful, as always, and agrees that I should seek a statement. She is coming here again in a couple of weeks, but at least I will have been able to tidy up the house beforehand then.

Need to get back on track with Flying today, mainly house blessing, washing and an online shop for delivery tomorrow (assuming the van can reach our snowy road ).

Cristiane - good to see you back .

flying - glad you are over the worst of the bug now.

Good luck to all of you who are coping with sick children this morning - there seem to be quite a few of you.

Had a frustrating start to the morning, even before discovering that DH had set off for work with the car key still in his pocket! Eventually managed to get everyone in the right place but he was v late to work and it cut into my work time too. Grr!

Now outside DS2' s playgroup waiting for them to open the doors...

swan I kept finding crumpled-up pink serviettes everywhere this morning, which DD2 had been using as tissues "because we've got so many".

Toffee Glad to hear the therapist was helpful. Hope you can get some rest, preferably sleep, this afternoon.

The tiler (is that the right word for a kitchen/bathroom tiler? although he is actually a roof tiler "by day") turned down my offer of a roll from the baker's down the road (a filled roll, I hasten to add - the equivalent of sandwiches here) so I'm just back from a half-hour round trip to Burger King. Was quite relieved I managed to find it without putting the sat nav on. I felt like someone who had wandered in from the 19th century ("I hear you have these new-fangled things called burgers") as I didn't have a clue what to order (tiler wanted a "normal burger"). Two customers gallantly came to my rescue, although were reprimanded by the cashier for telling me that a hamburger or cheeseburger was what I was after - apparently, it was a whopper (one of about five options that I'd considered). She also patiently explained to me that the items in the menu would be more expensive if I bought them separately - but I don't know whether he actually wants a drink, I wanted to wail. And even if he did, which one should I go for? Soda water seemed like the safest option, but I've already given him a bottle of mineral water. He didn't seem displeased with coke, at any rate.

Think I need to go for a lie-down now.

Hello, reporting for flying duty here!

Not been home until now as I had a doctors apt after the school run, so here's my to do list

Empty dw
Clean kitchen surfaces
Hoover
Change beds
Sort out kids snow gear from yesterday's sledging (what to do with soaking wellies?) [phew I spotted an embarrassing typo there just in time!!!!]
Washing
Make dinner
Sort out the recycling

Does anyone ave any good ideas for packed lunches in this weather? I'm helping on a school trip tomorrow and expect it to be freezing so we will both want something more than a sandwich (not a Greggs sausage roll though, lol!)

So sorry to hear about your dd slowburner I hope she is much better and that you and dh have got over the shock.
waffler it looks like it'll be omelettes instead of waffles for breakfast this week for you!
Good luck with the statement process Toffee, whoknows and swan. Glad the CBT apt went well Toffee (and that you managed a room rescue in time)
lugholes that chicken sounds lovely, do you have the recipe please?
swan arf at getting dressed 'for the builder'. What little number did you put on?
mummy glad you got a better nights sleep
honu hope you get home ok today
linzer it's half term here next week. Where are you? I hope you enjoy the peace until 2pm
Christiane I hope you're coping ok

to everyone I've missed out.

I have had a busy morning already so popping on here whilst having a and a

DD has developed an infection in her other eye, so today I have:

• Phoned Doctors first thing to get an apppintment for her
• Got her up and taken to school
• Back home to see DH and DS off
• Collected DD, went to Drs, on to chemist for antibiotics, and dropped her back at school (and I'll have to visit her midday for the rest of the week too!)
• Quick shop to pick up essentials
• Empty DW and reload
• Empty bin and it's now got boiling water and spray in there soaking before finishing off the mission

I need to do my home blessing so dust, hoover, change beds and stick the bedding in the washer.

The sewing I do is not clothes (though I did make my first wedding dress!) but more bits for kids - comfort blankets, bunting, quilts etc so not as much skill needed.

Lovely neighbour has phoned and said a gritting lorry has just passed her window! She thinks someone must have complained about the burst main and ice because they never come down our road. Packing up and about to set forth.

Great news, Honu.

dizzy Your sewing skills must be pretty good if you made your own wedding dress.

Haagen I'm in Austria, so strictly speaking it's semester break (between the winter and summer semesters) rather than half-term, and we only get one per year.
I'm not much help on the packed lunches I'm afraid, as it's something I don't normally need to think about since the DC are out of school before lunch. Must admit my first thought was a sausage roll/pasty, which is probably a sign that I spend too much time on here.

Hi all,
Haven't had time to do more than a quick scan of messages so sorry to not day more than I hope everyone has a good week, that dcs and mums are well and no mlre snow for those who it has been an inconvenience for.

Someone was asking about ideas for packed lunch on school trip; how about thermos of soup, and maybe some pasta salad? Then you would have something warming and hopefully filling?

Linzer thanks for the links, off to put out a hotspot...

Swan I also do not feel particularly comfortable having a cleaner, although our current one is so lovely and agreeable that I am now much happier than a couple of years ago. But what I did at the beginning was to have a written list of basic stuff that I wanted her to do every week (ie. the home bleugh). Then each week I tell her which rooms not to do (for example, guest bathroom and bedroom when not been used/too messy), and write a note saying which extra tasks I'd like (taken from the detailed cleaning lists for the zones). Mostly I write it down and go out, but even when I'm in I write it down, so I don't run the risk of forgetting what I want, and she can double-check if she forgets without disturbing me (whilst I'm hiding in another room). If you do this, you'll just need to do room rescues in the essential rooms the night/morning before. I also told her which order to do the rooms (she always starts in the kitchen) so that if I'm really desperate, I can tidy one room ahead of her. I used to get really stressed before she came, but now I've got this system in place I very rarely panic before her arrival.

Linzer - it was only a knee length floaty summer dress not a "proper" wedding type dress!

Hiya all! Mn wouldn't let me on earlier so here is a belated list:

Food shop done
Home bleugh
Wash down chairs
Wash down doors and skirting boards
Clean kitchen counter tops done
Laundry done
Put laundry away
Update diary done
Make phone calls re becoming accredited done
Living room hotspot
Kitchen hotspot
School run and tea for DD and mindees
Hoover
Put toys away
Laminate certificates and find somewhere appropriate to display!

BBL!

at your burger king debacle linzer!

life I know you are right - I just feel so depressed having to say things like, no don't bother folding up the clothes in the drawers -what's the point, no don't bother cleaning the bath the loo floor is what needs scrubbing , no there aren't any clean pillowcases but use this duvet cover..etc etc. Anyway she has left the kitchen looking beautiful despite the fact that it will be messy again in two mins and mopped the floors and ironed dh's shirts. But I've spent the morning running around putting things away and cleaning ahead of her so she could hoover and mop so not very restful.

Ds1 has refused to go to school even for his beloved violin lesson, so at least I don't have headache of taxi etc, but now I'm worrying about his work tomorrow, and dealing with ds2 for the rest of the day - who seems incapable of amusing himself , and getting dd to ballet! Ridiculous! To quote HP

done
cleaned ensuite loo/basin
stripped one bed
my clothes away
lunch for children (hot leftovers)
big bag of rubbish from various bedrooms
ds clothes in drawers
wash on
lunch washed up
washing powder/milk/ribena bought

Toffee I know someone with an HFA (diagnosed at 4) child whose request for a statement has been refused 4 times by our council (or is it someone else, not even clear on that), that's why I'm doubtful ds2 will get one. But his problems are not at the moment leading to school anxiety, so you may have more clout. I need to talk to her, at the moment I only bump into her at Scouts However, the mere fact that mother applied was a reason why the school took his needs very seriously, and he gets a lot of support at secondary. I am only just getting to know other mothers who have older chldren with recently diagnosed HFA, and none of them have statements, although all get lots of support at school. I know someone with a statement who has ADHD and that's all. The HF bit is what makes it so dfficult to get a statement. Yes Whoknows it was Continu.

better go now, ds2 has been watching telly for too long.

Waffler - even knowing I wasn?t having more than 2, it?s taken me until DS2 is 2 ½ to be able to give away our baby things. Although to be honest I haven?t ACTUALLY given them away, they are in a bag ready to go to a friend ?I refuse to look in there in case I weaken, but add more clothes as I find them in my decluttering.

Linzer - why are you buying you tiler lunch? My workmen all bought their own, I just made sure they had an endless supply of tea and coffee with occasional biscuits.

Dizzy- I used to sew, but just don?t have the time, energy or space at the moment. Although I do have to start sewing my curtains soon..... sigh.....

DH had a slow morning today, and totally disrupted my routine ? although the DSs loved having him here ? he?s normally gone before they wake.

Have been attacking our bedroom this morning ? since moving the bed into the spare room it?s become a bit of a dumping ground ? clearing as much as I can out and doing a light declutter so that I can get to the walls and floors and do some painting, sanding and varnishing.

Hmmm, didn?t do morning routines though, better go and do them before I have to pick DS2 up from school!

Linzer ah Kultur in Vienna - I have to say I know too much about the menu at Burger King, it is one of our Dublin airport treats...