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!!

Have had to come home. Dentist appt pretty rough for dd so have decided she shouldn't go back to school this afternoon. Her face is badly swollen on one side. I am just about to feed her soup through a straw ... and re-arrange my afternoon.

Does anyone else feel like they need a stiff drink after taking their dc to the dentist [shudder]?? I am spoilt because dh usually does it!

Thanks Whoknows that's great! No probs for w/e

I like your rhyme ...

April Fledglings
Fools we are Not
Fly in to Spring

and ...[desperately wracks brain]

and declutter a lot??

declutter the lot???

and give it a shot???

... sorry (my suggestions lame as lame can be)

Chitchat hope car pick-up logistics work in your favour this evening! Good luck with chucking things in garage your crisis clean

Poor DD SC. My two have got their dental check up tomorrow and it makes me very nervous, so far only DD had to. have a filling, I can't imagine DS would cope with it at all.

BTW am very happy to run thread again in June (unless someone else wants to) but can't really do April or May because of all the holidays (Easter, Pentecost, Ascension etc etc) so away quite a bit ...we have received an offer on my mother's house (one day after it was put on the market) so want to go and help my sister empty it and that may require a couple of trips in itself. Fortunately for us, despite her age, my ma was incredibly well organised and on top of things, house gleaming/decluttered/every drawer arranged with military precision. Wish this trait ran in the family ...

Thanks Whoknows - She is very brave (much braver than me) but main problem is that she has far too many teeth so she is undergoing series of extractions to be followed with fittings for braces (hadn't realised they did them so young nowadays - you had to be 12 yrs or so in my day. I remember having loads of extractions as a child and although techniques/chair-side manner vastly improved since then, thinking about it makes the old knees start to wobble! So I am the worst person to accompany her poor thing! Had to look away and stare very hard at the fish tank ...

Good luck to your two tomorrow!! Don't be too worried - all the tools/techniques they use are much better than in our day!! (Eg DD's dentist has fish bowl full of jewellery/marbles to choose from after a particularly tough appt!!)

List dump:

early school run
empty car
car to garage
washing 2nd load of wet bedding from ds last night now on
finish moving hanging wardrobe out
tackle basket of paperwork
tackle floor in my room
collect ds lunchtime
feed ds lunch
try not to kill anyone - trying and just succeeding
find super glue for chicken's eyes
get ds to test the pens in the stationary box with view to killing off some
boot up old computer and assess
figure out something for tea pizza
double check appointment for fri
collect car
get ds to wash car
ds' bedtime
early night
crochet for an hour or so? 10mins done

whoknows there is an explosion of babies due in the family so baby blankets are the order of the day.

Sympathies to you and DD SC - I had "too many teeth" as well, or too small jaws, and had loads of extractions. The dentist wouldn't refer me to the orthodontist until secondary school though - said it was to give the adult teeth time to settle in. DS1 is fine, though tired and end-of-termy - some of the stuff about night terrors suggest fatigue as a cause. He doesn't remember the incidents in the morning which also suggests them.

PA - that does sound tough. No advice but plenty of sympathy.

ChitChat - hope it all goes well.

Ta da!
Rest of hoovering
Mopped floors
Laundry on line and yesterday's away
Attacked smears with magic eraser sponge
Aldi shopping and stuff put away
Lots of games with DS2

DH is doing the school run but they'll be back soon. Was intending to do some blogging but no inspiration at the moment.

anyone?

early school run
empty car
car to garage
washing 2nd loads of wet bedding from ds last night done, normal load on
finish moving hanging wardrobe out
tackle basket of paperwork
tackle floor in my room 15mins
collect ds lunchtime
feed ds lunch
try not to kill anyone - trying and just succeeding
find super glue for chicken's eyes
get ds to test the pens in the stationary box with view to killing off some
boot up old computer and assess
figure out something for tea pizza arsing hell dough failure
double check appointment for fri
collect car
get ds to wash car
ds' bedtime
early night
crochet for an hour or so? 10mins done
Tackle garden 1 hr and one full bin later
Move text books out of office
Agree to homeschool ds in science and probably maths and literacy to do so WTAF was I thinking?
Look at white board to do list and cry
Take out recycling
Draw up plan of action for garden
go get seed potatoes
Sort out different tea as pizza dough failed
figure out wtf is going on tomo as all change yet a fucking again here

FFS i need a very large strong drink. And it is only the first evening of the hols.

Mentally busy here.

Travelling tomorrow - leaving at 5am

Not packed yet.

Don't think there is much time for sleep tonight.

Training weekend, so definitely NOT relaxing

Just booked tickets for Dara O'Briain for October. DH full of cold but has gone to bed with Night Nurse and big :o
Am taking bets now as to how much of the show DH misses because he is crying with laughter.

Not much Flying here but did do some work at last. House suffering from me feeling pretty rough for the earlier part of the week but it will have to wait...again

Looking forward to Easter holidays now, just have our first school disco to survive tomorrow - all looking good but bl**dy tattoos haven't arrived yet, grrrrrrr.
Hopefully disco will distract my two as both have their teachers coming in to say good-bye tomorrow. DS particularly upset but poor DD is getting used to it. At least this one is actually going to say good-bye and not disappear into the ether like the previous two :(

Need my bed.
Sorry for lack of personals. Night night

[Joins Bitchy and Toffee in the naughty corner bar]

Poor you PA Have a (for mind-calming effects) Hope w/e not too onerous ...

MummyDroitwich if you are lurking - the sun room is proving to be a great hit btw!! Might be needed over the holidays if predictions of snow at Easter are true ... Definitely colder here today anyway.

Blue thanks - dd much better this evening, she'll definitely be back at school tomorrow (last day before hols). Glad to hear your ds is OK - have no experience of night terrors but I'm sure others will advise. Well done for flying high today.

Re: dentist - do you remember the dreaded gas mask coming towards you as a child!!??? I still have nightmares about it (no kidding!)

Bitchy sympathies as I had arsing pastry failure today!! No rhyme nor reason to it - got there eventually on my third batch . Never normally a prob. Well done re: your mahoosive list.

I managed to make the most of my day in the end - despite change of plans

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, wm, s&s
made carrot and coriander soup
work work
4 loads of laundry
4 loads dried on terrace
2 loads dw
tidied hall (most of it anyway)
sorted/prepped more laundry
made pastry
blind baked pastry case
partially cooked veg for tart
dentist dd
put out dining table hot spot
afternoon/evening routine

Just need to hang up one more load of washing ...then I'm going to crash.

Back in a mo for links

Huge wing flaps to everyone else!

x post

Waves to Feetheart! at Dara tickets!!

Been out since 9.30 this morning so not much to report but here is a brand new thread for April, as this one is getting full.

*

NEW THREAD

OK ... last Friday of the month everyone...

And Whoknows has kindly volunteered to lead us in April ..

Tomorrow's baby-step no. 30 for Friday March 30th is

check your calendar for next month

Last day in Zone 5 (the sitting room) here. Detailed cleaning list included in that link if you are at that stage

Tomorrow's mission is detailed dusting session

The daily focus for Friday is declutter your car and handbag day

Have a good one! G'night!

x post

Thanks for new thread Whoknows! (And good luck to your dc at the dentist's tomorrow!)

Anyway, think I'll be heading straight for the naughty corner.

Just wanted to say I'll be changing my name soon - dh has 'discovered' it, which I don't have a massive problem with, but he thought it was funny enough to make it an anecdote to all and sundry so really, want to be able to say outrageous stuff on mumsnet without fear!

This is my only regular thread so felt a bit rude not mentioning it

Right, now racking my brains for a different name.... wasn't very good a picking this one in the first place!!! And got quite attached to it!

mmh, not convinced, but it will do for now.

Shhhhhhhh me too feet

AnotherOne - it is hard to get used to a new name but when you find the right one it kinda sits right iyswim.

If u want any ideas i might have a think and pm if you want?

the gardening killed my back. it is sore. early start tomo.

To Do for Friday:
load of washing on
early up and out for me and ds
Ds' hospital appointment
Ring doc
ring dentist
my floor
lounge floor - lego, other toys
ds' folded clothes away
fold 3 baskets of clean clothes
remaining ds' clothes away
towels away
bedding and blankets away
Deal with paperwork in the lounge
wash table cloth?
hoover floor (although might delegate this)
Set up ds' specimin tray for his rock collection
get ds to make a carrot cake
more crocheting
more laundry
find wood glue
keep looking for super glue
retry pizza for tea
early night or evening meeting?
ironing?

meh. going to be another busy day. Hope the sunshine lasts it is a bonus for motivation.

Thanks Bitchy
I didn't like my old name then got attached to it.
Let's see what happens with this name. But suggestions welcome.

To do list:
Go to bed.

Like it Duster. If DH found my name I would change it pdq.

I think Flylady had it right when she said we try to keep too many balls in the air. I could

• Look after DH really well, spend lots of time entertaining him, persuading him to do physio, all the boring physical bits, get him out of the house (major effort!) etc
• Teach maths (which I really enjoy )
• Manage massive building project
• Write book (not touched for last 2 years since DH fell
• Tend the bits of garden not currently dug up by builders
• Keep house clean and tidy
• Keep self human

Actually, just writing that list makes me realise why we now have a major planning crisis because no bricks were shown to planning dept at appropriate time and brickie coming next week!

Morning.
Have been lurking and flying (albeit not too thoroughly). I think I've been focussing on making "the gym" my habit and in those days I am simply too tired to declutter / clean. I do the sink, clothes out and swish but that's the limit. Especially Thurs as I work from 8/8:15 until 18:00 with a 20 min break, head straight to gym for a class and eventually get home at 20:00... It's a hard slog at the end of my working week but it builds up some much desired flexi time...

So I'm going to have to declutter on Mon, Wed & Fri and try and adjust the days to suit.

But I love the baby steps and they are nearly a habit

SC I had the "small jaw" issue too, 2 of my molars were crushing each other, the damage was quite shocking. I had perfectly straight teeth to start with so it was a shame when I needed train tracks and a head brace at night
I was about 12 I think so I wonder if the age thing was an issue and that's why some of my molars were damaged

Waved to all

Honu - there used to be a juggling company called 'More Balls than Most', if you ever need another MN name I'd go for that :)
I am in awe of how much you are managing, makes my 2 DC, 2 cats, 1 DH and a school disco seem paltry in comparison.

Up early again after a late-ish night. I really need to work on an earlier bedtime in April if I am to continue waking up at silly o'clock.

Not sure about a list for today as it depends on how much last-minute disco stuff there is to do. Hopefully future discos will be simpler but this is our first and we are trying to cover everything to make sure it goes well. So

• DC to school with appropriate leaving gifts/cards/letters/etc :(
• Last minute disco stuff
• Label Easter eggs for raffle
• Collect letter and then ask nicely at Co-op for donations for the above
• Sort out carpet delivery - still disco related as head worried we will spill drinks on her nice new carpet. Fair point so got carpet-fitter dad on the case :)
• Try not to panic about non-arrival of tattoos from Baker Ross
• Possible emergency trip to Claire's accessories for back-up tattoos
• Hoover as much of house as possible - concession to this actually being a Flying thread!
• Juggle DC with DH so DD gets to dancing and both get to disco - different discos of course! Just realised that this will mean packed tea for both of them

Best get moving. Have a good day everyone.

Another one here who struggles to keep all the plates spinning

Housework
Job
Manage DCs
OU course
PTA
School Gardening Club
Regular exercise
All household admin, finances etc

But not all in the same week. Job and manage DCs have to happen, then it's a case of juggling the rest. Regular exercise and housework alternate between being lowest priority.

Anyway, had a lovely night out last night, but DH, who was supposed to be helping DD finish her Easter costume, managed to lock all three of them out of the house at 6.30pm, luckily he had his phone and car keys on him so he had to phone me up and track me down (I'd gone out straight from work) then make a 50 min round trip to get my key from me, grrr. The neighbours used to have one but we never updated it when we got our new front door last year. Anyway, DCs enjoyed their extra outing, but it meant I have been scurrying around with elastic, scissors and sellotape this morning to get it all done. Was worth it to see all the cute Easter bunnies and chicks going into school this sunny morning though.

Feet - hope the tattoos arrive, I am familiar with Baker Ross slow delivery stress.

Duster - brilliant name. DH does know mine, but I don't think he's all that interested. I take the piss out of his sad geek hifi enthusiast forums full of men with no friends special interest forums more than he does mine. I have had a couple of completely different names in the past, but I kind of like this one and it is easy to make seasonal variations on it.

SC - I have been meaning to ask for ages, how did you arrive at your latest nickname?

Bitchy - I like your latest incarnation too.

Ta-da

Most basic parts of school morning routine
Easter bunny costume etc

To do

Rest of routine
Go shopping
Go for a run
Shower/wash hair
OU work
School run
DCs to dentist
DCS into town to spend pocket money
Think it might be a good night for a takeaway and a bottle of