April Fledglings Fly into Spring, Get That Clutter into the Bin

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Welcome to the April 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Come and join us for a bit of chat and a lot of housework (or possibly the other way round).

A huge "thank you" to SanguineChompa for leading us through March

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 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. Feel free to browse the Flylady website as well, links below

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:

• 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!!

Evening all

Quick post before bed - minimal flying again here but have been out all days, house still standing. Have done some internet banking and taken meter readings. My filing cabinet now has a heavy presence in the corner of the room, maybe will start it tomorrow.....

Breastfed ds for final time on tuesday and boobs, especially right one now hurt so am off to get some ibuprofen. boob ache has not been helped by injury on death slide sustained at softplay centre today - one of those tunnel type things, rather than standard wavy one, tunnel was almost vertical (didn't realise this from the top) and very twisty, plan was to take dd down on my knee but had on very slippy clothes, and as am not a toddler, couldn't sit down without banging head, therefore laid down, which added to my speed. Felt like there was a twisty turn every metre or so, which meant top half of me going in completely opposite direction to bottom, coupled with trying to keep dd away from the side, ended up scraping right half of the body down the not inconsequential length of the sodding thing, not the best thing for an engorged boob

SC I've also got Paul Mckenna and parts are hilarious, only place i seem to have time to do mine is in the car, so the falling asleep bit not good, i recently got how to change your life in 7 days, i got to day 2 and gave up. My 'how to be self disciplined' cd is by Brian Tracy who wrote a book, 'eat that frog' which have also read about how not to procrastinate, obviously that hasn't worked either, hence the purchase of the cd.

toffee pleased to hear that you've had a good with with ds, waves to everybody else, have read so many posts, have forgotten personals, will do better tomorrow!

Evening all.

Well, I've had a half hearted stab at the OU work. DS didn't want to go to bed, reappeared on and off till 9.30. His toes are sore and a bit red, I think he might have chilblains, so I've been googling that for the last hour or so. He is a reluctant shoe wearer and keeps running around outside in bare feet or just socks, which drives me mad as his socks get trashed and he trails mud through the kitchen, but I hadn't thought of it giving him chilblains. He had a spell of it back in Jan too, but the Dr thought it was probably a skin infection and it did improves with antibiotics.

So, I think we will have a talk about keeping our feet warm tomorrow and maybe go to the Dr again. Also better get his feet measured in case his toes are squashed, they do seem to look worse when he takes his shoes off.

TheWaffler - ouch. We've got one of those twisty tunnels in our local softplay. DS would never go on it at all till he was about 6, but DD used to make me go down with her lying on my chest, I hated it but never sustained any injury.

Anyway I'll be back in a moment with some links.

Friday Links

Babystep Day 20 Include laundry in your daily routine.

Mission. Mop your bathroom floor and clear the lint filter and hose of your tumble dryer.

No flying today. Just lots of DS hugging.

So this isn't about flying, but I need a vent, so please ignore from here!

Had him at OOH for the most worrying 3 hours of my life. He woke at about 8.15pm and made the most horrible wheezy rattling noise I've ever heard. Applied his inhaler a few times - no change. Applied it again, and it did improve, but only slightly. So phoned NHS24 in a panic and trying not to scream "just gimme a doctor!" and was referred immediately to OOH. Doc saw him as soon as we arrived and after a check, applies the inhaler again. And again. And again. Then listens to his chest. Then says, in the face of a rattling breath - he's fine!

I made a face but she let me listen to his chest and it's not in his chest (if I'd have been more calm, I'd have twirled while wearing stethoscope as its just cool!) but more a flemmy coughy thing in his throat.

After I'd calmed down, she said that yes, it was a minor (!) attack, but we acted correctly. However, next time we can apply the inhaler up to about 12 times first before panicking.

So brought him home, and he, DH and I all fell asleep together on the mattress in his room.

Shattered now as spent whole night waking to check on him.

He's supposed to have a play date today, but I'll see how it goes this morning/nap time.

On the bright side, the asthma nurse is coming today so I can chat to her about it!

Right, off for a shower now!

Oh Carp :(
Ds and I both get that. Last time I had it I actually couldn't breathe at the docs and I ended up with a batch of steroids via a whole exciting episode of reacting to the inhalers they actually gave me It's horrid and no less worrying. Take it easy today and I hope you can get some rest.

Morning campers. will be back when I have had coffee. Need coffee.

Morning all, slides to bitchy maybe today will be the day I get at least some of the plants I bought outside, how are your runners doing?

carpe sending hugs, how v v scary, a ds not being able to breathe is horrendous, imaginebyou're emotionally as well as physically drained, I'd be tempted to stay in snuggling too

Thanks Bitchy and thewaffler.

DS was breathing - just chest sucking IYSWIM.

He's up now and running about like last night never happened. Does now appear to have a heavy cold so I can tell that the wheezing is cold not chest; but came on out of the blue.

Asthma nurse today anyway so will get more reassurance there!

. Glad he's better this morning.

Chest sucking = horrendous, inhaler not working straight away would send me into a blind panic, so pleased to hear he's fine this morning though and like you say, hopefully be able to give some reassurance.

Exercises done, flying yet to commence....

The runners are mutant, still need transfering to pots from the seedling trays and about 30cm tall. They are going outside today. as are the broad beans.

Right today is essentially yesterday's list plus training. Am taking myself out this morning, because if i don't i will regret it later. And not at all because today I don't have tired eyes and could actually see the state of the house That I will deal with later.

ta da
Up and functioning
9/10 seed potatoes planted up
lunch made
training kit sorted.
ds up and functioning
morning school run
Monster runner beans outside
broad beans outside
potato bags outside
email/fb/mn catch up
2nd load of washing on
Beds made
Construct a plan of action

Right going to head into town and pick up a few bits before going training. I have missed training properly. Can't wait.

Will catch you all after lunch but hopefully before afternoon school run.

Carpe - That sounds utterly terrifying, you poor thing. There's no chance it's croup, is there? Both mine had that, but especially DS1. Croup sounds like a barking cough and it's hard not to panic when you first hear it. It often comes on when your child has a cold. I phoned an ambulance when DS1 first had it at nine months' old. DH almost passed out from fear. But presumably your doctor would have identified croup. I wonder if similar techniques would help with phlegm in the throat, eg. steam from a boiling kettle, humdifier in the bedroom at night? Anyway, I hope the asthma nurse is helpful today.

Today's 'to do' list:

Get DS1 out of bed
Get DS1 to eat b/fast (always a challenge)
Home ed with DS1
Online grocery delivery
Tidy house (how has it deteriorated so much since yesterday? )
Friend calling round for lunch
Walk magical dog
DS2 at childminders, so maybe I should tackle the ironing mountain

Hope everyone has a good day.

very scary, great you get asthma nurse today.

Okay, mad panic...guests after school today, never been round before...still convinced living room smells of dog wee...got to get a shower (20 min) and clean house by 11.30 shit.

That's it. List for today. Panic. Best put that giant wine bottle away on mantle piece...may give wrong impression

Feeling quite smug today as the house (unusually for a Friday) actually looks pretty good. I am attributing this to diligent hotspotting during the week, I am very prone to letting it slide but have been making an effort over the last month and it has helped.

I have just spent an hour on the computer, I am trying to find a private speech therapist for DS. I have also ordered an upgrade to our creaky old broadband. We were on a 10Gb/month limit and getting charged well over the odds because we kept exceeding the limit and realised it would actually be cheaper if we upgraded to the unlimited one.

Off for half an hour of OU now, before going to school for gardening club (fingers crossed the rain holds off).

Trying - open all the windows and doors for 15 mins, it really helps freshen the place up.

Toffee think you may be spot on re the croup suggestion. He wasn't coughing last night, and was wheezing, but as he's asthmatic it possibly wouldn't have been immediately obvious to an on-call GP.

He's barking like a seal now, feels ridiculously hot but keeps pulling duvet over and cuddling into me (I'm up lying with him while he naps) so I think it's a possibility. Have spoken to duty doc at my own surgery (they must be so bored of me phoning!) and have an afternoon appointment.

I sense another raft of nights sleeping with him and retraining later!

On the bright side, I have a clean house after tidying for nurse coming today (she was a bit useless and just said we'd done the right thing). Think I'm screwed for a trip into the city tomorrow to upgrade my phone though. Which is a pain in the arse as I want a new phone!!!!

Carpe sounds like croup to me too, your not being a nusience ringing, fwiw I think your doing the right thing! And any dr who is a parent will understand and if they are not they will have seen it all before. Its not like your taking him with a verucca is it? Treatment for croup here is steam and calpol, obvs confirm with dr...my two get it in the blink of an eye and usually gone by morning. Can be nasty though. Honey and lemon juice to soothe throat? Prop ds up with pillows, wet towels on radiators (if on), and sometimes I just read books for hours until they fall asleep if its quite bad, takes mind off the coughing and sometimes they fall asleep. You can also run shower and steam up bathroom. More fortified needed for you! Was that drug trial on news?

whoknows thanks, will try that!!!

Will try and fly a bit...was going to go swimming...ah well...

. Gardening club consisted of 10 mins gardening, just long enough to get the stuff out, 20 mins of 3 women squashed into the shed in a hailstorm while the children went indoors, and half an hour of very enjoyable gardening. Then a very quick march home just as the heavens have opened again.

Carpe - DS had croupy coughing fits once or twice, the steamy bathroom really helped.

Did half an hour OU before gardening, going to have lunch and do some more while I am in the right frame of mind.

Hello -

Just rattling through as rather large 'work' work load this pm ...

Toffee thank you so much for cd info - apologies - haven't replied to your pm yet - will do so this eve - but just wanted to say it's great to have the info - haven't looked at it in detail yet but looks really interesting. Godson having horrible time at school (he is physically sick in the mornings with anxiety) so hoping this can help him ...

Carpe Poor you!! What a horrible, stressful time you've had - nothing more unsettling than when a child is ill and cause is unknown. Happy to hear your ds is on better form this morning - despite heavy cold. Here's hoping you are all able to catch up on some soothing sleep tonight. Take it steady!

Whoknows congrats on the diligent hot-spotting!! Hope your ds's toes a bit less sore today...

Enjoy the return to training Bitchy

Waffler ouch and ouch at your soft play injury!! [And hands over virtual dock leaf for nork inflammation] Hope you are feeling a bit better today! Your comments about motivational cds made me cackle ...reminds me of my collection of self-help books (oft talked about on this thread) on 'how to stream line your life/declutter/organise your home' ... which are ... .. cluttering up my landing ...!!

Huge waves to Swan Ellie PA Feet Scatty and everyone else I've missed

Sorry - my spelling is getting worse and worse - doing a lot in French atm - losing ability to distinguish between 'a' and 'e' and putting in too many 'l's and 's's!!

Didn't really cover myself in glory last night, missing school meeting. Dh was a hero and went for last half hour (fortunately there is always a lecture first on some aspect of child psychology which we usually skip attend) which meant he was able to speak to dd's teacher about all the important bits. But dd was very disappointed that I hadn't seen her display of paintings and crafts [hopeless mother emoticon] Oh dear...I need a job more demanding than washing tea towels and counting paper clips.. losing ability to think straight ...

If I'm not back on here tonight, have a great evening everyone!

Trying do not worry - large wine bottle on mantelpiece definitely creates right impression!!

FFS!!!!! Ddog1 has pissed on the fecking carpet!!!!!!!!! Must be a month since last time!!!! WHy today? why now!!!??? Got weeaway on it but its right bang in the bloody middle so all kids will go home with pink patches on socks and bottoms!!!!!! Need a fecking rug, don't have one...nor park a piece of furniture there. Bloody dog!!! got to go sch run in 20 min....GGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Put some old towels over it.

When DD threw up all over the lounge carpet I cleaned it, sprinkled bicarb all over it and covered it with towels for 48 hours to dry out and stop everyone treading bicarb all over the house.

I am just eating lunch. Training was fabulous. I felt like I could take on anything the world threw at me. Then I got home and looked at the house with fresh eyes now I just think it need a lot of coffee and a pig headed attitude to deal with.

To Do:
Afternoon school run
feed ds a snack and chuck into car
get ds' glasses fixed

I have got ds now for the rest of the stuff.

sorry computer playing up so keep getting disconnected after writing posts

it has been a rainy day hasn't it! caught in hailstorm with dog, then we sat on the sofa and watched Escape to the Country (well dog was still in a bit of hyper mood, I don't think he was concentrating

dd has a friend round (the dog owner's daughter) dog has gone; they are playing with kittens

Ds1 will appear soon; it is his Twelfth birthday today, so he will get some Xbox treat while the dts go to a school disco. Also Olympic Monopoly and a basket ball net attachment thingy.

Think I will now spend 20 mins tidying my bedroom.

Done
decluttered Cubs uniform
cat litter
fresh air and exercise
drove ds1 to school with his model
musical instrument raw materials
snacks for twins

Oh dear, now I'm tired again, but refreshed by being out rather than that leaden defeatist tiredness.

oh yes Trying the visiting dog peed on our sofaat midday - I think it was because the hoover was too noisy, he actually barked at it.. Luckily cushions were extremely dirty so it was an excuse to wash them and hoover out all the pringles from underneath Just have to get them dried and put back before Dh gets home, or he will never let the dog in the house again if he finds out.

SC oh dear, very sorry about your godson. What a kind godmother you are.