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,

Ta-da!

Basic routines
Cleaned bathroom ceiling
Tidying
Work
School
Rainbows
Dinner
Tax return
Evening routine

To Do

Post links
Bed

TheWaffler - hope your Dsis has a straightforward delivery and is home soon.

Toffee - zzzzzz

Blue - oh dear, poor you.

Carpe - you have my utmost sympathy re food. DS ate anything until he was 18 months, then it was downhill fast. My only advice is don't stress .

Bitchy / Swan - no chance of gardening here either, although my radishes have emerged in the last 24 hours, which is nice.

Gossipwitch - wow, good effort on the lounge!

Feet - your food sounds lovely. Why oh why won't my DS eat Yorkies?

Waves at everyone else,

Thursday Links

Babystep Read the bnottom of one of FLylady'e emails. But you won't be able to do that if you haven't subscribed to them, which we strongly advise against. I think it might be the bit that says it doesn't matter where you have got to just jump in where we are

Mission Declutter your dressing table

Thursday Focus Errand Day.

did you see this whoknows?

Can't sleep, keep looking at phone waiting for news, feel like a kid waiting for Xmas!

Result, have caught up on posts and just heard dsis baby has arrived, 8lb 14. Must try now to get some sleep....

Fuckery, still can't sleep.....

Rushing in with a quick list:

• WAH job
• DS to toddlers
• menu plan
• supermarket
• make dinner
• collapse

morning all!

thewaffler wow good weight!!! Bit more than my first! Congrats to your sis! Not that I know her of course...or you...but still :)

Rightieo...best get something done today after yesterdays big skive (I'm talking allotment, dog walk, hour long bath, did nails went claggy lots of drink, food, snacks, reading, tv ....god it was a marvolous day. Just need another to get over it. Oh and both dc at sch/pre sch. All day.

Just need another day like that now....

So no rush here today...

Dd1 snack
dd1 drink
dd2 snack
dd2 drink
dog walk
may have to go to nearest city to get dd2's car seat checked out...may do that after sch run...

oh and me and dd1 may be getting a bug, both feel strange

must get a shift on...

Hope your having fun with bfast Carpe

Thanks for links whoknows

Everyone else ...have some chocolate and ....

I felt in a positive mood this morning! Everything seems possible,
however, since breakfast things have gone downhill fast...Ds1 started the day shouting (, but he went at 7.40 so that can't be reason...

Done yest
2 children's rooms spectacularily tidy
Ds1 room is still impossible, he has now taken to putting complete sets of dirty clothes back in the drawers, pants, socks everything [yuk]
all children's laundry away in drawers, and socks matched
big bag of rubbish created
3 x homework done
cooked very nice farmhouse lentil soup

today
work in school library
dog visiting
builder visiting
move all big pots with builder's help
move woodshed with builder's help
catechism meeting in evening

oh now dd has appeared saying she refuses to wear a certain style of summer dress uniform

Good morning all :), the good news is i wasnt sitting in my lounge last night wallowing in mess and thinking how i can get on top of it its still relatively tidy as is kitchen and hallway, pots and washing to put away in kitchen and launch pad in hall needs doing, it has come to my attention that ds1 is the mess maker as there is a cup and a empty box of jaffa cakes on the living room floor that he's responsible for, but hes gone school now so its down to me to tidy after him....at least he took his quilt back up. my missions for today are:-

sort out ds2
clean and tidy my room,
do more washing
clean bathroom
sort landing
tidy boys bedroom
hoover and polish up stairs
wonder how such a small house can harbour so much mess
wash pots
put clothes away
do more washing
tidy downstairs again
visit poorly nan
pick ds1 up
cook tea
wash pots
do more washing
put ds2 in bath-jump in bath with
put ds2 to bed
call in ds1
get him to have a bath
put him to bed
play WOW with boyfriend
go to bed

crikey looks like so much stuff when broken down, but I prefer writing it down so that i can cross it all off later and feel like i've achieved alot, however you guys do have to put up with long posts hmmmmmmmm.

DS sat in high chair. Had bottle of milk while I emptied dishwasher. Then I force fed him rice krispies.

He then did the goodbye routine with DH, and then had a piece of toast at his table in the living room.

More milk, then a fromage frais and now he's asked for (and got) an organix bar.

Off to toddlers in a sec and I know he'll eat more toast the

DS sat in high chair. Had bottle of milk while I emptied dishwasher. Then I force fed him rice krispies.

He then did the goodbye routine with DH, and then had a piece of toast at his table in the living room.

More milk, then a fromage frais and now he's asked for (and got) an organix bar.

Off to toddlers in a sec and I know he'll eat more toast there so that's lunch sorted.

Then I'm off to the supermarket so he can have some fruit in the car on the way down. Then dinner when we get home - god knows what.

But he's eating! Yay!

I went to bed thinking today i wanted to tackle the house.
I woke up thinking I needed to tackle the house.
I came back from the school run and thought fuckit.

Still wolly headed from migraine. decide am going to deal with that so hopefully functioning at full strength tomo. Need to go shopping later, need to make sure ds' kit has done through the washer and is dry for 4:30. rest can wait. Big meeting tonight so late night for both of us.

been for a long vigorous walk with dog - so much nicer than being indoors
threw away some unpaired socks
kept on top of bedrooms

not gone into school library as builder/dog combo requiring constant attention - can't let dog in garden which is adding to problems/can't let dog in kitchen as builder in and out... However builder loves dogs so that is nice for dog!

The builder is driving me mad because he is spending every minute of the fine weather discussng when it is next going to rain, rather than doing the brickwork - I can't believe it, now he has gone to do a neighbour's cupboard, and it is still fine...aargh...the usual thing that a week's work takes him two weeks, although he doesn't necessarily charge me for it, just that the garden is a mudbath for sucha long time.. He has said ominously he is not coming tomorrow, when there is so much to do, including the shed moving. When I said could he come tomorrow even if it rained, to do the moving stuff, he said he could help me move it now! NOOO, I want you do the brickwork if you can!

On lunch break, here is what i have accomplished this morning..... surprisingly as i woke up with naff all motivation.

sort out ds2
clean and tidy my room,
do more washing
clean bathroom
sort landing
tidy boys bedroom
hoover and polish up stairs
wonder how such a small house can harbour so much mess
wash pots
put clothes away
do more washing
tidy downstairs again
visit poorly nan
pick ds1 up
cook tea
wash pots
do more washing
put ds2 in bath-jump in bath with
put ds2 to bed
call in ds1
get him to have a bath
put him to bed
play WOW with boyfriend
go to bed

Hello everyone. Hope all OK.

I am failing to keep up with this thread atm - largely owing to the fact that we have all been a bit ill (I've had sinus headache followed by a cold and dh and dd just have the cold) and life has been busy. My part of the furniture from my ma's house arrived yesterday evening by pantechnicon. Although I'm happy to receive it, it really is rather sad and surreal to see the furniture, paintings and books one remembers as a child standing in the sitting room... Can't really face unpacking it or opening the boxes... definitely brings home the finality of it all

Think I need to borrow Swan's borrowed dog and go outside for a long walk ...but have too much paperwork. However we are hoping to get away from the city for a few days during the May public holiday and hopefully will then see some green and commune with a horse or two ....

On the flying front, slightly more on top of things and taking boudoir missions very seriously this week (thank you Whoknows)

Going to read back down the thread now and find out what you have all been up to ....

Huge wing flaps to everyone ...

Feeling much better today. DS1 is showing no signs of ill health whatever and generally bouncing off the walls. So frustrating to have to keep him home when he's like this!!

Still, I have a ta da list for the first time in days!

Ta Da!
Laundry washed and dried
Shiny sink
Dusted
Few hotspots
Kicked the boys out into the garden between showers to burn off some energy
Hoovered thoroughly upstairs
Hoovered less thoroughly downstairs
Recyling out
Mopped floors
Prevented boys from tramping mud all over clean floors
Lunch made and cleared up
Boys parked in front of CBeebies for a rest...

To do:
More hotspots
Dinner
Get through bedtime without bloodshed.

Swan - good luck with the builder!
Carpe - glad food's been better today
TheWaffler - lovely news!
Bitchy - take care of yourself!

Turns out that quite a few of us have been/are feeling under the weather. Here's to speedy recoveries for everyone ...

Gossip not sure if I should I enquire about WOW ... or not And well done re: contra-wallow last night and mega-clean of your living room!

Sorry to hear about builder exasperation Swan [Hands over soothing ] Hope you get your shed/fence moved tomorrow without too much trauma...and that posh neighbours were cooperative. And congrats on your list yesterday. Matching socks, lentil soup and spectacularly tidy bedrooms = all v. impressive, esp. when you have so much else going on! Also, need to follow your v. brave example with car and school run.

Congrats on your productive day yesterday too Whoknows and your clothes decluttering epic earlier in week. No mean feat when you are running thread and keeping us lot in order as well.

Swan/Whoknows* Agree it is such a difficult balancing act settling on right number of extra-curric activities. I've made mistake before of over-doing it. We have settled on two (regular) activities a week (one of which just over the road) which is just about right for us at the moment. It can seem not enough (in terms of exercise) when hwk is scarce and friends not around but definitely right when exams are approaching or dd is ill or loads of end of term activities. What I most like about only having two activities is it allows for more spontaneity with dd's friends during the week and at weekends. All in all a lot less pressure but there again so much easier with just one dc. Hats off to you who are balancing more ...

Sympathies over headache from a fellow sufferer Bitchy (don't think I ever sent you that migraine info I promised aeons ago did I ??) Good plan to conserve your strength for tonight and tomorrow.

Carpe good your ds has his appetite back! And arf at theatrical swoon (think I may be indulging a little later myself ) Initially mis-read your post as "Ds sat in high chair. Had bottle of wine while I emptied dishwasher" Found myself thinking, "oh well, that's one way of stimulating a child's appetite" !! Hope you are feeling better too ...

Hope you and dd1 are OK Trying and that bug doesn't develop... Your day yesterday does sound utterly FAB!!! Hope building works progressing well without too much stress (if that's not a contradiction in terms!)

Many congratulations on the birth of your niece TheWaffler lovely news !!!

Blue and family - hope you are all feeling a bit better today x

Toffee hope sleep proved restorative and headache has gone. Aw at your ds's "pink cheeks" (and "splinter fairy from way down thread"!). How is sugar deprivation going? I am starting (again) healthy eating/exercise regime during month of May. Am heaviest I have ever been Look just about OK (albeit top heavy) if I stand up very straight, but like a toad when sitting down (everything bulging out everywhere) Had to buy three new pairs of trousers the other day as don't fit in to regular size Something MUST be done!!!!

Feetheart nowt like a roast chicken to counter damp weather ... Well done on kicking work in to touch. Great to hear that things improving for your dd at school too - as I know how worrying an issue it has been for you. Fingers crossed that the head sticks to her promises.

MummyNickleby respect re: your 10-hr office days and mega-planting epic!!

MoreCats congrats on your 'house cleanest its been in months' and good luck to you and your dd with cane training and shopping

Welcome back MrsUrsa Holiday sounds fab!

Waves to Scatty Ellie PA Honu and everyone else I've missed

x post Blue good to hear you are feeling better!

And meant to say in earlier post

Morecats Hope meeting with mobility lady proved useful

And just wanted to send "sympathies" to the fledgling who was mourning a dog much lower down thread (RIP Princess) but can't find post!!

And sorry for continuation of essay ... but ...

to any fledglings blessed with geek abilities ... please see here

Just to stop SC's essay writing I am just popping in to say, although I am absolutely crap at keeping up with this thread at the moment I do consider this thread's people to be my "friends". Anyhoooo I have put together a newsletter telling people about our plans for our move to Cambodia etc. If any of you are interested in having a nosey, please feel free to message me your email address and I will send you one. I don't want to shove it in your face if you aren't interested, just asking, ok??

Incredibly snowed under with life at the mo, hence the lack of posts here..... I hope to return as soon as I can and i am sure you can all keep me sane from the other side of the world.

Oh, forgot to add I found out yesterday that when we move we are expected to employ a "helper" for the house.......oh heaven.....!!!!

sanguine WOW is an awesomely massive online war game called world of warcraft that i have been sucked into every night for the past few months thanks mainly to my boyfriend, which also means that i have lost all aspects of my social life, well not really, but it is a good game :)

Just popping back to retrieve swoon - dinner is a no go.

Tortilla bake (nom!) but while he got into chair - step forward - he is refusing to eat tortillas - step back.

Have not commented, but taken him down once I'd finished eating/15 mins had gone and told him there would be no other food. The plate is now sitting on his table in the living room is a vague hope...