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!!

My entire immediate family has been over visiting (one at a time) and helping DH and I with the house. Feeling somewhat motivated to continue the long process of fixing up the house. It's a dump got room for improvement. We now have curtain poles but only half the required number of curtains so now I need to do a serious amount of sanding, gloss painting and cleaning and tidying because I'm lazy and like sleeping instead of cleaning and I'm hoping writing things down will get me going. Nothing today though: working from 7 this morning until eight tonight, most likely. Tired...

Yesterday I:
Tidied the utility room
Tried to encourage Sherlock the cat back into the house (without success)
Did 1 load washing

Today I work. :)

Got sidetracked by the loft so didn't get to bed. However I sorted through about 4 boxes of clothes and now have 2 HUGE bags for the Refuge, a few bits for the charity shop and some sensible stuff to ebay.
Still tired but have achieved lots so am more enthused.

Afternoon all. Sorry I didn't get back on yesterday to update but I was a little hacked off and didn't want to rant tooooo much.

The observation itself went brilliantly, kids were fantastic...lots of learning going on etc. In the self-evaluative conversation afterwards, i was told it was a good lesson but was offered no concrete reasons as to why it was good and not outstanding. I was a little bit like a rabbit in headlights and didn't really say anything as I tend to need time to process these kinds of thoughts and conversations. Plus I was a little upset that I got good and not outstanding because, not wanting to sound like an arse, I felt it was verging on being outstanding. So being a little anal about these things, I spent last night pouring over the different criteria for different things you need to have for an outstanding lesson and decided that I was sure it had been an outstanding lesson and I had no explanation for why it wasn't and how I could make it so. I went to the observer this morning and what then proceeded was actually a really useful conversation about teaching standards etc.....in which he came round to my way of thinking and revised the verdict to 'outstanding'. . I tried not to sound like an arrogant nob but I probably did .

As for, the middle of the night, bloody DD got up at half past fecking two wanting a drink, to sleep downstairs and because she was scared of (non-existent) thunder.

I am fecking knackered and tonight I have to endure a fecking soft play party with DD until half past six.

I will catch up with all your posts later on.

Which pilates DVD do you use Scatty? I've just started going to a class again after several years of not bothering and I feel more toned after only 3 weeks, but could do with something to supplement in between classes. I've got an old Pilates DVD which is very good but I get bored with it now.

I will attempt to swear a little more as i don't think i swore enough in the last post.

Feck,bollocks, buggery, fuck .

Yay Ellie! Good for you!

I mean about the observation not all the fucking soft play, non-sleeping bollocks crap.

:o you lot

i knew you meant the observation and not the fucking buggery bollock crap soft play

Afternoon ladies
Have had a mixed day. I attempted to work from home and got distracted by housework.
MIL is down tomorrow so have tidied DS's room and moved furniture around (she sleeps in there with him on pully-out bed.
Kinda tidied lounge.
1 load of washing

Rang bereavement helpline as I found a receipt for pain killers for Moli's last day. I had to make a mercy dash to the vets to get her through 'til 6 so DH would be there when she was put to sleep.
I've utterly fallen apart
Crying my eyes out, 6/7 weeks after that most dreadful of days
I actually want to scream "give her back, I need to feel her one more time"

Not looking good for further work / housework!!

Can I join in please?

(In middle of conjugaision hell here with dd)

!%@$#&১é&&µ!!!!!! Ah, that's better!

Prefer Ellie's literary alliteration of feck, bollocks & buggery though Has a much better ring to it...

Glad you were able to set observer straight Ellie Quite right too!! But sorry that you had to - and go through the stress of that overnight - doesn't reflect well on observer really does it?

Sorry you are suffering Toffee here's to a speedy recovery - and to everyone else who is feeling below par.

A warm hello to MrsUrsa! Apologies for not recognising your name - I was absent for quite a bit of Jan/Feb threads. Are you a returnee or a newcomer? Great to see you either way! Sherlock is a fantastic name for a cat.

JWIM Blue Scatty Bitchy Swan you are all going great guns with your lists

(and arf at Swan's borrowed dog)

Huge flapping waves to Feetheart (congrats on clothes decluttering) and whoknows (congrats on the Pilates)

And mahoosive thanks to all of you for kind guinea pig consolation. Much appreciated. Really missing the "fridge" chorus and the "stair" warbling and furry (often belligerent) faces pressed up against the cage demanding treats (chicory was their favourite) [sniff] [sniff]

Flaps wings at anyone I've missed

BBL!

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Oh no MummyNickleby

Was Moli a cat or a dog (sorry I missed this in previous posts)?

So very sorry for the loss of your friend.

Quick update:

To do:

• last bit of ironing done
• supper defrosting (from my over stuffed freezer) done and cooking now
• anti-procrastination telephone call and vv important work letter made progress and meeting to follow up with this evening
• 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) progress
• town chores when I do afternoon school rundone although DS managed to realise he would be on the bus and not staying after school but only thought to let me know when he was getting of bus and I was 3/4 of the way to town! Needs more organisation skills/practise - a theme of the last umpteen parents' evenings if I recall.

To those attempting homework - best of luck. That's next on the agenda here too.

Oh, Mummy, I'm so sorry . These things take you by surprise, just when you think you are coping OK. I hope the helpline were supportive and that you feel better soon. Do you have any photos that you can frame or make into an album? I think small projects like that can be very comforting when you are grieving.

Ellie - well done on getting that decision changed! You were quite right to feel so peeved, particularly when you hadn't been given any good reason for the grading .

Swan and WhoKnows - yes, I'm still OK for 13th, although part of me wonders what the point is if DS refuses ever to go back to school . However, I do need to be informed and it may be that the course leader will give me some insight into how to proceed from here.

WhoKnows - I'm staying overnight with a friend of mine in Hampton, so won't be coming by train in the morning after all (couldn't face that commuter train).

Shall we all meet outside the place? Should we wear identifying marks - red carnations, maybe? . I will do my best not to call you by your MN names. Am looking forward to meeting you both.

JWIM - about your treasured cat. DH and I have fond memories of our childhood pets. They become members of the family and are never forgotten.

Have had a good day. Am on the mend, which means that I have managed to deal with a lot of very ugly frogs. In fact, I have done every single thing on my list that was weighing me down .

DH and I had our second session with the family therapist. It is proving so helpful. Have booked another session next week, but can't do it for too long . But it will be good to know she is there for backup support whenever things get tough with DS1, which they inevitably will.

Have made contact with a friend's cleaner and she is going to come every two weeks for two hours . Am so excited! I have never had a cleaner before and can't wait to hand over the floors etc to someone else for a change.

Funnily enough, after all this talk about people missing their beloved pets, DH and I have been talking again about getting a dog to help DS1. He has wanted a dog for years, but we live in a small house and didn't feel we could cope. Also, I'm allergic to them. Not as badly as I'm allergic to cats though, I think, so I'm hoping a daily antihistamine will sort that out. Any tips on ideal family dogs much appreciated - ideally one that is very small, doesn't require training, doesn't wee or poo, doesn't cost much and won't make me sneeze or wheeze . The benefits will be that a dog will, hopefully, get DS1 out of the house and help to distract him from his anxieties.

Sorry, I'm blithering on now and not a thing about Flying! Sometimes I forget what this thread is all about. Must go and cook dinner, then going round to a friend's house for wine and chat.

Moli was a dog, a soft coated wheaten terrier. Utterly wonderful.
Miss her so much
I've put a couple of pictures of her in frames, they are lovely to look at.

I feel really thrown to be crying like this, think I've been hiding my grief from DS. I talk to him about her but try not to get upset, think its delayed the grieving process.
Today was a rare moment of being alone and that's when I notice her absence the most. I wasn't alone for nearly 13 years.
I just want to feel her fur, see her eyes and kiss her head.
Sorry for the hijack, I'm just really dumb founded by this crying!

Helpline was helpful as I really needed to speak to someone. Feels strange though, haven't really talked about it

Mummy - I missed my family dog so, so much when he died. I was 15. We buried him in the garden and my grandfather and I used to visit every day. My family still talk about him with so much affection.

I think it's a good thing that you've had a chance to be so upset today. Much better than bottling it all up. You just have to go with the process, I'm afraid. It really will get better with time, but it's still early days.

((big hug))

Swan and Toffee surely we will recognise one another by our pinnies and lace up shoes, plus a trail of post it notes.

Mummy - the only pets I've ever had were goldfish and it was bad enough when one of them died, I really cannot imagine what it is like to lose a dog, just let it all out, no one is going to think any less of you for it.

Back later

WhoKnows - of course! The lace-up shoes, etc will be a dead give away!

I'm afraid the only person who grieved for our goldfish was DS2 (only 4 at the time). The rest of us heaved a sigh of relief. Even DS1 - and it was his pet!

at all this talk of losing furry (or scaley) family friends ...

MummyNickleby that is so sad - I really feel for you Thirteen years is such a long time and wheaten terriers are absolutely gorgeous - the most beautiful of dogs. Try and hang on the to fact that you gave her a really good life and you were her best friend too.

Arf at undercover Fledgling rendez-vous. You could all try standing in a purple puddle??

Toffee good to hear you are feeling better.

"small, doesn't require training, doesn't wee or poo, doesn't cost much and won't make me sneeze or wheeze" How about a pair of guinea pigs? Having said that, our plumber, who wasn't allergic to gps was virulently allergic to ours. We had to get someone else to attend to our boiler.

Well done with your list JWIM

Yes, it's going to be weird trying to explain that we are good friends that talk every day but have never actually met each other. It was bad enough enquiring about places for my two friends whose surnames I didn't know!

Anyway, Flying.

Ta-da!

Morning routines, school run
Work
Quick bit of shopping
Sort and put away washing mountain
Make a phone call re DS
Phone friend for a chat
School pickup
Decluttering of overflowing cupboard in kitchen
Partial decluttering of understairs cupboard (enforced by needing to find something)
Detailed cleaning - there's a rail of hooks over the sink with all the small utensils on, cleared it, put hooks and less frequently used items in DW cleaned rail
Rainbows run x 2
DS's homework (painful)
Tea and evening routine

Baby step number eight for tomorrow, Thursday 8th March is here consolidating what we have already done and beginning to write down daily routines (start of control journal - of which more will come later)

We are in Zone 2 all week (the kitchen). Information on detailed cleaning (if you are at that stage) can be found here here

Thursday's mission is here Taking an old toothbrush in your dreams and scrubbing behind the kitchen taps.

The daily focus for Thursday is here grocery and errand day.

Newcomers - you have been Flying for a full week now - well done!

**

Probably won't be back on here tonight - watching Masterchef with dh - then bed. G'night and "see you" in the morning....

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Waves to Whoknows and proffers golden duster. Congrats on your long and fab ta da list!

Ok, I survived buggery bollocking bob soft play hell. I bloody hate those parties. I don't really know dd's friends mums as i don't do school run and they all know each othet so am the third wheel so to speak. I don't actually give a shit about it but it makes me wonder how some people get through life being so bloody rude .

sc missed the fact that your gp's died. I still remember in the early days of this thread a couple of years ago when you said you were letting the gp's have a run around kn the garden and we thought you were exercising your grandparent's.

Tonight i am mainly going to drink wine and pray for Friday to come quick.

Sorry for lack of personals but am on my phone.

Ok, am being nosy but am dying to ask. What workshop are you guys going on that means you get to meet up. Am very of your mini meet-up.