Fledglings Fly into July!

[BlueEyeshadow]

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

A huge "thank you" to SanguineChompa for leading us throughout June!!

If your 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 wine 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.

All welcome!!

Apologies for starting the thread so late - it took SC lobbing the duster at me to make me remember it's July tomorrow (and I've blatantly cut and pasted her OP too)!

The first baby step is to shine your sink! See here for the Fat Fairy's tutorial...

No mission because it's Sunday. But here's the flight plan for established flyers

Oh I love York races. Have a good day.

Ok so I've sent DH to cook me a sausage sandwich and I'm lazing in bed on phone.

To do list today

• wrap mums present and take it over this afternoon.
• dd to dancing
• dd to fun day at dancing
• 2 loads of washing at least
• tidy paperwork mountain in kitchen
• paperwork shredding
• declutter bedroom floor
• slow cook a ham joint for ham sandwiches for family day tomorrow
• start decluttering wardrobe
• find copy of cv to update to send to new agency

I'm sure there is more but that will do for now. Have a good day everyone.

morning all! loved the opening ceremony last night, but feeling very sleepy this morning.

should make a to do list but feeling far too dozy. ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Fell asleep before the flame-lighting bit last night , but watched it this morning - lovely.

Up early. Walked the dog on the Downs (am really loving these walks). Washed up. Tidied kitchen. Did breakfasts and fed dog.

DH has taken DS2 out for the day, partly to get him away from the dog. He still won't be in the same room as her and holds the door shut if she tries to get in . Don't know what we are going to do about this. The rest of us are thoroughly enjoying having her here - she's such a sweet, affectionate, easy dog.

lauren - hope you have a good day at the Races.

And hope everyone else has a good Saturday too. Am now off to read a book I bought for DS's home ed - am thoroughly enjoying myself doing the preliminary reading. Anyone read 'Master Cornhill' by Eloise Jarvis McGraw? It's a story set just before and during the Great Fire of London. Am hoping it will be a good way of getting DS1 interested in Tudor times...

Just got home, feeling a bit sad that our holiday is over, but it is great that it only took 2 hours to get back and the sun is still shining. Lots of washing and unpacking to do but need to pop to the shops first and then maybe catch up with the Olympics (we've had no telly).

Toffee - I will make a not of that book, DS has been doing the Tudors at school, and he was quite interested in the Great Fire of London when they studied that, might be one I could read to him anything to get us off Horrid Bloody Henry

Afternoon all! Currently sat on the beach! Tis a bit breezy and alternating from brilliant sunshine to spots of rain but we are being very British and sticking it out.

Like many, am tired this morning due to watching Olympics but to be fair I really enjoyed it!

bitchy fabulous progress on decluttering

lauren rnjoy the races

whoknows i hate having to come home from holiday.

Better go. If anyone is actually interested i will post steps in a sec.

Walking zombie today but have 2 jobs to do:
1 load of washing
clear dinning room table
then i am going out for the rest of the day.

For what it's worth... the babystep today is to look after yourself, drink plenty of water and eat regular meals. I just had burger and chips for lunch after no breakfast with coke. Whoops.

And an ice cream

Well ellie I had a sausage sandwich for brekkie and an ice cream for lunch. Does that count

I am exhausted after late night and 2 hours at fun day but DD has enjoyed it and I conned DH out of some money before he left (I figured if he wants to play cricket he needs to fund our fun day) so DD has had loads of fun on giant slide, go karts, dancing and throwing sponges at her dance teacher. My feet are now killing me though.

I've revised my list as I expected to be home a few hours ago and I'm due at mums in just over an hour so I'm going for a load of washing and to attack the bathrooms. Anything else is a bonus

Back later - Hope you are all having quality family time.

WhoKnows - the book is available secondhand here. Am still really enjoying it .

ellie and Mc - sounds like you are both making the most of the holidays

bitchy - hope your day went well.

DH gave DS2 a lovely day out at the seaside. DS1 and I have been meeting fellow dog walkers on the Downs. It's very sociable out there in the dog-walking world. Have just been for a once-round-the-block walk with the dog before bedtime and am about to tuck her and DS1 up in bed (not literally together, but she will probably end up on his bed).

MIL coming for lunch tomorrow, so will have to do a quick crisis clean before she comes.

Night all.

I failed at the babystep

I went training. I now hurt a lot. And will look like an egyption mummy once I have had a hot soak and then sorted all the injuries out. Soooooo much pain. Moving tomo might be optional. Luckily there is absolutely nothing that I have to do. So i will sleep as long as I can and then do as little as I can.

hope you have all had good days and are sleeping peacefully. Night.

Hope you slept well, Bitchy, and that your aches aren't as bad as you expect.

Have come down to a very messy kitchen with all last night's washing up still there. I am failing daily at the 'shine your sink' step before bed. I'm just so tired by the evening that I can't face sorting through all the washing up too. Do the rest of you clear up your kitchen every night like we're supposed to? I will try harder.

Anyway, the dog has been walked (not by me this morning) and everyone has been fed. Am now off to sort the kitchen out, then tidy up the house before MIL comes round for Sunday lunch.

Hope you all have a good day.

Holiday dog is not eating . I'm worried about her. She won't eat the Baker dried food that her owners have left for her, although she does seem to like the scraps of meat we give her. However, she has eaten a thing since last night. Is she pining or does she just hate this dried food (dogs hate biscuits, in my experience)?

Toffee it's always more worrying when it's not your own - dog or child! Did the owners explain how they feed the dry stuff? Many dogs like it moistened but if you do that for mine she just looks at it sorrowfully as if to say 'you've ruined it!' She likes hers dry. Maybe you gave her a bit much yesterday and she's not really hungry. Good luck.

Well, the world is a better place because of the weather - neither pissing down with rain nor so humid I'm like a wet rag. So am actually getting stuff done - and boy does this place need it after the past week's humidity-induced inertia! Off now to strim round the piles of builders' stuff all over my ex-lawn.

BBL

Honu - no, the owners didn't say, but a friend recommended I moisten it for her. She seemed to hate this even more. She did polish off DS2's lamb, roast potatoes and broccoli for dinner last night, so maybe she's still full up. I gave her some cooked bacon in the end this morning and she polished that up very happily. She's only little - maybe I'm expecting her to eat more than she can manage.

Glad you are enjoying the good weather and getting stuff done.

I have sorted the kitchen out and DH has brought back shopping and stuck a chicken in the oven for lunch. Just off to get myself dressed, then do a quick tidy up in the sitting room before MIL arrives. DS2 is having a big strop and has climbed into a box in the garden to sulk.

Toffee - I think the dog knows you are a soft touch and is holding out for your delicious meals rather than the boring dog food!

Well, update from here. I am now doing all the bedsheets on a 3 day rota. We sweat so much at night that 3 days and they need changing, so every day I am handwashing one set. At least things dry really quickly here. I put them on the line dripping wet because I am absolutely crap at the wringing like the natives do it and within a few hours they are bone dry. Also, one of our washing lines is under our veranda (oh, that sounds so posh, but believe me, its incredibly basic!), so even when a monsoon hits it still dries. Bingo!
We have found a lovely man who is willing to be our "driver" whenever we need one. Again, that sounds so posh, but it really isn't. The Tuk-tuks we use are really fun though.

Mucho excitement today. I managed to buy us each a Kitkat for a pudding! Oh heaven!!! Although I must admit, I did think I would enjoy it more than I did. SHock Horror, I do believe I might be able to survive without chocolate after all!

We have just had to do some moving of furniture for DS. Last night he woke us shouting in the night that there was something in his room. We assured him that he had had a night mare and sent him back to bed terrible parenting this evening (nearly 8pm here now) he was screaming upstairs in his room and we discovered him cornered on his bed with a rat running around merrily in his room! He has decided to sleep downstairs tonight. Now, my dilemma is that our room is next door to his and as the "wall" between is is just a partition that does not reach to the floor by about 6" and is another 6" from the ceiling Mr Rat does not need to be into limbo dancing to be able to run around with us tonight! I don't think i will be sleeping much tonight!

Who knows i am glad your holiday on the island lived up to expectations again.

Hi to everyone here. Sorry for the lack of personals.

really PA you are totally selling your experience atm. Rats, crippling heat... Glad you are enjoying yourself but i wouldn't want to swap

It appears I have aggreivated some old injuries. So a few days of complete rest needed. Thankfully i have a mountain of paperwork and some crafting projects I can do. Ds is away for a few more days. So for me it is going to be a quiet end of the month. Will set up the new thread closer to the first.

PA - I really hope you are keeping a diary of your experiences and I'm glad I'm not sharing them!. It sounds like a book in the making.

You are so right about the dog. She has happily licked our lunch plates clean and polished off bits of cold roast chicken. The dog biscuits remain untouched.

DS2 is being awful. Even MIL's patience is wearing thin with him...

Bitchy - sorry about the old injuries . Thank goodness your DS is away at the moment and you can rest a bit.

Helloooooo!!!

Another one that has definitely failed at that baby-step!! Eaten far too much today ....

Just passing through again ...watched Olympic opening ceremony in France with collection of different nationalities who enjoyed it but were somewhat bemused at times. Tried to persuade dd to go to bed before parade of athletes but she was determined to stay up for UK athletes and because she had heard the Tardis and thought Dr Who- was going to light the cauldron and she battled through A to T but fell asleep around V never to be woken again and so, after all that, totally missed the British team!! She woke up the next morning very cross indeed ...

Hope you are all enjoying the holidays ...

Lauren at your day at the races - hope it was a fab one!!

Really jealous - especially as BBC coverage of dressage completely crap (surely there are more horse-riders in UK than there are canoeists and archers????)

PA at rat!!!! Hope you are all OK and that your tetanus injections are up to date!!!

Yes couldn't agree more about the weather Honu at last - something to work with

Glad holiday dog ok Toffee - was obviously missing a china plate and a knife and fork

[hands over heat embrocation to Witchy]

Enjoy the beach Ellie!!

Transition from holiday mode back to reality is always a difficult one Whoknows Hope you are surviving!

Sorry no more personals. Still trying to sort out tricky travel arrangements here - complicated by dh and office - don't know whether I am coming or going as usual ....hopefully can watch eventing tomorrow ... if the Beeb obliges that is ...harrumph

Hope sunburn easing MC

Huge waves to Nicknacks Feetheart Trazzletoes Carpe Swan Linzer and everyone else I've missed...

Toffee, the rule I have heard wrt to dogs is Never let them lick off your plate or feed them directly from your plate. It encourages begging. If the dog is to have left overs it is to be given at an occasion seperate to meal time (eg 30mins after) and in their food bowl.

Am afraid to say though, I don't think ds2' behaviour is going to improve unless you deal with the dog fear. I don't think that he is just going to get over the fear with a dog being in his space and it is possible he is acting up due to feeling pushed out and needing to get some attention. Sorry. It's hard balancing everyone's needs.

SC i know several adults who did the same thing wrt olympics. It was very late.

Injuries happen. Need to reassess training approach. New coach is helping so it is a case of looking at my attitude. And how I deal with minor niggles ie treat and care rather then ignore and damage further

Hi just scan read but sc if you have sky the bbc have made extra channels for the Olympics. Mine are in the sport section and they work even though I don't have that sports package! I know things are different where you are but could be worth a look if you have similar! Races were fantastic

BB tomorrow with a proper catch up and updates!

Body clutter- I lost 3 pounds according to my daily weight tracker I use- but for some reason that weight is already on MFP so no actual loss IYSWIM!

Off to undo it all with an Indian before bed

Bitchy - I know, but it's hard to tell if it's to do with the dog fear or whether he's just being a little bugger . Even MIL (for whom he can usually do no wrong) thought he was exaggerating his fear of the dog. There is a lot of sibling rivalry going on here at the moment and DS2 very perceptively sees the dog as something to help DS1 and not for him. This dog is the gentlest, sweetest, least boisterous dog you could imagine, so if he can't overcome his fear with her, I don't know what we'll do...

Thanks for the tips on discouraging begging. I am being careful to give the dog her food separately and we haven't fed her from the table, but I must say she is a master begger .

SC - must have been interesting to watch the Olympic ceremony with all those different nationalities and see their varying reactions. You are right about the dog needing a china plate (he's just eaten more of our roast chicken).

lauren - how were the races? (Sorry if I've missed a post from you about that already).

Roast dinner and trimmings went down well with everyone (especially the dog). Did washing up. Spent quite a while playing with Lego with DS2 - maybe this did the trick, because he started playing alone quite happily after this. Remembered to 'descriptively praise' his quiet, independent playing instead of running off at the first sign of freedom. Read my book . Played card game with DH ('Monarchy' - am going to play it with DS1 as part of his home ed. Embarrassingly, it took us ages to understand how to play it, but it turned out I'd missed out a line in the instructions).

Now drinking and cooking dinner.

Evening all

toffee I think the attention is what ds2 needs too and mil might be right about amount of fear. I hope it gets better.

SC I hope your holiday plans get sorted soon too and bitchy I hope that your injuries get better and that you take advice and rest.

Ok had a lovely family day today. We went geocaching in Sherwood Forest and had a great time. My legs and feet really hurt though. no flying again though, although I have just put a load of washing on.

Mil has asked if she can take dd to their caravan Tues to Thurs so looks like I might get some me time and some time to have a good sort out around the house. I've also requested some quality time with DH as recently we have been so stressed that we only seem to argue.

Tomorrow DH is at a funeral, dd is at dance camp and I am planning lots of jobs that need doing so apologies if I post loads tomorrow to keep me on track.

Ok off to make a lovely ham sandwich with my slow cooked ham from yesterday and I think I might treat myself to a gin and tonic. Have a good evening.

Body clutter - have stayed the same this week - not a bad achievement given visit to MIL's!!

Have done v little flying, or anything else much today. Diet starts again tomorrow...

Waves to all, hope you've had a good weekend and are enjoying/avoiding the Olympics according to preference.