Fledglings Fly in Flaming June; C.H.A.O.S. will be banished soon!

[sanguinechompa]

Welcome to the June 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets and microfibre cloths here!!

A huge "thank you" to Toffee for leading us throughout May!! Hope you have a fabulous holiday in Spain!!

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, support and 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:

• 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, here and here

All welcome!!

Not too bad progress with my list today:-
Clear draining board - done
Wash up - done, but a neverending job - there's more now!
Shine sink - I wouldn't call it shiny, but I made an attempt!
Print and send reports - not yet
Phone re: car insurance - not yet
Buy father's day present for DH - what to get??? - done - I bought posh chocolate from the posh chocolate shop in the end, but I love the photo idea lll - bet your DP will love that
Post my dad's father's day card - done
Put away dry washing - half-done
Put on more washing - oops - forgot to do this and too late now
Online supermarket shop - done

The 27 fling boogie went well - is the idea of 27 that you lose count half-way through and actually end up doing more than that, or is that just me?? Found it hard to get rid of stuff to begin with, but then got going! Two bags of stuff for the charity shop tomorrow and a bin liner full of rubbish, but it doesn't feel like I've started really with the clutter. Still I know that some of the stuff has gone, so will try to keep going.

If nothing else, DH allowed me to get rid of his hideous Russian dolls with British prime ministers on (don't even ask!) The fact that they're leaving the house will get those charity shop bags out of the house tomorrow!!

Brices - I definitely recommend internet shopping - so much less stressful than dragging little ones round and forgetting half the stuff you wanted!

Waves to everyone else - have lovely weekends everyone.

Hello lovely ladies.

Well, what a few days!!
Firstly, Brice I have had a copper coil in for the last 16 years

Oh dear. Where is my message? The lovely long, long one? That I spent AGES typing...........
Haven't the heart to start again tonight.

< stomps back to naughty corner >

Enjoy date nights SC and Toffee . Can't write other personals all over again, so waving instead to everyone.

Hi all! Just a fly by to say sorry I'm not ignoring you all! I have an actual kind of date well in the house? He's on his way now as had to wait for DD to definitely be asleep!

Be back in the morning

Enjoy lauren

PA ds is a one boy eating machine too.

I always find that these weight loss things always calculates my daily calorie intake far far too low. have been told not to use them. Basically finding that generally they suggest that I eat less then the calories it would be required for me to be alive. Which is apparently not the best way to go. I am very much hoping this is true but we will see. It is more of an achievement for me to be eating 3 meals a day, most days atm. Although I still need to increase the amount of vegetables I eat though. I have been trying to take a 15min walk post school run every day. Just need to get moving more.

Very very little flying has been done. Drained atm and still trying to fight the migraine cycle. Am taking the strong migraine meds and they are flattening me. Hoping that staying off the coffee and taking the meds are going to stop the bastard headache.

Hope you all have good weekends.

SC - at the rabbit high jinks.

Hope the date went well, lauren. Report back, please.

PA - definite teenagery stuff starting with DS1. Bad enough with one - I'm not sure how I would cope with more than that. In my case, it will be a long 14 years of having a teenager in the house, as DS2 will enter his teens as DS1 leaves his... LOL at your comment to the nurse re your ancient IUD!

Brice - I only ever internet shop. It's definitely the answer.

Wisteria - glad you had a good evening. I hadn't thought of looking up Flylady on YouTube - might try that for inspiration (am feeling particularly bored with housework at the moment).

likeluck - at your DM getting your DB his GCSEs. Better than not getting any, I suppose!

Curly - those Russian dolls...? I'm sorry, but I do have to ask. WHY?

castle - it's maddening when that happens -sympathies.

carpe - are the lights back on yet?

Bitchy - hope migraine and side effects of meds are sorted soon, so you can have a good Saturday.

Engels - well done on getting the Father's Day card sorted .

Had a lovely evening out: meal with DH, then we were joined by some friends for and more . DH went back around 10 to let his mum go home, but I stayed on till closing time . DS1 up and waiting for me when I got home - like a mother waiting for her teenager, he refuses to sleep until I am safely home.

B/Fs done already and am now letting the boys watch telly for a bit, before tackling the dreaded homework with DS1. Have told him no Minecraft until he has finished some homework.

Hope you all have a good Saturday.

Just popping by to wave hello!

One quick question for pa though... where is the tattoo, what is it and how big is it? And why? Okay, four questions really; I'm curious coz I've always fancied getting a tattoo, but I'm too scared, and my choice changes too frequently.
How old is she anyway?

PA got a tattoo in the naughty corner last night???
what were you all drinking?

[mutters under breath] honestly, leave those Fledglings alone for one evening by themselves ..

Carpe its on her foot, a few tasty flowers, nothing too awful, I suppose! It was for her 18th birthday present from her fiance. She has been on about having one for years and I suppose we always set ourselves up for it by saying that when she was 18 we would not have a say in what she does.

My irrational fear is that she will want more and more. I don't particular have too much of a problem with what she has now, as long as that is as far as it goes. I had a friend who seemed to become obsessed with having tattoos and piercings all over herself and it looks absolutely awful and I can't see why people think that looks ok. Its the same with piercings. DD2 had tongue and under her lip pierced (although saying that has made me realise that I have not actually seen her tongue piercing since she has been here this weekend, so maybe she has taken it out, I will investigate that one!) I was always worried she would have a face like a sieve!!

Hope that answers your questions.

Ta da :

DS1's geography homework done

To do :

Maths, History and Citizenship homework

Have just woken up. Off to sheffield and then seeing a friend later. flying? what flying?

Toffee at homework for ds1! I thought that was the point of home edding! No homework. But presumably the online learning has loads of other pluses? Sorry if I haven't been reading properly - I am hoping to PM you soon, but so much going on here [atm they are all arguing about BO, bike purchase, where dd's party is, why dh was rude at lunch (okay that was me arguing) and latest trick is for ds2 to put Abba on record player at 45 speed

Endocrine Doctor said my thyroid was now overactive , so reducing dose. But she has also said I am showing signs of depression and has referred me to a pysch. That is really the last straw, now feeling distinctly tearful...Hopefully may be due to too omuch thryroxine [ever hopeful that someone else is to blame and not ME!)

PA foot tattoo sounds lovely, but body piercing UGGGHH. Although I feel almost the same about high heels when I hear how they deform people's feet.
Give dd4 a hug.
I saw a woman at the end of her tether with her toddlers at the swimming pool yest (this was in the cafe bit not even the changing room or the pool) and I felt this extraordinary surge of sympathy for her, and this horrifying sense of how she was handling the situation COMPLETELY WRONG. I intervened when she started slapping her little girl, but poor poor woman she was at the end of her tether, and she clearly thought everyone was judging her for her child's misbehaviour, ironically we were much more likely to judge her for screaming and telling her child off. I hope she has a better day today. She just went from zero to 10 in the course of one misdemeanour. And it is a posh leisure club, so it wasn't to do with deprivation or ignorance, just....Who Knows? We've all been there.

Can you tell I'm pondering parenting skills today? [plucks rueful parenting skills from a magical hindsight parenting tree]

todo
Now I'm going to clean out the car.

done
morning of music school, garden watching and kitten enjoyment, and of
course aggro

Hi all! Finally we are all well again and I've caught up with the house and flying.

I had a bit of a meltdown in the week with regard to the house. I was beginning to see progress but I think I was in denial because in reality it's still hugely cluttered and dirty.

So although DH is away this weekend and I am off out tonight, the boys and I got up early and have cracked on with 6!! Hours of jobs.

So am knackered now but will treat us all to a McDonald's for tea.

sc we didn't go to Margate on hol but the slightly warmer Malaga, still no idea how we caught the bug but thank goodness it has passed now.

Well off to have a shower and some pampering before tonight.

Hi to all :)

I don't have a smartphone likelucklove so no scanning here, just endless reading of packets and weighing of ingredients!

have a good night out nicknacks

wisteria I can listen to FL on youtube?!

Hope everyone had a good date night last night.

Have managed a huge (for me) ta da list today.....

cleaned out filthy drains in bathroom (was really gross)
gave shower and toilet a proper clean
cleaned out all bathroom cupboards, decluttered and everything back neatly
hoovered upstairs and down
washing-up x2
day 2 of shred
clean downstairs toilet
3 lots of washing (2 dried)

and even managed time for a face mask and episode of revenge

It is absolutely bucketing it down here. Were going to be heading down to Ils cravan tomorrow for Father's Day if the sun was out, but we may be hiding indoors instead (nothing worse than caravan+FIL+torrential downpour )

am now going to reward myself with a beer

Evening all,

Good start today, DH went to work, I got up, took in the Ocado order, got washing done and on the line, baled cakes, all very nice. It all went downhill when we had to get ready for swimming, DD just wouldn't get dresses, kept faffing about with tights, I ended up shouting and threatening (being late for things is my main flashpoint), then just as we were heading out the door, DS, who had been watching telly for half an hour suddenly said he wanted to take his diary with him but had no idea where it was. I told him no we had to go, he had a huge meltdown, the were both wailing in the car with me yelling at them to stop it. So, swimming wasn't great. All ok afterwards, DD and I iced the cakes and made a hat for her to take to a belated Jubilee party this afternoon. Had a nice time just mooching with DS while she was out, then bumped into a friend I hadn't seen for ages at pickup time.

Swan - I didn't actually slap either of mine, but I know just how the woman you saw felt, sometime I just snap and start yelling over the straw that broke the camel's back. Sorry to hear about the thyroid / depression stuff, I'm sure that was not what you needed to hear but at least they are taking steps to help you.

PA - arf at the coil, I though you used to be in that line of business? I agree with you re tattoos, I don't like them, even though I can see that some are beautiful, I've never seen one I actually like IYSWIM. I have a fear that the DCs will ruin their skin with impulsive tattoos when they are older.

Toffee - glad you had a good night out last night.

Flying wise - managed 3 loads of washing, it was so windy it was hard to peg it out on the line, plus change the sheets on our bed and tidy DS's bedroom. So, not too bad.

Body clutter - not so good. This week has definitely been a breaking myself in gently week as it is a couple of months at least since I last made any effort. Since that time, I have bought a set of digital kitchen scales and I am using them to work out exact amounts of what I am eating, which is useful. For example put the open jar of peanut butter on the scales, zero them, put peanut butter on toast and re-weigh the jar, the minus number shows the amount used. It's rather depressing!

Swan - if you are depressed, it is not your fault! You have plenty on your plate and you cope brilliantly with it, so stop berating yourself.

DS1 finished a second piece of hwk with the help of DH and it went so astonishingly well that I suggested DH take over more often.

Why did that happen? I hadn't finished .

Anyway, we are having Border Collie issues at the moment because DS1 is distraught that we have suggested a BC might not be the right dog for us. He still has his heart set on one.

Managed a crisis clean today, before a friend came round for coffee.

Washing still in the machine. A bit too late to put on the line now....

Bathtime for the boys...

I achieved my to do list and am now heading for the early night babystep. Perhap tomo I will wake up with some energy to do some flying?

Bleurgh.

I was doing so well with calories, and then a couple of glass es of wine jumped out of the bottle and forced themselves between my lips.

85 calories per glass!

Sorry, just dashing through again so no personals. Apologies. I hate getting behind with how everyone is doing.

Veg shopping, ballet, out for lunch at local cafe. Then friends came (unplanned) and one of them is still here watching end of footy/endless footy analysis with dh. DD seemed to find new and interesting ways of winding me up throughout. Not sure I'll be able to do much on here tomorrow either because we have big church event then we are entertaining again (planned this time, well by dh anyway) but will do my best. Other spare moments spent supervising dd's revision. Will catch up Mon if not before.

Very sorry to hear some of you are going through stressful times though x

Tomorrow's baby-step, number 17, for Sun 17th is the specific bed-time one that some of us struggle with

No zones or missions because it is the weekend.

Sunday is renew your spirit day Try and ring-fence 1 hour (or even 30 mins) for yourself.

For those of you wanting to get ahead, next week we will be starting in Zone 4: The Master Bedroom (June 18-24). More zone info here

Had better dash. Huge wing flaps to one and all and apologies again for lack of round-up.

***

Dh and dd are camping the garden a impulse purchase in Morrisons (they have a lot to answer for not I may say with my excellent PROPER tent but a nasty popup flyby night creature which I think has only 3 guy ropes

ds2 and I have been cuddled up on sofa reading Percy Jackson 4, and there is a slightly festive atmosphere; it must be the imminent rain.

Felt rubbish this evening, keep arguing with dh, but I think he has now behaved in saintly fashion by sleeping in tent..so maybe tomorrow better. We have done
music
football
tennis
swimming
tennis
party

and more football!!!on telly unfortunately

Toffee if he is anything like my ds2 in terms of getting fixated, his heart will probably melt if you get different puppy of whatever breed. I think they can get very "determined" but it is partly because when you are that age you don't see the alternatives. Or a crossbreed with some collie? He after all does not know or understand all the implications of a very lively collie, so it is probably not worth trying to reason with him over it, but provide a distracting alternative asap? At the moment a collie is what he knows best, but you are the one who is going to be walking the dog!!!!

Just a quickie

No major flying done, like cleans or decluttering just the basics, but lots if shopping and walking. Was out most of the day so not much to tidy so I think.

Will most probably be the same for tomorrow but will come in to report my weighing - dreading it already!

Have a lovely weekend

Whoknows - It is very much a case of "do as I tell you, not as I do" Yes I used to put the bloomin things in, but in those situations my legs were firmly closed and it was my hands up someone else's fanjo. When its mine, its a bit an awful lot different!!

SO, huge plans to blitz the house like a decluttering whizz yesterday. Instead my oldest best friend from primary school appeared and I got absolutely zilch done. Plan B is to do it this afternoon. Really must, so if you see me on here give me a kick up the bum and shame me into doing what I am supposed to be doing.