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

At the minute we don't need to be anywhere in particular, but in less than two weeks DS starts Reception, so we'll need to leave the house by 8.45 at the latest. We weren't doing very well at that while he was at nursery.
DD is coming up for 1, and needs to be fed, have breakfast and get changed as well as getting DS ready, who has been learning procrastination from a pro unfortunately. He wants packed lunches too.
I've a plan, ahem, to make up the weeks sandwiches to freeze, so I only have to get one out the freezer and pop it in his lunchbox with a babybel, apple etc. in the morning.
I used to try getting up earlier than him, but he'd just wake up earlier.
He's not too bad now actually, but I'm still up at least twice with DD so I've been loathe to get up til I have to.

I'd have a whole load of finger type food that dd can munch in the buggy that is prepped and can be grabbed if you run late.

Am on holiday at my Mum's house. Had a lovely day with family - long lunch, followed by a walk along the beach with the boys and the dog. Dogs and children are designed to go together, I think. They had such fun together.

Am just off to bed, so apologies for lack of personals.

I've never got up byefore the DCs on a regular basis but I do get everything ready for school and work the night before and we have not been late for school once in 4 years. Just get up in plenty off time, have a strict routine and tolerate no deviation from it, also we always aim to leave at 8.30 although we could get away with 8.40. I make all our sandwiches the night before and pop insnacks in the morning.

Well, successful day I think, even though the DCs did mainly entertain themselves...

Cleaner appeared to take on board the list of what I hope we will tackle between us every week, and today a far more obvious effort was made, so hopefully it'll works out better and DH and I wont row about having a cleaner.

ta da

Bedroom surfaces
Decluttering here for 15
Uncover kitchen (currently whole room appears to be hotspot )
Shop for squash
Missions from mon & tue
Make tiffin with dd1
Call dr re the jabs (she can have them tomorrow, am dreading this as she will screeeeeaaaaammm that place down!)
chase up fridge delivery, fridge is AWOL, have to call shop again tomorrow, grrr

iwipearses good question, I find it completely erratic too and as DD1 starts pre school soon, was thinking I'll end up waking at dawn to do stuff, but the youngest one is still a dodgy sleeper so not a plan I relish as I function v badly on about 4 hrs sleep. So, nicknacks this is exactly the sort of practical advice we need to apply this end, thanks!

Morning!

I guess a successful morning routine relies on a successful evening routine.
I'm going to 'set' bedtime routine, it's been somewhat haywire and order the morning precisely and see how much deviation is actually necessary when I know what I'm supposed to be doing!
Bitchy, I don't really use the buggy, I use baby carriers the majority of the time now. If I can come up with something blw for breakfast she'll eat without dropping most of it I can be getting lunchbox finished and shoes on while she's eating I guess.

Does everyone swish and swipe in the morning?

ta da
morning routineish
dry laundry folded
work on kitchen
washing in
check filo
drink coffee

to do
decluttering bedroom
sorting craft stuff
stain remove polo shirts
order contacts
order name labels
leave house - shops? park?
lunch
friend collecting items after 2

Morning all

Bit of a failed morning. DS's skin condition wasn't improving so BACK to the GPs. They've ruled out anything contagious fortunately, so I can reassure the school that they're not about to suffer some sort of outbreak (if it hasn't cleared up by then!). Poor DS, his stomach looks pretty bad, but it's not bothering him thankfully.

To do:
crisis clean
drop DC off at friend's house
continue with crisis clean

Completely giving up on routines until the DSs are back at school and nursery, and I (hopefully) have the house under control. Would dearly love to reach a level 2 in all the rooms.

Morning.

Arses - nope swish and swipe is not part of my morning routine.

Chitchat - my rountines have fallen apart this month what little I have consistently

Today I have a thumping headache. Was really tired early last night but couldn't sleep. Migraine is threatening. So going to take some meds and hope it doesn't appear anymore then it has.

To do
Glasses for ds
finish putting ds' holiday stuff away
finish sorting the stone collection
Wash ds' training stuff
Take ds to training.

Ellie hope your kids did ok there will be here later for you. Good luck.

Morning all! A bit late I know but today's to do:

Mission
Routines
library with DD and mindees
Paperwork
Clean hob

I've had a phone call this morning confirming I have the new mindees that visited yesterday so I'm very smiley as I'm almost completely full now!

BBL

So tired today. The boys are apparently determined to kill themselves or each other. Is it supposed to be like this?? [self-pity]

Hi! My mum has taken DD for an hour to see her before she goes to new York. As of tomorrow I will have 2 houses 5 dogs work and DD to take care of for 10 days. And I know I won't be able to deal with my mums house how it is so will be cleaning lots so tonight I am going to clean my house extra to take stress off- an early home bleugh and kitchen clean I think when DD goes to bed!

Ta da:
Paperwork
Cleaned hob
DD and mindees to library
Walked dogs
Routines
Today's mission- apart from pillows in the dryer

Still to do:
Clean kitchen floor
Shine sink
Clean kitchen tops down
Home bleugh
Front room hotspot
Hoover

Hope you are surviving blue!

Is it too early for ?

I do always try and swish and swipe in the morning, we only have one bathroom/loo so it doesn't take long. I give the loo a quick once over while the hot water runs through for my shower (takes a min or 2). Just before we leave I do my teeth then use the handtowel to wipe the tiles, bath and basin dry, replace it with a clean towel (keep several on the heated towel rail) and drop it in the WM or laundry basket. Again only takes a minute or so.

Thanks, Lauren!

Sorry about the whinge. Not much flying got done today, but we all survived.

Ta da!
Aldi shop, and put away
Sally Army bag out
Disposed of broken trainers and broken toy!
Sorted out various banking issues
Wrote blog post
Kitchen sorted out
Floors swept x loads

Maybe not as bad as all that. Will need to come up with a new morning routine for Sept though. Have decided to ban TV on school mornings and see if that helps us get up more promptly... Don't always remember S&S, but try to!

Bitchy - hope headache was staved off.

Lauren - hope all goes well with extra houses and dogs!

ChitChat - hope the crisis clean paid off.

Waves to all. Night.

Yes and no re headache.

friday is clean out car and bag day and date night.
Babystep whatever no it is
missions

Night.

Morning

Nothing but routines and laundry managed here the past couple of days. Scaffolding is up and a weekend of serious decluttering awaits . Not sure how we'll manage it with 2 small children underfoot though!

Arses, I swish and swipe in the evening whilst the DC are in the bath.

Morning all. Am not doing very well keeping up with the thread (or flying) now back at school - need to adjust after 7 weeks holidays!

Evening routines are going well (washin-up done straight after dinner, packed lunch made, bags ready for me and DS if going to nursery, clothes laid out, showered) so mornings have been good.

But everything else in between is non-existent! So need a list to get my arse in gear....

To do
2 lots of washing
change DSs bed
hoover whole house
garden centre - need fork and rake
hotspot (dining room table)
swih and swipe
perhaps I should try and deal with the bags of topys that have been at the bottom of the stairs for a month?

Body clutter - horrified to weigh myself on Mon and be up by 2.5kg after no exercise for a week. Was 69 - the same as a I was last year when 6 months pregnant! However, think it was also the wrong time of day so weighed myself this morning and was 67.1 - still more than 2 weeks ago in the midst of shred but not quite so for me. However, still 5kg heavier than pre-pregnancy.

Ready to jump back on MFP wagon. A bit inspired by watching the Hairy Dieters last night

sorry for skipping the last week. had a very quick skim and can't remember anything, except toffee get well soon.

Morning all! Just a list dump today, need to get things in order at mine and then will assess the situation at my mums when I get there...she's already warned me that some rooms haven't been cleaned since I last did it

To do:
Routines
Walk dogs
Make sure my house is in a tidy enough state to be left
Pack mine and DD bags
My laundry

BBL!

Morning all!
Lazy one chez moi, dh brought me tea and toast in bed, and here I have stayed MNing ever since ...
Only five days left until we return to school here, and LOTS of little jobs to do before then so I had better get cracking.

To Do

• Grocery shop
• Charity shop drop
• Clean out car (ESP the boot)
• Sort out Internet connection
• Dinner
• Bake that bread I bought ingredients for weeks ago
• 1-2 hrs work for dh
• Start some work/planning for back to school :-(
• Unpack suitcase/overnight bag from trip to parents
• Call to see dMil
• Ring a friend (procrastinating for weeks on this one)

Right that'll do for now! Out of the feathers!
BBL

Hi all!

Fell into a bit of a slump yesterday. Reached my limit with DC, palmed them off onto a friend for a few hours in the afternoon and did some shopping (not for therapy but some much needed things for DIY and DSs). I just sank into a depressive state - was mid conversation with DH when my phone went flat and he went into a bit of a panic because he said I sounded so down.

Some paid work came in yesterday evening (some of the audio typing that I've been looking for). Was a real challenge, but got through it with a late night. At the moment the rate per hour is crap, but hopefully as I get the hang of it it will become a fairly decent rate.

Now this afternoon I have to go manic:

To do:
Get downstairs area to an acceptable standard
Get DSs bedroom to an acceptable standard
Do some more 'paid' work
Organise gear for tonight's fundraiser
Hopefully confirm babysitter for DSs tonight

sigh.... off I go with some to sustain me

Ds and I are taking things easily. He got up as i feel asleep this morning. Never a good start to the day. As he has been playing on his own for 5 hours this morning I am now going to go face the bombsite downstairs. We need to do something today. fuck knows what though.

I?m in trouble on too many fronts at the moment and trying to work out strategies to change things and get control of it all again, so not flying, but lurking, keeping sink shined and hoping for drip down inspiration or infection from the more successful.

One thing?s become clear, the lack of anyone having any fixed routine here is one of the things making everything harder.

But on the plus side, The nasty circus of my ex Fil and family and the rotten things it threw up, have had one surprise positive; adult D(s)D who was about to make poor decision over marriage for all the wrong reasons, has decided against it at least for now, (there are much loved children involved, so never did a change of heart cause so much relief! )

I have managed to get son?s legal paperwork sorted and renewed, which was a lot of work and worry, so glad to see the back of it, not great AS levels are over, and friend has got through a rotten anniversary that usually impacts heavily on my life, reasonably well this year, giving hope for the future.

The poor old car?s got through it?s mot despite rattling like a cattle wagon, and is legal, and has had it?s annual clean out is tidy and clean, if noisy and rusty, and I?ve tackled the powers that be who have right at the wrong point decided I just don?t need an income.

Off to try and secure book for son?s syllabus, and try and get some food in.

Bloody hell Just

Ok it is the weekend which means No Missions

Saturday is family fun day! Do something with all the family. Go for a walk, play a game, watch a film etc.
Babystep

Know what. Since the fat fairy redid her site I can't adjust to the new format of the babysteps. And it is very pink purple and fluffy. And the new step is just not that clear. It's hidden amongst a load of words. The old system worked better. Mind you I still haven't nailed the routine part so perhaps I am the last person who should be questioning this.

Thanks Bitchy, I'm actually not good at saying things aren't ok, but at the moment life seems to be determined to take me to a point where I either hide because of it, or acknowledge it. Hiding isn't fixing it, so I'm trying admitting it.

I'm glad you said you don't see the clarity on F/L site isn't always there, I wondered if I was just incompetent! :)

We managed to get lovely librarian to pull a book from storage and do an interlibrary loan and let us take it to our library tomorrow to be released to us without having to wait a week for it to arrive. :)

hello all, not getting on MN as much as i would like, so sorry, folks!

I am seriously thinking about getting a maid cleaner. I am struggling to keep this place clean. I sweep throughout at least alternate days and clean all the floors, but within 24 hours it looks as if I haven't done anything for weeks. I now see why all the ex-pats have maids. I never thought I would, though.

Dh "disappeared" for a few hours yesterday afternoon and reappeared with a moto. I was quite impressed, but this morning he went out with DS on the back and they limped home an hour later having crashed!! I am not impressed now!

It's too hot to sit here for too long, so have a good day everyone and apologies for lack of personals, I will have a scroll up through later when I am less stressed!