Fledglings “March” 31 steps away from CHAOS and mess towards domestic success...

[sanguinechompa]

... well, a shiny sink at least!!

Welcome to the March 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets and microfibre cloths here!!

A huge "thank you" to Linzer for steering us all through February - not a small achievement Linzer considering your school run/teaching commitments and with your dh travelling so frequently.

If you're house is a mess and you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, whinging (in my case anyway ) and support along the way.

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's tips on restoring order to our homes, and as we are all at different stages we will be using one of the following methods:

Here you can, for one month:

• repeat or start baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

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

More info here and here!

All long-standing members, intermittent returnees, lurkers and newcomers welcome!!

Thank you for the gold award. I'm chuffed to bits that I can see through the glass door of my oven
Not much flying today as had Zumba this evening and I'm utterly exhausted!

Got a clean sink but was too late to get DS's clothes out so going to be a panic in the morning... Unless I creep into his room...
Night night everyone... [snores before he's hits pillow]

Head, not he's
See!!! Shattered dot com

Evening again,

Just about recovered from the day. Usual morning routine and work, all fine, then spent my free hour this afternoon trying to sort out car insurance, spent 20 mins on the phone and ended up spending £1 than my renewal quote from the previous company . Never mind, it's all sorted for another year which is the main thing.

Then on to ballet and tap for DD, and home for tea before DS's first evening at cubs. He was saying he was scared and didn't want to go while we were at ballet, which is a bit worrying as he loved Beavers. Anyway, we got home and there's a message from the cub leader that they are going to a museum tonight and could we meet in the car park there instead of the scout hut. Great. As if he wasn't nervous enough. Luckily DH was home from work early, so I told DS I would stay with him if it helped and he agreed to go. He really didn't enjoy it, spent most of the time stuck to me like a limpet and asking how much longer, although he did let his guard down and join in a few times. So, we got back at 8.15, me having not had any tea as I had planned to eat while he was at cubs, no packed lunches or any evening routine stuff done or anything else much for that matter. I'm off to do packed lunches and find some .

I've only skimmed the thread, just wanted to say sorry to SC about the guinea pig, losing an animal is very traumatic.

Ellie where are you? Come back and tell all about your day.

Lifebegins - congrats to DH, that is a big step, I'm sure the other expats on here will be able to offer advice (I assume you aren't German and will be an expat?)

I'm so tired

Sorry to hear about your gp SC :(

Shame about poor ds Whoknows is it one of those things where it is just going to take time for him to settle?

My back is really bad atm. can't sleep for more then a couple of hours. Was so tired i went to bed around 5:30pm having set the alarm for an early start to get the stuff needed for tomo's meeting done. unfortunately already awake and looks like no chance of going back to sleep. :( so am going to get up again and potter. i have a long list of stuff that can be done so will start to tackle it.

Bitchy I hope so, he says he will be ok at the scout but. Unfortunately they've got another outing next week, so I think I will let him miss that. They seem quite boisterous but so did Beavers when he started and he has always been fine there and most of them have come up from his Beavers.

Withou knowing the specifics re your back, have you tried sleeping on your side with a doubled up pillow between your knees? it really helps when mine plays up.

Whoknows I hate the way the evenign can knock out the next day's calm collected routine [well in my caseit is never that collected but still] It is amazing how just staying an hour in Beavers every Wednesday is enough to nullify any evening, so I understand how you feel about staying at Cubs (which is even longer) Cubs is a big step up, the Leaders always say, and lots of children find it to start with difficult and boring taxing, although we have some children who hated Beavers who like Cubs better because more serious stuff. Ds2 never really liked either alas, but Ds1 managed to survive to Scouts and still loves it.

Ds1 has had a collapse today after school (luckily no homework) and we sent him to bed at 8.30 which he howled and screamed about, and then confessed he had a difficult day today, and trip had been not without its challenges. Hope he feels better tomorrow. Apparently he said Hi to a friend's child thinking they were now friends after trip and friend's son (not without his own ishoos) said "Shut up" which is apparently what most people now say to him Anyway IT WILL BE BETTER IN THE MORNING.

done
piano run
supper, all very chaotic due friend round to coffee when I should have been peeling potatoes
chatting at length to sad child
cuddles at length to needy daughter (who had friend over and has reduced her room to rubble again)
Ds2 seems alright
emails to people I should have contacted a while ago

SC sorry about poor little guinea pig
Life everyone who has moved to Germany in my recollection always had a wonderful time, and it always changed their outlook! Friend still has large wardrobe/armoire in her sitting room for the telly because that is apparently a Frankfurt feature...or maybe that is all over Germany. DH is German but for some reason cannot bear to leave the frissons of London.

Bitchy sorry about back, really impossible when it hurts. Would walking around a bit tomorrow make it worse or better - I find that the only cure for lower back pain, which is excrutiating when I'm sitting or lying.

Will keep my fingers crossed for your ds.

Tbh i do that for bad knees already I had a fall during training and my back has been out since. Taking medical advice to keep pottering and doing normal stuff jut gently. Unfortunatly, though back is very not happy atm. Will be a return trip to the Doc i think.

Hello everyone. Am feeling thwarted so far this week. Yesterday DS was complaining of tummy ache so no school for him/no work for me and a trip to the GP for more pills. Did manage to get monthly shop done though.
Today I got home from work at 8pm. Have stripped bed as Dcat had been sick on it and am waiting for a batch of bolognese to cook.
Hoping for a more productive day tomorrow...

Aaaaaaaaaaagh. Why can't they just bloody sleep?

Morning all

Oh poor you Ellie if I'd known you were up last night, I would have joined you for a . I couldn't sleep either (dead guinea pig trauma - ridiculous though that sounds). Hope your dcs allowed you some repose - eventually - and that assessment went well.

Great to see you DMummy Sorry to hear you had such a long day yesterday and that your ds was unwell (and your cat!!). Hope Flying conditions more favourable today!

[Hands over deep heat rub to Bitchy] Hope gentle walking proves effective.

Swan hope it IS better this morning!!! And that your ds feels a bit more cheery about the day ahead. Here's hoping a good night's sleep will do the trick. Shut up not at all nice though

Whoknows and MummyNickleby hope you were both able to enjoy a good night's sleep after your tiring evenings yesteday

Jax you are being v. hard on yourself - doing baby-steps, laundry, dw-ishing, shining sink and cleaning bins is LOADS - well done!!

Huge waves to everyone else and hope you have a good day.

Ta da:
morning routine + dw + s&s + wm
maintain clear dining room table (can't tell you what a difference this one small thing makes)

To do:
office work
think of a dish to use up all the eggs dd practised cracking and whisking last night (cookery exam day today!)
school run lunchtime there and back
bricolage run there and back
hwk supervision
laundry of doom
clean out gp cage for last time and sterilise
try and do mission
supper
afternoon/evening routine

Right, there is a ta da list already:

meeting with school
1 load of laundry
Supply mother with coffee making stuff to her room where she is currently sulking.
Speak to ex
Sort paperwork
Breakfast

To do list is like this:
meeting in next town
try not to kill mother
Ds' room: books on shelves, clothes away, bed straightened.
Air entire house
Collect ds from his dad
ikea for storage stuff.
put potatoe on cottage pie and cook
laundry
folding
ironing

Everyone poorly in this house today. I have a splitting headache, which Co-codamol has not touched. Have now taken Ibuprofen as well and am hopign that will do the trick. The plumber has not turned up, as arranged, but it's just as well because DH had bought the wrong taps! MIL is looking after the boys from 11am whilst we have our second visit to the family therapist. I am crossing my fingers that the plumber doesn't turn up whilst we are out - I don't want her dealing with that as well. She is being such a help to us.

I had a chat with DS1 about school last night. I really don't see that he'll be able to go back there . So, it's back to home education for the foreseeable future, although I'm cheating by still staying on the school register and getting stuff from school. We have a big batch of work to collect from school today.

Honu - have pm'd you with a Maths question. Hope you don't mind.

SC - so sorry about your guinea pig. That is very sad to lose both of them so close together .

ellie - how did it go at school? Hope your DC slept - that's all you needed.

Swan - sorry about your DS's meltdown. It's so hard for you when they do that. He did do amazingly well to cope with the trip though and it's not surprising he's reacted to it now. Hope sleep works magic.

Droit - sorry you are a poorly household. Hope everyone is better soon.

WhoKnows - like Swan's DS, I think your son did marvellously to cope with such an unexpected change to his schedule (as did you!). I'm not surprised he clung to you. I hope the wine restored you!

Bitchy - hope your back gets better soon. Good luck with your challenging day.

Jax - you are definitely being too hard on yourself. Looks like you achieved a lot.

Mummy - congratulations on your gold duster award! Well deserved, I'd say

Right, need to sort the kitchen before MIL gets here.

hoping, obviously

Toffee and Whoknows I am looking forward to seeing you at the workshop meeting on 13th, so we will catch up then. My mum is having her ankle op on the 12th, but she is in hosp for a first few days, so presumably nothing will prevent me attending.

Dog is lying at my feet [whispers - farting terribly] but I have opened the backdoor for that energising spring breeze [freezing blast]

Various problems over next few days. Will have to list them to remember them through mental fog.

See Safe team (more family therapy referral ] today at 2.15 in primary school
Go to mobility shop to find aids for Mum, without dog.
Take Dog for long walk this afternoon by car
Clean our bedroom as there will be five ten year olds camped out up there on Sat night. (dd's sleepover) and her bedroom is the coldest room in the house, and I suspect on floor they will all contract pneumonia.
Tomorrow morning is work in library
Tomorrow afternoon is go to SENCO at ds1 secondary
post two parcels for long delayed birthday presents
deal with laundry as dh complaining again about misplaced items all over the house.
Food for sleepover, film for sleepover. Mattresses for sleepover?
order cards
other stuff listed yesterday
oh yes, money, find some from somewhere to pay for the blinds when they come on Friday
BLINDS, clean/dust window frames in all rooms where they are to be hung.

oh dog what have they been feeding you!

Bitchy cottage pie, I need to cook one too. Mince in fridge and many many muddy veg to use up.
Maybe now, after trip to post box.

Beavers this evening too, I forgot that.

Right all at 6s and 7s today so need a list to concentrate my mind...

to do: (attempting proper house bleugh style with timer and everything!)
dust
hoover
mop
mirrors
bins
tidy desk
paperwork
actual work
ironing
remake beds
tidy bedroom

Better get cracking. Will try to be back with personals later on.

Sending lots of , hot whiskey and sympathy to all the poorly, upset people. It really seems to be a bit of a grotty time of year doesn't it :(?

sc - think you made me sound much busier than I was yesterday. Maybe some of the virtual busyness will rub off on me today, I could really do with it.

List for today:

• Read bit of Flylady's book for inspiration - done I may now understand the need for decluttering a bit more
• Help DD wash hair - done
• All up and out with correct homework, notes, etc - done
• Reading in school - done
• Buy large almond croissant from shop - done
• Resist eating the above until I have done some work - partially failed and the other half is calling me

I now need to stop procrastinating and get on with some work

List progress check...

to do: (attempting proper house bleugh style with timer and everything!)
dust
hoover
mop
mirrors
bins
tidy desk
paperwork
actual work
ironing
remake beds
tidy bedroom
cook casserole for tomorrow
turn up school trousers
kitchen mission

So sorry to read of so much unwellness. Hope everyone is beginning to feel better.

SC - loss of treasured pets is not to be treated lightly. Our cat of nearly 20 years was put to sleep just before Christmas and I still sometimes think she is in the kitchen when I come down in the morning. We haven't (and if I have my way won't) replaced her.

To do:

• last bit of ironing
• supper defrosting (from my over stuffed freezer)
• anti-procrastination telephone call and vv important work letter
• kitchen is tidy so may make a start on the wiping down cupboards doors
• continue renovation on now repaired shower - tackling discoloured grout and epic limescale on the glass (we are in a very hard water area)
• town chores when I do afternoon school run

Off to tackle the anti procrastination, after a coffee and biscuits!

Have done some work but now feel shattered and am tempted to go back to bed for an hour. This really won't get the house decluttered will it?
Maybe I will stuff some things that are cluttering up the landing into the loft on my way - in my defense these are things we need to keep but they should be in the loft NOT creating a trip hazard on the landing

List progress check...

to do: (attempting proper house bleugh style with timer and everything!)
dust
hoover
mop
mirrors
bins
tidy desk
paperwork
actual work
ironing
remake beds
tidy bedroom
cook casserole for tomorrow
turn up school trousers
kitchen mission

OK, now need to sit at the computer and do some work for a bit!

and [biscuits] for all those in need for whatever reason.

bah, has to be singular doesn't it?!

Ta Da
meeting with school
3rd load of laundry about to go on.
Supply mother with coffee making stuff to her room where she is currently sulking.
Speak to ex
Sort paperwork
Breakfast
meeting in next town
Ds' room: books on shelves, clothes away, bed straightened.
30mins decluttering in mother's room.
Towels away in airing cupboard
Find a file for paperwork

To do list is like this:
try not to kill mother
Collect ds from his dad
ikea for storage stuff.
put potatoe on cottage pie and cook
laundry
folding
ironing
Put paperwork in file

You might feel better after a nap feetheart
Sounds like you've got a lot on swan
Hope it goes well today toffee
at loss of your pets SC

I am finding that my 2 days off are actually the busiest days of the week!

Tada (yesterday and today):
stuff for DDs party
party invites out
hoover and mop
changed DC beds
laundry
kitchen clean up
banking
food shop
library books back
tel mum

Going to do pilates dvd now (very good for those prone to back problems, though not while having a flare up!).

Cubs and rainbows tonight.