Fledgling Flyers Olympic August thread.

[BitchyDragons]

Ok so not the wittiest of titles but this month we have the Olympics, holidays, return of football season and heading into the new school year. It's going to be a busy one...

Firstly thanks to Blue and Ellie who kept us on track last month!

Right, most of you should know how this works. It's a three pronged attack.
Phase one: The babysteps master these and you will be working like clockwork.
Phase two: Adding in Decluttering this will help you keep on top of the amount of stuff contributing to CHAOS.
Phase three: Missions Targeted activities to keep the chaos at bay and starting the deep cleaning.

The golden duster of Flying is stage 4: deep cleaning. This is for most, unrealistic and should only be considered once you have completely decluttered. PA might achieve this simply by virtue of some extreme life decluttering. Although I probably won't recommend her method.

Now for those of you who are completely lost, lets rewind a bit.
CHAOS: Can't have anyone over syndrome. Yep you know that state where you are embarrassed to have play dates fucking hate that phrase or people pop in unexpectedly.
The fly lady approach works by breaking the house down into tiny activities which you do repeatedly yep sounds bad written like that but bare with me and then build up into a routine that becomes habit and you stop thinking about it no really, you do.

Clearer? Yeah ok. I have probably lost you but there is loads of support and help on this thread. If you are confused then ask. However, as this thread starts on the 1st on August I refuse to post the first babystep until later today.

This thread comes with a warning: For those of you who have not yet encountered my leadership of the thread. Be afraid, very afraid aware that I have a rather unorthodox approach and that things can get a tad unpredictable. Starting with a namechange. So who?s on board this month?

Oh and spot markers can help themselves to a magic eraser and ensure there are no marks on the thread for the start of the month. Let?s start as we mean to go on

Thanks Bitchy and Toffee. I did the sink shine thing, which was great- I have a lovely looking sink! Then looked at the other babysteps for the next couple of days and they just look weird! Can I miss out some odd ones? That crisis clean looks brill though, I may do that, then we are away for a week, then I need to get DS ready for school, so this can be part of my new child at big school/ me at work/toddler at home routine!

Hi Cakebot. We all agree with you that some of the babysteps are just weird! There are quite a few we all ignore. However, mixed in with those are several really good ones, so it's worth sticking with it. And yes, we all miss out the weird ones. Bitchy wrote a really helpful piece at the start of this thread about getting ready for school, which I'm going to use to prepare for the new term.

Incidentally, I agree with Bitchy that moving the bedtime forward by 15 minutes every night from a week before school starts is the most useful part of all that advice. Otherwise, if your DC have fallen into holiday, going-to-bed later, mode, you will have to drag them out of bed tired and unwilling on their first day back at school.

Decided today to wash the couple of pairs of curtains we actually have up at our windows and it promptly lashed it down just as I was about to put them out!

Been sorting out our bed linen mountain and putting to one side some bits we don't use to go to the charity shop. I did wonder if there could be a refuge locally that might be grateful of them but not sure if they accept donations.

Need to get some vacuum bags to put our extra duvets/sleeping bags in but bought a couple of plastic crates to start storing my sewing bits in.

Thanks everyone, now, off to clean the sink and put a wash on! I have a feeling I will be labelling clothes and hemming trousers the night before we go back to school, so I'll set aside a day to do it. What do we do? List what we are doing for the next day?

Hi cake you sound like you've got off to a flying start (sorry, ). You can post a list now, or in the morning or not at all whichever works for you. I tend to do a bit of both depending on where I'm up to.

Sorry you're not feeling any better toffee hopefully the abs will magically kick in overnight.

dizzy I get disproportionately annoyed by bed linen myself. In fact there's a clean pile lurking in the corner of the bedroom at the moment.

Hope you're feeling better bitchy bit wheezy myself tonight but I think mine is bleach induced.

Ta da
Routines
Washing x 3
Spot hoover living room
10 mins decluttering in bathroom
Detail clean bathroom floor and skirting
30 mins toy decluttering
To do tomorrow
Routines
Pay barclaycard
Washing x 2
Decide on and procure some files or similar for paperwork (any ideas much appreciated)
(Maybe box of doom if I'm feeling brave)

Tired wave to everyone I've missed. Night all

Cakebot - some of us post a 'to do' list each day (as well as a 'ta da' list to cheer ourselves up later), but it's by no means mandatory. I think it just makes us feel as if we've achieved something - plus, knowing we have to report back here gives us a much-needed kick up the backside. The main thing is to establish a routine and stick to it, regardless of whether you report here or not. This thread is great for moral support though.

dizzy - well done on all that decluttering and organising .

Feeling a bit better tonight. Had a bath and washed my hair, which made me feel more normal. Still can't drink wine. DH poured me half a glass and I had to tip it down the sink.

Have to get up and be normal tomorrow. Have promised to make cakes with DS2 and need to take the dog and boys for a long walk. Then we are all going out.

Night all.

Just missed you, PMPY. Funnily enough, I think the pills are working at last (see above). Hope your wheeziness settles down soon.

Evening all (or morning I guess ).

Finally finished the 2 undercoats on all 3 doors and door frames at 10.30 pm. Soooooo tired, and my wrist is throbbing! If I'd known it was going to take this long I would have tackled one door at a time. Oh well, it's getting done I guess.

Taking a day off from it tomorrow. Out with the DSs and a friend and her DSs tomorrow morning, and some much needed tidying up in the afternoon. 2 days concentrating on painting and the house has deteriorated badly!!! Tried to avoid touching anything with paint covered hands, and at least its shown me that I DO get things done during the day, because it doesn't normally get this bad this fast!!!

Off to bed now, sleep well everyone!

Woken up by huge coughing fit. DH kindly suggested that maybe it would pass if I got up and buggered off downstairs, leaving him to get back to sleep so here I am, drinking honey and lemon tea and waiting... It's an opportunity to browse active threads at any rate.

Oh no! A friend is coming round later. I have til 1 to make the place clean.

To Do
Crisis cleaning

Morning all.

Hope you did manage to get some more rest & that today goes well, Toffee.

We've had a good couple of days - had a beautiful day at Lyme Regis on Tues (apart from me stepping on the only bee on the beach. Ouch!) And the boys had a whale of a time paddling, digging, clambering over the Cobb etc. Yesterday we went to the East Somerset Railway in the afternoon where they had a "driver for a fiver" thing so DH got to drive us all in a steam engine.

Bodyclutter not going too well though - trying to be careful but mum keeps producing yummy puddings. She made scones last night & there's clotted cream in the fridge...

Also been watching her cleaning routines & might have to adopt some...

Anyway, waves to all - on the bar.

DS woke at 10.30pm and screamed blue murder until midnight. Fully conscious so not night terrors. He'd appear to go back to sleep, we'd bugger off and he'd start screaming again. I need so badly just to function today!

Ended up sleeping with him just so we all got sleep, so I now have a full set of bruises as he's a very wriggly sleeper.

Going to take him to soft play today to let him run himself ragged, as I suspect half the issue is that (due to thick fog) we haven't really been out of the house for the last few days so his brain isn't shattered.

Flying is therefore on hold for today.

Morning all, just a list dump! I didn't clean bathroom or bath dogs last night so they will be on today's list! I'm caught up on paperwork now though

toffee I bath the little dog in the sink to save water, and bigger dog goes in the bath with the shower on I find it hard to rinse shampoo off in the bath otherwise! If you are bathing your dog prepare to get wet

To do:
DD and mindees to library
Clean bathroom
Today's mission
Wash bath mats and hand towels
Routines
Walk dogs
Bath dogs

BBL!

lauren - I think the DC would love it if we bathed the dog, water and all . I know I have become terribly attached to her now because I keep buying her doggy toys and have started buying her lovely dog food in stead of the dry stuff that the owners left for her, which she hated. Actually, we have all fallen for her. She's just.... lovely. Always happy to see us, very affectionate and gentle, but loves to play too. Will be so sad when she goes home.

Do I need to buy special dog shampoo or can I use the DC's shampoo?

carpe - what a dreadful night! I hope you manage to get through today ok. I agree with you that flying has to go on hold on days like this.

Blue - thanks for your good wishes. Sounds like you are having a great holiday. We have had some very happy holidays in Lyme Regis, although that is also where DS1 (8 or 9 at the time) lost us on the beach and had to be brought back to us by the coast guard. That was 15 minutes I'd rather not live again.

MsOnatopp - you can do it! Hope you have a good time with your friend.

ChitChat - enjoy your day out today and your break from all that painting.

Have to get up and act normal today .

OK. The list to give me a kick up the butt may work
Ta da!
Emptied dishwasher
done kitchen surfaces
Cleaned hob
Folded dry washing
To Do:
10 minutes in office area
Mop dining room floor
change sheets

Can I just ask- my kids are sat in front of the telly while I do this (cleaning, not just MN ing!)- normal? I am taking them to the park later, so will spend time with them, but it just seems they have their breakfast and then I leave them on their own while I do the chores. They are 4 and 1.

Cakebot - as I type, DS1 (12) is playing Minecraft online and DS2 (6) is watching telly. And I'm still in bed, so I don't even have the excuse that I'm cleaning . but it is the holidays, so I feel no shame. To be honest, I could rarely get any cleaning done without putting the telly on for them when they were younger. As you say, they are going to the park later, so they will get lots of exercise. And you will be happy knowing that you're coming back to a house where you've done your morning chores.

Cakebot DS (22mo) plays on his own or follows me round and "helps" with a little brush and duster (getting him trained early ) and we often break off for a bit of tickling or finger sucking with the hoover.

Tv is on, but usually on something like the TV news channel or sport, so he's learning to ignore it - although he does get to watch certain things like numtums. This also applies when I do my WAH job.

Yes I've just had 1 year old 'helping' change the beds by jumping into the sheets! Suppose I feel a bit guilty because during term time they have structured activities, either school or playgroup at least some time during the day. I suppose I'm not on the moon, I'm in the next room if they want me- they're always in and out.

Sorry these are a bit late:

Thursday is errand day
Babystep 16
Missions

Was tired early last night so just went to bed and didnt post the steps, assumed I woul wake up at stupid o'clock but slept through and not long been up [shocked]

Cake Imo children benefit from not having structured activities all the time. It is something I encourage greatly in ds. A bit of healthy neglect in this way does them no harm and will often keep you sane. Good luck with your list, just remember to keep it realistic. It is always better to start with a short list and add extra and feel good about it then to start with a long list you will never achieve and feel bad about it.

Hurray - so glad you slept, Bitchy .

Have discovered an ant invasion in DS2's bedroom, so now have to pull his toy storage away from the wall and follow the trail. I suppose I can count this as a room rescue .

Back from soft play with a slightly tired DS who is now watching Cloud Babies with obvious signs of enjoyment

Anyhow, can I derail things away from cleaning as I'm a bit scared to post in the open forums, but can someone talk to me about kids with behavioural difficulties? I ask because there was a child (Z) at the soft play. Now, I deliberately didn't hoick judgey pants up, as I'm now more aware of things but the scenario was as follows:

There is a spinning pole with a seat which the kids sit on and spin. It's only large enough for one at a time. Z decided he wanted to go on it, and pulled the child on it so that the child fell off. Child then tried to get on again, and Z sat on his head. Cue tears from much younger child. Mum of Z didn't do anything (as I would have done if my DS had been the culprit) but instead tried to coax Z out with promises of jam on his toast.

Z's friend (Y) and his mum arrived. Z & Y promptly fell out, and Z jumped on Y from a high point in the soft play area, and then punched him. This is in full view of both mums. Y's mum was but Z's mum only asked Z to come out and tell her what had happened despite watching the whole thing and not intervening (as I would have done if it was DS!).

So, previously I would have assumed that Z was just a naughty kid with a mum who doesn't "do" discipline/teaching of right and wrong.

Now, I wonder if Z has special needs (is that the phrase used now? I'm not sure what term is used, so apologies if this is an offensive term) and thus his mum was not intervening deliberately? Or alternatively, Z does have special needs but he also has mum that is a useless at discipline?

Answers on a postcard to...

Right, end of derailment!

Could be sn could be but 'they're only young parenting' style. It's hard to say without knowing from the inside. you have insufficent information to come to a conclusion either way imo. Sorry.

Fair enough. Was just curious and it got my brain thinking which is an event in its own right! about discipline maybe being different for kids with different needs IYSWIM. Certainly, the discipline style was very different from my own style.