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!

WhoKnows - thanks for the link. Feel free to join me in the Lent commitment, the more the merrier (or the guiltier!! )

Toffee - you?re good eye is doing a lot of extra work, combined with the ointment probably spreading over its not surprising it?s a bit blurry.

Honu - I don?t blame you for taking the opportunity to get out into the garden. Its so lovely here today DH wanted to plant some of my pot plants into the garden ? until I pointed out to him that we hadn?t yet done a plan for the garden and if he put my camellia in an unsuitable place I would not be impressed!

Blue - well yes, raking bits of concrete would be exhausting, do you need a new rake after the torture you?ve put it through?

JustGetting - I?m so impressed with your determination and will power! Erm, you have a cossie? Where exactly do you hale from??? Sydney or Brisbane???!!!

Sigh, didn?t really accomplish all that much yesterday, I did manage to get the DSs? room tidied, and stayed on top of washing and kitchen tidiness, and survived DS1?s friend coming over for a play.

I didn?t have any set tasks for today, but had to wash all of DS1?s bedding again, including the duvet, due to another accident just before he woke up. He?s really dreadful at getting enough fluids into him during the day, and then guzzles a drink container full of water just before bedtime... an accident just waiting to happen, really! An ongoing battle, and not one I can often win on school days.

Ta da
Cleaned main bathroom
Strip DS1?s bed
3 loads of wash ? DS1?s bedding
Tidied kitchen ? looks better than it did first thing this morning so small improvements!
Bought and wrapped present for birthday party - nothing like leaving it to the last minute!
DSs to birthday party in the pm (oh the pain....)

Now I have to work out whether the DSs need any food, or whether the junk food they had at the party was enough for them.

But I MUST do a 15 minute declutter somewhere ? probably around the microwave. I need to make sure that at the end of the day the house looks better than it did at the start of the day, in order to keep my Lenten commitment.

Sanguine- I know exactly how you feel. February has been a dreadful month for illnesses here. It took 3 solid days of blitzing for me to even feel slightly in control.

Managed my pathetically small 'to do' list this afternoon and also spent a long time playing games with DS2 when we were back home. We had hot chocolate and biscuits whilst we played, so I feel like a 'good mum' again (was feeling guilty about all the computer time they were having this morning).

My eye does seem to have improved, which has cheered me up no end. It has stopped weeping and I can keep it open at last . My vision out of that eye is still very blurry, but that's inevitable, I suppose (yes, ChitChat, the two lotions I'm putting in it must make it very blurry). It still feels as if I have something in it every time I blink though. But the nurse at A&E said I would have a terrible headache and I haven't, so I have probably come off lightly compared to some people.

Sanguine - so sorry to hear you have had such a sombre start to your year . It's not surprising that the house has taken a backseat.

ChitChat - sounds to me like you have been very busy indeed - don't be so hard on yourself. Focus on what you've done, not what you haven't done.

Linzer - found anymore areas to tile yet?

Hi everyone,

After a couple of particularly trying weeks I have today got back on top of the mountain of housework which we were getting slowly swamped with. I'm pleased to report that the house even in two weeks hadn't got as bad as it was before Christmas, mostly just untidy rather than dirty. After DD's seizure 3 weeks ago the house got untidy, then we had family to stay so I did a super clean last weekend and then last Sunday DD became critically ill again after another horrendous seizure and we were an hour from home and her meds didn't work. Thankfully she recovered quickly, we have been in and out this week for various appts at the hospital and GP and I have come down with tonsillitis which quite frankly hurts like hell. Anyway, I blitzed the house in tiny steps today and DH did some gardening with a small helper.

I really want to get back to doing a little bit often rather than binge cleaning. I hit the White goods today after getting fed up of a wm that smelt of sewage and bad smells from the drains if we had the dw and wm on at the same time. So today.

Put away dry laundry (and realised the state of the bathroom :( )
Tidied kitchen, emptied dw
Cleaned en suite, family bathroom and cloakroom
Dusted bedroom
Mopped kitchen floor
Hoovered downstairs (upstairs and stairs is DH job)
Did a deep clean to get crusty limescale off the en suite taps
Took the dw apart and cleaned all three filters, they were disgusting
Used soda crystals on the kitchen drains
Did a load of washing then did hot wash to clean machine
Cleaned living room carpet after DD poured DH's coffee on it

Put feet up and not moved since.

Evening all,

slowburner It sounds like you've had a lot to cope with recently, so well done on getting back on top of the housework. Yes, little and often is key, I think.

Toffee Glad your eye is starting to improve. Am still on the hunt for more areas to tile...

ChitChat I have the same problem with DS drinking too much at bedtime and then waking up with wet bedding. I keep meaning to give him something to drink late afternoon and then restricting drinks after 6 pm, say - it's difficult to say he can't have anything to drink at bedtime when he hasn't had anything for a few hours beforehand.

SC Lovely to see you back, but so sorry to hear that you and your DD have both been ill... you've also had a lot to cope with this year. about your guinea pig too; that must have been very upsetting. Hope the crisis cleaning went OK.

I still don't seem to have much time for FLYing. DH spent most of the morning revising maths with DD1 (she has a test the week after next) while I did the Reading Eggs program with DS, which he loves (he'd never been particularly interested in reading before, but now wants to spend almost every spare minute doing it - and I don't really want to restrict the time he spends doing it while he's so enthusiastic). Then it was off to Bratislava, mainly so that we could go to Tesco to buy some bits and pieces for the new bathroom and also new towels and bedding for our six visitors in April - but we couldn't go without visiting M&S as well.

Suddenly realised this evening that I have five English lessons to prepare for next week and no time tomorrow either (I'll be out at church plus cafe afterwards with DD2 in the morning - DH wants to stay at home with DD1 so that they can do more revision - and then we've been invited to friends' in the afternoon), so thought I'd better make a start tonight. Theoretically I'd have time during the week, but I never know when work is going to arrive. DH suggested I just turn work down if I did get any, but I don't particularly want to turn something down that might pay far more than the week's English lessons. Or cancel the English lessons either (possibly at the last minute), which was his next suggestion. I don't feel too bad about cancelling the school if I'm busy with paid work, as they don't pay me anything, but don't really want to cancel the weekly lessons if I can help it. Anyway, two lessons down, three to go... but not tonight, as I'm already propping my eyes open with matchsticks.

**

Sunday's links

Babystep: remember that you're never behind; just jump in where you are.

No mission; instead, you're free to revive your spirit.

well, it's 11 o'clock (or after) and I feel as if I've only just finished putting the children to bed

Today I have achieved
catechism class taught - lost sheep
hiring new violin (ds1 has lost a vital peg on the one we own and it now can't be restrung [aargh despite two trips to violin shop to ascertain this - posh violin shop versus cheapie chinese violin [drat]
reheated lunch of leftovers
took dd and ds1 to park to meet friends
nap in afternoon
dusted shelves and picture rail and curtain rail in ds2 room and tidied/sorted whilst listening ds1 read ds2 bedtime story
read to ds1
2 loads of washing
dug two holes in garden lawn to see if we could find the airraid shelter which is reputed to be buried deep down [according to elderly neighbour] No sign of it, but loads of building sand...Blue we have no lawn - it is a morass, the only reason Dh allowed me to start digging

now alas I have to tidy kitchen which is a hideous slum, but at least there is somewhere to put things now - sort of...

Dh off on business trip for 3 days to Berlin tomorrow, not looking forward to all the hard work, dd in state etc Another busy week, so no time off in day either...and definitely no quiet eves either, as kids don't seem out cold till 9.30pm one way or another...and then the relentless morning bell

Honu so he won't chew on the pot and get sharp bits of plastic in his mouth? He is five months. I give him back at 3.20 pm every day when I have him, and Monday I'm only having him after lunch and then not till Wednesday. He is delightful, but a fulltime occupation I think till he settles down and knows me a bit better...

SC you don't need to apologise! I'm sorry the flu hit so badly:I think everyone on this thread has been down with some horrible virus at one point. Lovely to see you!

Toffee Whoknows I have booked on course, and it is confirmed.

Linzer lesson planning is v consuming isn't it. Also it is frustrating when half way through you sense what you planned isn't quite going to work and you adapt to mood of the class make it up as you go along although I do find that works quite well too Today in catechism it was all planned out for us but we ended up doing a lot of method acting instead. Same in library; we were meant to be teaching about food groups and for some reason I got distracted and started reading Charlie and Lola! I don't think I could be a real teacher...

Have a stinking cold, went to bed at 8.30 having prepared DH and left him to get to bed himself and to call me if he had any trouble. He seems to have got to bed OK, just left the light on. Came down this morning to kitchen chaos and very non-shiny sink. Aaaagh!

Swan It never occurred to me about trouble with sharp bits of plastic!When I picked my lab up as a puppy the lawn was littered with plastic pots the 10 puppies had played with and she came home with a blanket that smelled of 'Mum' (which she was promptly sick over!) and two brand new pots she enjoyed worrying to death. She still (age nearly 6) enjoys having pots thrown for her and stealing them but they are boring once they are wrecked. She also enjoys licking out yoghurt pots but does not wreck them in the same way.

Linzer My only successful foreign language lesson (French) was during my Return to Teaching course when I did parts of the body, they drew bodies (stick body, circular face) and labelled them, then I wrote up 'Savez vous planter les choux', briefly translated it, then we sang it. In English lesson you could do 'Head and shoulders, knees and toes' which has much less boring translation and much more action. Now teach only maths - much less stress!

Morning ladies
Have had a rough week with a badly sleeping DH and me having a tummy upset midweek. I'm well again but still sleep deprived

Having been flying too well but... I got my new 50m Brabantia rotary washing line yesterday and, it's fair to say, I'm more excited to see it in my garden than if Brad Piitt had walked in! Ok, maybe not, but it's right up there on that level.
My DH it a little tight money savvy and bought me the smallest one B&Q sell a few years ago and it barely fits a bath mat on the outside line!
Oh the joy of being able to fit 3 or 4, well spaced, loads out at the same time... Washing machine is already on

To do:
3 loads of washing
Maybe some weeding
Wash windows (outside)

Ta Da:
Bin emptied
Load number one on

Haven't been flying too well ^

Don't find typing on a phone too easy when I'm this tired!! Lol

Morning!

ta da!
Not killed boys despite early start...
Washing on
Emptied dw
Bread machine on
Cleaned edges of dw
Swept floor

to do:
Washing out & 2nd load in
Syrup pudding recipe
Sort out stuffing
Church
Newsletter & emails

Waves to all. Good to see you sc and hope you can get some rest MummyNick - here's a in the meantime.

Sending good vibes to everyone on this brilliantly sunny morning. I have dispatched DH and DD to the supermarket with a very detailed shopping list. I have decided that just because at this point in time we don't need to worry about money is no reason not to iyswim and so operation money saver is being implemented. Managed to get two e-cloths cheap in waitrose last week and I must say I am stunningly impressed with them!

today's list
write weeks menus and shopping list done
finish carrot cake for breakfast done
make list of household jobs such as paperwork and birthdays etc
catch up on two days missed from work last week
clean fridge
bake banana loaf
arrange playdates for next few weeks even though they'll probably be cancelled due to illness
Think dreamily about our new house :)

o I do love to read everyone else's lists...it makes me realise my lists are suprisingly undemanding Carrot cake for breakfast!! mine get cheerios thrown at them occasionally pancakes if I run out of cereal

today
ds1 sent to church
2 children dressed and ready for church then discovered that ds2 was in the bath and there was no way of extracting him without a scene so gave up on church for the rest of us...
dd and I have been sitting in the garden lookign at the Boden catalogue for teens
Dh has arrived in Berlin - I rang him and could hear rapturous German greetings -he was walking in the door of his parents' flat at that moment - I felt distinctly and a sort of panicky despairing feeling. Oh dear, better snap out of it.

Everyone is in a very resistant truculent obstinate mood this morning so I'm trying to stay calm; also feel very agitated at the fact that we need to dig up the garden and do something to layout but Dh has already refused to particpate. Just tried some digging to change levels but impossible. I need a navvy!

Ds1 said he had done his homework yesterday whilst I was having a nap, but I see he did exactly 10 mins worth, so this afternoon is again going to be spent supervising it

done
sink
dw
washing machine hung out
dry clothes upstairs
loo s & s
one child to church
hoovered kitchen chairs (cat)
hoovered kitchen floor

I need a list for today. Feeling fractionally better but have a cracking headache. I suspect this is the side effect of being caffine free and sleeping a lot excessively

List
try not to kill ds
Clear up ds' mess from not following simple instructions and being creative in the kitchen
Get up - shower and hair wash.
Give ds computer so he will do his homework
Pick up nappies and more soup bored of fecking soup already
Sort paperwork for tomo
make sure school uniform is washed for tomo
Try not to kill ds.

Repeats mantra try not to kill ds, try not to kill ds repeats mantra.

Hi all. Hope poorlies soon on the mend.

Have been to church with DS for a cubs service quite enjoyed it . Ds is campaigning for us to go on the family cub camp in Sept, Dh and dd refuse so I guess its me and ds (gulp).

Done:
homework
ironing

To do:
sainsburys
park
DS toe by toe
laundry

BBL

Sept is a long way off Scatty no need to think about it -just agree!
what is toe by toe btw?

Bitchy my fridge is a walking talking soup advert nothing to eat but parsnips and onions and kale-
sends positive vibes towards creative ds most annoying when they get ideas...dd was trying to do something with wheelbarrow this morning

well I have muddled through today, much helped by ds1 taking himself off to the park and refusing to come swimming, so life was a bit simpler
done
bolognese from freezer for lunch
took dd and ds2 swimming [lost swim stuff so had to purchase new suits again and raid ds2's money box as I had run out of money - serious disorganisation but luckily dd had grown out of swimsuit anyway and one day I'll have so many boys swimshorts in the house that I will always be able to find a pair
football match now

and I'm knackered but at least I got OUT of the house and back again in one piece without losing keys, children or sanity..

for dinner - smoked haddock, potatoes and kale [ha ha - that's me eating kale then]

I am back from holiday and once the washing mountain has disappeared I will be back on track.

What doe FL say about holiday washing ---if I was to tackle it one load a day I would never catch up.

swan I tried to buy Dd a pair of baseball boots yest as we have left hers at Holiday club. DD told me it was a waste of money and we should wait until Easter and get hers back .

Toe by toe is a reading work book for dyslexia. I'm not sure whether Ds has dyslexia but this seems to help his reading.

Nice afternoon met DDs friend in Sainsburys so invited her home, went to park on the way home .

Need to sort laundry

Scatty ah, what a sensible child! The nearest I'm getting to any delayed gratification with dd is to say she has to wait till her birthday before having any new clothesDs2 on the other hand has completely grasped the concept of selling things to raise money, and keeps demanding we have a bootsale, much to Dh's horror..

@ Dh boot sell horror. i am considering one when the weather warms up. Mind you have been considering one for the last years.

I have to sort paperwork and uniform out. I dont want to. I want to go to sleep. I suspect pain might be part of this so am going to take the strong pain killers. I would also kill for a coffee. but am not allowed one of those.

Really must try to get an early night tonight and have had far too much Sekt and wine at friends' to be able to write coherently so will just post the links for now, and will be back tomorrow to catch up properly with what everyone's been up to.

Monday's links

The babystep is to think about what you'll be making for dinner beforehand, either as part of your morning routine or as part of your evening routine the day before.

We're in the living room for the last few days of February. Monday's mission is to deal with any hot spots in the living room.

Finally, Monday means that it's time for the weekly home blessing hour.

Most of this weekend has been spent dealing with unwell folk, and lesson planning for the week, so not much else done tbh, but tomorrow is another day.

Toffee of the top of my head I think my eye took about 5/6days before it started to get back to normal, but it was a long time back so could have been shorter, and believe me I was stunningly sorry for myself. There?s something about not being able to see properly. Everything is relative and despite supposed to know better also take my health for granted until it fails me! :o As to helping others we all know it?s generally easier than sorting out our own issues?

Sanguine Sorry to hear things have been harsh on you, hope spring is the corner turned.

ChitChat cossie is from Ooop North :o (still say leccy and pumps too, much to the annoyance of my southern born children)

Bitchy Dowe Egberts decaff any use?. Not the same but the best I?ve found to limp through on until normal service can be restored.

Swan How deep do you need to go? Don?t know if it?s of use to you but previously I?ve done my digging just 2?x2? sq. at a time. Slow and laborious but every four days another 4?x4? is done and it starts to join up satisfyingly and allows you to plant as you go.

Slowburner Sorry DD?s having a such difficult time. Personally believe only thing to with tonsillitis and swallowing is coffee baileys.

Jax motorway traffic jams tend to be the real time I declutter my handbag of receipts and clean bits of the inside of the car.

MummyNic :o at Brad Pit vs Brabantia.

Honu hope you?re well soon.

Linzer Well done for having a nice evening :) and thanks for keeping us on track.

JustGetting - leccy and pumps here too. Unfortunately not allowed anything hot or cold and whilst i have been known to drink coffee at room temp i would really much rather have it hot. i feel tomo would be a good day to have a warm drink. Although I really shouldn't be drinking coffee at all, and perhaps this will break the coffee/not sleeping cycle.

list:
get up
print paperwork
go to meeting
put a load of washing on.
rest.
make important phonecall.