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!!

Right, You lot are going to get me sacked!! I am supposed to be working, but have just spent ages a few minutes scrolling through to see what you are all up to. If anything major has happened and I am likely to put my foot in it, can someone PM me?

Hope DS2 is feeling better today Chitchat and not so "Velcro-ey"

Good for you having some time to yourself Toffee. Sorry to hear about DH. Hope he is better soon. I once left DH for a 4 day trip the day that 3 out of 4 children (all very young) came out with chicken pox. I don't think I have ever been forgiven, quite, but I had a fantastic relaxing time!
And a meet up with Swan and Who knows I am Have a fantastic time all of you. I am sure you will all chat away as if you have been best buddies for ages!

BES/Chitchat - to me cricket = summer, so hurry up cricket season!

Hello to SC (how are you me old duck?), Bitch, Nettie & Linzer (I see you have been a slacker, too )
Feetheart Well done on the half marathon. I am in awe!!

Lots of "spotting" I see Ellie. Sounds like a lovely weekend.

I managed to get a load of washing on the line before work today. A certain sign of spring. First time this year.... I love it!!!

Ooops, now being called into a meeting at work. Think I am supposed to be chairing it, so I need to look as if I know what I am doing rather quickish!!

PA - your poor DD, that must have been horrendous for you all.

I really must get off here, home blessing to do, upstairs to tidy as DH casually mentioned last night that he had invited a friend over to stay tonight (thanks DH!) He did mention it as a possibility a couple of weeks ago but it didn't sound very definite and I had forgotten all about it. I also need to sit down and get my head straight around what I want to achieve from this workshop tomorrow and make a lengthy note for DH as to all the running around he's going to have to do for school runs and after school activities tomorrow (revenge time). Oh and do an Ocado order, make a plan for the rest of the week (Ok, I'm going now )

anyone?

ellie: Sounds like a brilliant weekend. :)

PA: You sound crazy busy, hope everything calms down a bit lot soon!

Toffee: Oh no! Hope the medicine helps your DH.

WhoKnows: Ooh, don't mind if I do. I've been rearranging our bedroom today (lots of hoovering in there) and I'm whacked.

Got to go tidy up the room now. Everywhere else is surprisingly tidy...except the bathroom and the hall. Yeah. Well, they're small. They won't take long.

Am also typing up a list of 'to dos' for DH and MIL, WhoKnows . Lots of readymeals on their way to us in the Ocado delivery van... Am very impressed that you are fitting in a home blessing today as well.

PA - at you leaving DH in charge of three chicken-poxy children. We would do it, though, wouldn't we? Why can't DHs do it too?

Right, like PA, I have also hung washing on the line. Also changed the bedding on DS2's bed for MIL and put his bedding on the spare bed in DS1's bedroom. Arranged to borrow DS1's black backpack for my overnight stuff. Need to clear out fridge and sort laundry. Three hours till school pick up, then have to leave straight away to catch the train.

Ooh, yes please WhoKnows. To add to my if-it-isn't-one-thing-it's-another feeling, I've just received a bill from my health insurance company for a huge amount of money that they paid me that I wasn't entitled to. Have phoned DH and he was luckily quite calm about it, but it's not great news. Luckily we have some money put by for the final instalment on our house (bought seven years ago! I'm rather hoping they've forgotten about it ) that should just about cover it, but it still came as a major shock.

Have also just had an e-mail from the headteacher re DS. Apparently the problem is that DS didn't carry out all the tasks properly, or rather he didn't carry them out due to shyness, so he has to go and be reassessed in mid-May. By which time he will, of course, be completely over his shyness and clinginess and will carry them out without any problems. We've also arranged to go in and see her on Thursday morning, so need to prepare our case, I think (am planning on speaking to his kindergarten teacher to get her input).

PA Apologies for failing to mention your DD's meningitis in my last post - poor thing, and what a worry for you all. Exciting news about the flights, though.

Toffee Oh no, your poor DH and what bad timing. at your DS's comment, though. Have a great trip!

ChitChat Your poor DS as well; it sounds awful, poor little thing. Hope he's on the mend very soon. (And good on DH for stepping up - definitely to be encouraged!)

Waves to JustGetting, Blue and Bitchy, and anyone else I've missed.

The DDs' piano teacher is ill, so a slightly less stressful afternoon here - just need to take DD2 to a birthday party (and wrap present!). Oh, and mustn't forget to pick up DS beforehand.

List update:

Food shopping done
Put shopping away part done
Washing in dryer
Make appointment with dermatologist done
Wrap birthday present for party this afternoon
Order stamps online
Send invoice done

Two-page 'to do' list typed up and printed . Poor MIL. She has already been on the phone twice this morning to ask about the arrangements and I have had to explain it all over again. The list may confuse her and it will certainly confuse DH, who isn't good with lists at the best of times. But if I don't do it, nobody will know what to do.

Could you not do basic time table rather then list, and run away leaving them to their own fate? They will be fine, you are not away for long, and you are always at the end of the phone.

OMG ds had a break through moment .
Me: ds you have 15mins then we need to get ready and leave
Ds: ok so that means I have 10mins because it takes 5 mins to get back to school
Me: erm actually you need to be in school for x time, in 15mins it will be y time and that gives us 10mins for shoes and coat and to get there.
Ds: Ok
Me:

And at Y time and he has taken himself into the bathroom without being asked

Ta da list:
morning school run
lunch school runs
feed ds lunch - pasta and ketchup

Not huge but hey ho.

Yeehaw Bitchy!

Ta das:

Have shuffled around the bedroom furniture: DH now actually has drawer space in our room, shock horror!
Hoovered
Tidied up the hall
Went through some paper. Argh, the emotions. Some of it was my 'no, sorry, we don't want you to be a vicar' stuff, which I need to keep in case I ever go back into the waking nightmare that is the vocations process. But a piece of paper that tells you, basically, that you have no social skills and insufficient pastoral sensitivity is...pretty sucky.

Ha: threw out a bunch of other stuff that I don't need to keep though. :)

To do:
Tidy bathroom. There's just...stuff everywhere.
Make pasta bake for tonight
Prep for lesson

Just off to catch the train! See you tomorrow, Swan and WhoKnows .

Byeeeee, fledglings!

Right, it's still Monday morning ,just, here in Texas and so far:

Up& dressed to shoes
Emptied bottom half of dishwasher while making lunches and feeding breakfast to all.
Emergency trip to dentist on way to school to check out a wobbly tooth which we thought was a grown-up tooth, thankfully seems to be a baby one very late in coming out.
Home via Starbucks drive-thru
Walked 3 dogs for half an hour, dropped 2 then ran for 40 mins with the manic one.
Home for high protein snack and start food diary. All this exercise and I'm still a lard-arse, was reminded yesterday that weightloss is only 20% exercise, rest is diet.

To do:

Get off MN
Shower
Label all dd's belongings for packing tonight - 4 day school trip tomorrow.
Food shop- the cupboard is bare
Devise delicious, nutritious tea that can be thrown together in 5 mins and will be raved about by the dc's
15-min declutter in my bathroom, though needs 15 hours
Prepare files etc for tomorrow's big clear out and implementation of the new filing system, as per David Allen. actually quite excited about it.

Hmm going to attempt a list update:

Load of washing on
early training - remember money owed. nope
school run
wash bedding (my bed)
try to sort and clear one box from storage
tidy bathroom floor
wash/bleach bathroom floor
wash/bleach cloak room floor
tidy clutter away from landing
tidy and sort box of clutter from landing
hoover landing.
clear bath/sink/toilet
file paperwork
tweak cv and write application letter and email
clear a box of storage from my room
lunch time school run
feed child lunch
Water plants
get ds to write last outstanding thank you note.
Book doctor's appointment rang but need to ring back tomo
wash kit + work on clearing washing back log
folding
Take rubbish out
Take recycling out
Afternoon school run
Ds' Literacy homework
2 x 1.30 naps
deal with ds who is creative about food
cook tea

Am feeling a bit better then earlier so might attempt to tackle some more of the list. Stupid tired though. And not sure i can really be bothered.

Have a fabulous mini- meetup tomo toffee, Whoknows and Swan

**

Quick list dump:

Morning routine
Pilates
emails etc
tidy entire downstairs plus landing
wash towels and bath mats
clothes wash
clean bathroom inc floor and shelves
clean kitchen floor
super shine of sink inc bleach
empty DW
hoover downstairs
notes for workshop
hotspot lounge, hall and landing
get DS from school and talk to teacher
play with DS
go back and get DD from club after school
play with DS
DCs tea
put away clean washing
sort some paperwork for later in the week
place Ocado order
tweak Ocado order
evening routine

Feeling relaxed as we no longer have Beavers on a Monday night (Cubs on Tue instead) and the house is spick and span except DCs bedroom which is a pit and ours which is tidy but very dusty. Also the weather has made me feel very chilled out, both walks home from school were taken at a very relaxed pace. DS came out of school happy which isn't always the case, so that's good too.

Jasna - I don't suppose you will be back to this thread but I saw on your other one that you managed to stay in your flat, am very glad for you.

Flipping heck, spend a day at Peppa Pig World and the thread is soooo big!!!

Had a fab day, weather was gorgeous, parking a breeze and no queues! Even took a photo of the empty line at Miss Rabbits Helicopter ride as its always the worst to get on (slow at getting people on & off)!!

Have swished & swiped. Will do sink later. Off to shops for milk etc... Oh, no BFP for me, must have been bazookers banging around the lack of sports bra at the gym

Waves to all

Just back from school meeting - was much quicker than expected so home and coffee much earlier than a normal Monday Night.

Not too bad a day.
TaDa
2 more loads of washing (two done) plus drying, ironing and away done all bar one lot of ironing
Bathroom Mission - renovating our shower - tackling limescale on glass WIP
Banking done
Dinner - salad - well it is Spring here today all enjoyed!
Work - prep and meeting this afternoon done and partially successful
School trip meeting done
Finish home bleugh - one bedroom to tidy done

Hope the mini meet up goes well and gives you plenty to work on.

Really don't feel much has been accomplished today. By the time DH went off to work it was around 10.30 (he's not home yet though, so making up for it!). DS2 was a lot better today. By the end of the day he even had a bit of colour in his cheeks. Couldn't stop at the playground after school, so let the DSs scoot in our driveway (very quiet no through road). Gave DS2 an opportunity to get rid of some of his energy. If he keeps improving at this rate he will be able to make his Thursday and Friday nursery sessions (certainly can't make tomorrow's).

Ta da
Washed and dried all the DS's bedding - 5 loads (including DS2's pillow and duvet) and remade beds
1 load of clothes through washing machine and dryer
Built train track for DS2
Lunch for DS2 and myself
Sanded skirting on half of the main bedroom (ready for final coat tomorrow - doing room in 2 halves because of furniture)
Unloaded dishwasher
School run
Dinner for DSs
Dinner for me into oven

Evening everyone. You've all been extremely good and productive fledglings today [SC flaps wings approvingly]!!!!

Bit of a 'meh' sort of day here with everyone in a bit of a strop in office - perhaps caused by the reality of returning to one's desk after a spring w/e ...

... although dd back in merrier form now bulk of exams are over (not sure how long merriness will continue as exam results imminent!)

Have done virtually no Flying . Sorry - am fraudulent thread leader!!!

Another chunk of plaster fell of one of our half-landings in the middle of the night (big crash - thought it was burglars) and dh behaved, as usual, as if nothing had happened . I've left it there as a sort of childish protest ... but no doubt will be sweeping it up tomorrow.

Happy to report good news from Jasna's thread here

Chitchat glad to hear your ds2 on the mend and that your dh was able to help out (correction: not meant to say dh's are "helping" are we - so instead will say 'glad your dh was able to take his rightful turn dealing with your poorly ds' ) You've had a v. productive day - well done!

And to you JWIM - you've been Flying well I see. Glad meeting wasn't too onerous.

Arf at MummyNickleby's bazookers!! (Sympathies - I have same prob!) Great that you had such a lovely day out!

Wow Whoknows - you are Flying high and have things under control - that's brilliantly done - top marks!! I really that serenity that comes from knowing one is on top of things - you are inspiring me to try harder!! Golden duster award goes to you tonight!!

Another long list for you too Bitchy hope you weren't too tired to plough through. Great to hear about ds, your calm morning and timings breakthrough too!

Ooo Cq am excited on your behalf re: David Allen purge/transformation!! More power to your elbow and let us know how it turns out. Well done with your list and hope tea was appreciated by your flock!

Toffee Whoknows Swan ENJOY YOUR MEET-UP and don't get too drunk and have a on our behalf!! Hope workshop proves productive!

Hope your dh feels better soon Toffee - and try not to worry - they will all manage fine while you are away!!

MrsUrsa burn that letter!! It's THEIR loss!!! Sorry - don't mean to be flippant - going through old letters and paperwork can be traumatic. I'm far too sentimental about everything and keep far too much of it. But it only drags you down. Need to follow my own advice, but if you could rip it up and throw it away - maybe accompanying bad memory will jump in bin with it !! Well done on bedroom re-shuffle!!

Sorry to hear about that unexpected bill Linzer - that's rotten luck. Poor you - you are having a v. tough time of it at the moment. Hope Thursday meeting with teacher is productive and you can sort things out.

[Waves to ¨blue and notes handy tip about reward chat ... goes and modifies]

Humungous waves to Feetheart PA (great to have you back!!) Droitwich Ellie Nettie Lifebegins Justgettingonwithit Honu Scatty and eveyrone I've missed!

Back in a mo with links

***

Baby step number thirteen for tomorrow, Tuesday 13th March is

here introducing missions.

Speaking of which here is mission for tomorrow (shining bathroom sink)

We are in the bathroom all week (zone 3) here

The daily focus for Tuesday is here planning

Keep going everyone!!

*

Oh dear, sorry, just re-read all that and didn't mean to arf AT Mummynickleby's bazookers - that phrasing was all wrong - arfing at joke about said bazookers, meaning to show solidarity in big norkerdom.

HOpe that's clear [grabs wine]

G'night all

Ellie any spots appearing yet?

Thanks SC, it has been a busy day, I have to say I needed to do so much housework as I have been a bit slack about it over the last couple of weeks. Off to bed now, night all.

Feel like I'm nothing but reasons why not at the moment! Was doing really well earlier, and then did something just unbelievably stupid while trying to mend the fence. Hit my finger with a lump hammer really hard and split it, so all I?ve done since is clean up the resulting mess and try to not whimper. Tomorrow is another day.
Good luck to all with tomorow's meeting. :)

SC I knew what you meant. I'm not huge... But not small either, certainly more than a handful... And certainly too much to go to gym unsupported

I hate the thought of a sports bras though eyes old maternity bras and wonders if they'll do the job

MummyNick at using a maternity bra at the gym - mine were the most saggy shapeless things you can imagine! Actually, sports bras make better maternity bras than the other way round!

JustGetting - yikes! Sounds awful. Hope tomorrow is better.

Toffee/WhoKnows/Swan - good luck for the mini meet. Hope the workshop is useful.

Not much flying tomorrow, but will try to achieve the mission having failed at today's .

Waves to all and retires, yawning. Good night!

More of a tad than a tada but:

Get off MN
Shower
Label all dd's belongings for packing tonight - 4 day school trip tomorrow.
Food shop
Devise delicious, nutritious tea that can be thrown together in 5 mins and will be raved about by the dc's Jacket potato, beans & cheese, never fails
15-min declutter in my bathroom, though needs 15 hours
Prepare files etc for tomorrow's big clear out and implementation of the new filing system, as per David Allen. actually quite excited about it.

Las two actions to be completed after dc's in bed, although one is in my bed as DH away so will have to do bathroom v quietly. Enjoying a nice while eldest dc potters about getting ready for bed.

Will not be flying tomorrow and poss not Weds as will be Getting Things Done with David Allen. Have cleared my diary as instructed but dare not turn off phones - it's a Mum thing.