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

Welcome to all who have appeared returnies and newbies alike. will bbl

Have slept all day . Turned out I was ill, as well as tired. The hot and cold sweats started last night and this morning I was comatose with aching and general unwellness. Lovely DH came back from work at 11.30am so that he could look after the DC and me, bringing Paracetamol and warm-up meals. He took the DC off to see their Grandma and said he'd have a bit of a rest when he came back. Ha ha! No chance. During their visit to Grandma, DS2 announced that he was no longer afraid of the dog and wanted to take her for a walk on the Downs. So now DH has had to take them all off for a long walk.

Am being rubbish at commenting on everyone's posts, sorry. I've read them all, but just don't have the energy to respond. Except to say to PA - keep those stories coming (so love the idea of parking the car in the front room!).

Am going back to sleep. Hoping to be back to normal tomorrow.

Cheeky mother linzer. I have yet to enter the minefield of kinderfeestjes (DS is only 9mo). I?m so looking forward to it

Nice to meet you

Get well soon toffee. Great dog news!

Have a great holiday swan.

sc If BBC (or Nederland1, SporzaLive or even a German channel if I?m really pushed) is not giving me what I want, then I?m on the Dutch nos site as they are live streaming pretty much everything without commentary. I can?t access the BBC iPlayrer as outside UK like you. Maybe national Belgian broadcaster is doing the same?

I have had a mightily successful decluttering day. DH and I have done half of our wardrobe which means not only do I have an extra shelf but also have 4 nin bags of clothes to get rid of. Am going on a Clothes bank run tomorrow before he changes his mind. Was very fun looking through his old stuff ? he was ?educating? me about 80s fashion (he?s 10 years older than me and was a teen in the 80s). Horrific printed silk shirts He also found a pair of T-shirts that he?d had made for an ex-girlfriend when he was about 20 ? one with his face on and one with hers! Needless to say, hers is winging it?s way to the clothing bank and his is being retained for future blackmail material.

Has made me realize how very lucky he is to have me

Have also just been through an overflowing box of old birthday cards and letters and managed to bin half (including wedding invitations for people I haven?t seen in years or are divorced).

Haven?t entirely caught up with everyone?s news yet so apologies if I?m missing anything, am hoping to read rest of last month?s thread later tonight.

Managed to something stupid yesterday and am now sporting an impressive angry deep purple and red thigh that?s kicking out lots of heat. (repeats ?little and often? mantra that I?d managed to forget) Son?s threatening to design a wheelchair airbag. I have managed to almost catch up all important home ed file though.

Swan yes I will be able to get back in but I don?t know into what, in what state exactly, at the moment. My mind is boggling fascinatedly by segregated soil toilets. :-D

Linzer you?ve hit the nail on the head about guilt tripping. I?m not good at standing up to it.

Lauren that?s kind, thanks.

Pushme hope it?s not chicken pox. No one here has proper immunity to it and it just repeats.

Auxley there is a 3rd category beyond?less than genetically blessed?, I?m in it. You?re quiet safe. :-)

Whoknows hope your foot is healing.

ChitChat have a lovely party.

PA Sorry you?re having lots of problems with officialdom but it?s fantastic reading your posts and getting a ?snapshot eye view? of a very different place.

Sanguine I ought to clarify that it?s son (and Grandchildren ) doing the studying and exams, not me, though part of me wonders if having learnt ahead/taught/facilitated them, how I?d do if I took them. (Very early school leaver)

Engels Hi, nice to meet you, am rather envious of your effective decluttering, well done!

Toffee good news about overcoming fear of dogs, hope you?re feeling better soon.

Apologies to all I?ve missed, I'm timing a phone call to limit the amount of time spent. It's rotten, but it?s my new ?I need to support me as well? attempted routine.

Evening all .

I am on holiday and that is my excuse and I am sticking to it. Last night on my holibobs tonight before back home for 10 days tomorrow before coming back up to the caravan with the mother.

Big news in elliepacland is that DH and I have decided to give things another whirl. Him signing for a house next week put reality in our path and also us being on holiday without him. We had a full and frank discussion in tuesday night when he came to the caravan after work. We need to change the way we live our lives and the way our marriage works. It may all be in vain and we may end up in the same position in 6 months time but nobody could say we haven't tried. I figure I have nothing to lose and everything to gain and that 17 years together and nearly 11 married is not something that should be thrown away lightly. As long as he does what I tell him we will be fine.

Had a quick skim through thread and would like to say welcome to all of you who have joined (can't remember names sorry) and send a big squishy welcome back hug to pmpy. I do love it when fledglings return to the fold, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Like you whoknows every now and then I have a little, 'i wonder where they are now moment of fledglings past?' i think i need to get out more.

Anyway as I am on holiday I am going to drink some more and watch some more Olympics. I am addicted, if anybody would have told me that I would watch canoeing i would laughed in their face but there I was this afternoon......

Back tomorrow when i shall be lumbered with washing and packing. Plus not looking forward to getting on the scales. I had lost 1st 4 before i came away. Was really good first few days but have eaten my own body weight in ice cream and chips since and that is a fecking lot of ice cream and chips i tell you.

Night night, don't let the bed bugs bite, and if they do, kill the little bastards.

We are still pox free for now at any rate

Not been terribly successful on the flying front today I must admit, but I did managed to get dressed to my ballet pumps at any rate, so a big tick in the baby step box. Also managed my routines washing/dishwasher etc, although that reminds me I have another load of washing to put on before bed. Am contemplating todays mission but put off rather by the fact that DH is repeatedly assembling and disassembling a large fish tank and filter in the living room and I have limited access to the many sticky fingerprints around the room. if he has finished before I go to bed I may give it a go. Still need some more decluttering in the entrance hall, but i find this difficult as the only time I have is in the evenings and I CBA find it tends to wake the DC.

Gosh, that was boring. Sorry

PA Cambodia - wow how exciting although much sympathy for your bureaucratic nightmare day. What prompted the move? was it a work thing?

Toffee sorry to hear you're poorly. Hopefully a good night's sleep will help and you'll be back to full strength in the morning.

Justgetting your poor leg no point over doing things and ending up exhausted and/or broken - a little and often is definitely the way to go.

Linzer hope your DS had a lovely time at his party and you didn't get inundated with too many strange children.

swan hope you're all packed and holiday ready. I am but we're going away at the end of August so just trying to hang on until then

engels nice to 'meet' you too very impressed by the decluttering

scruffy I think hand foot and mouth excuses you from weeks worth of flying duty!

sc DH and I have been barely speaking today as well because he is an idiot hope harmony is restored at your household this evening

Hello and general wave to Bitchy MC auxley and everyone else I've missed

Congratulations, Ellie. That's really good news about you and DH. I hope things work out well. Enjoy the rest of your holiday .

JustGetting - sorry to hear about your unsightly bruise. Hope it gets better soon.

Engels - well done on all that decluttering, but watch it with all the rudeness about 80s fashion. Some of us were there too, you know .

Swan - I love the religious compost loos!

Scruffy - welcome back. That illness sounds horrible.

SC - sounds like you are thoroughly enjoying the Olympic coverage. Hope you and DH make up soon.

ChitChat - welcome back. Hope the birthday party goes well tomorrow.

Linzer - good to have you back here again . Grr to that mum inviting an extra child along to the party...

Waves to Trazzle, Honu, Bitchy, Lauren and anyone else I've missed.

(Note to PA - don't read the next sentence): Just off to have a hot, deep bath so that I can start to feel more human again. Still aching all over, but have to be back to normal tomorrow as have lots arranged.

Night all.

Oh, and I still haven't said welcome back to PMPY! So sorry. It's really good to have you back.

good to be back ellie Sorry to hear about you and DH splitting up, but happy for you both giving it another go (it's a rollercoaster of emotion here tonight

Thanks toffee I am of your green rara skirt - I desperately wanted both a rara skirt and pixie boots but wasn't allowed either I do have pixie boots now though

So the last 48hrs have been eventful in the land of the fledglings. We have newbies, returnies, much chatting and even some flying.

Toffee has had a major break through with ds2 re the dog situation but has been suffering with an illness. Hope you feel better tomo but don't push too much as you want to recover properly. As frsutrating as that can be.

PA has been describing the frustrations and adventures of her new life. Hoping you can sort the beuracratic issues.

The lovely PMPY returned after an extended break and is hoping to dodge chicken pox. However, is guilty of having stupidly high expectations of what she
should be doing. ANY progress is progress and in the words of the fat fairy You are never behind

Engels has been to see friends, making use of many different sources of
broadcast to watch her chosen olympic events and has been enjoying the benefits of flying progress and success. Re the late post. Whoknows has accused me on many occasions of living in the wrong time zone. Due to various issues my body clock is all screwed up. Not helped due to the fact that am naturally a night owl. Well done on the productive day!

Feetheart took a trip to wembley to see the football (hope your match was more exciting then the one ds and I went to see at Old Trafford), and has been doing a lot of sorting out for the holidays.

Issimma joined us. Being pregnant the most useful thing about fly is going to be the rule of 15mins. Work in 15mins bursts and don't forget to rest as needed.

Lauren is juggling her work with flying. Is this your busiest peroid re mindees?

Swan has been juggling the complicated activity needs of 3 very different children and is looking forward to a restful holiday.

Auxey is another newbie, who was concerned she was less than genetically
blessed when it comes to efficient housekeeping. Welcome kindered spirit.

Linzer has been enjoying her holidays although they seem very busy. Hope that your ds' party went without a hitch and that he had a lovely time.

Trazzle has been flying and trying to cull some procrastinated tasks. Keep up
the good work. Hope you enjoy the olympics tomo/later.

SC has been bemoaning the sporadic olypmic coverage of her favourite events
and dealing with a workaholic husband who is about to face his most stressful time of the year - his holiday.

Honu is back and aiming to focus on the babysteps and decluttering. I hope you have better luck then I seem to be having with the early night thing

MC has been enjoying a lie in and taking advantage to DD's abscence to get some decluttering done. How is the prizing of DH away from cricket going?

JustGetting has come back after a stressful break, and is trying to focus of
sorting her life/environment for her benefit. Hope the withdrawl of support for others is not too stressful. How you manage to do everything you have been doing under the circumstances you have had just makes me wonder if you are
superwoman or wonderwoman if you prefer

Welcome back chitchat Hope ds2 has a good birthday party.

Scruffy the fat fairy herself says that it will take a couple of months of trying to get the babysteps sorted consistently. More then 8 days this month will be progress towards mastering the chaos. Sympathies on the hand, foot and mouth. It is horrible and far more common then most people realise. In fact a lot of people have never heard of it. PMPY -could it be this, which iirc is actually related to chickenpox, if it isn't full blown chicken pox?

Ellie has been on holiday but popped in to share some news re her and DH. Good luck with the another go.

Bitchy's world has been focused on assisting Aspie ds to achieve a goal he wanted despite the very challenging environment and then dealing with the resultant fallout. Needless to say flying has taken a back seat. Ds otoh has done far better then ever thought possible.

Tomorrow is day 3 of the babysteps and reminds me that i need to point out that some of the babysteps are non-events. And that I should point out that the babysteps are not about massive changes, they are about making small things a habit

Babystep Here Also We advise you do not sign up for the emails you will drown in them

Friday is [[http://www.flylady.net/d/daily-focus/daily-focus-friday/ Clean your car out and date night]. The fact that it comes around every week means that in theory your car will be something you can be proud of.

15mins decluttering in our current zone: Front porch/entrance (hall)/dining room.

The mission should be found here You might need to scroll to the correct day.

Right now, I challenge you all to have productive fly days. Bet you can't.

Try that again

• frustrating

*Friday is Clean your car out and date night

I'm lying here just staring at the clock. Had it out with DH tonight about issues and found out things are worse than I thought. I don't know what to do, I can't sleep and to make matters worse dd has chosen tonight to be her sleepwalking night.

I need to sleep and I need to think and tomorrow I need to attack the cluttered landing so dd doesn't trip when she gets our of bed in the middle of the night.

MC (((hugs))) Hope you manage to get some sleep to cope with tomorrow.

SWan - these loos are really quite refreshingly nice, so I agree. I did laugh at your hot water comment. We dont have hot water here, but the "cold" (when we get it) is luke warm, so no hot needed, really.

Scruffy - I think you can probably master the decluttering better than I could, so not so drastic measures needed.

SC - Oh, does your bunny get poo balls, too? Our old bunny could definitely have done with the bum gun.

Linzer the front rooms are really not that big. Just big enough for a car. You certainly could not sit down once the car is in. Very frustrating about the mum's response to the party invite. bloomin cheek I'd say!

Toffee hope you enjoyed your hot bath It sounds like hell to me from here. A nice freezing cold shower would do me. I have just opened the door to the fridge and stood as close to inside it as I possibly could for a few minutes. - argh!!!!

PMPY well, yes a bit of a change from the IOW. DH and I gave up our jobs and took out all our endowments and have come here to do voluntary work. We will be working with the children and families in the slums the organisation we are with do parent training/health education/sexual abuse counselling and preventative education for those young girls likely to be sold into the sex trade. Our job will be to support the Camodians to take all this on themselves and not for us to be doing all the work, but rather help them to help themselves.

Hope your day is more productive today PA.

[Sad] hope you got to sleep eventually mc it's so horrible lying awake and not knowing what to do. I hope everything will feel a little more manageable this morning,

PA - wow, I am properly awed by that. What an amazing thing to be doing . Is it a permanent move?

Don't think. DD has h, f and l Bitchy aa there are only a few spots but they are on her back and bum. More likely to be flea insect bites I think as she reacts very badly to them (she has been diagnosed with cp twice but I am certain she's never had it)

Hope everyone has a lovely and productive day. I confidentally expect to be knackered as I've only had about 3 hours sleep for some reason. Nonetheless

To do
Reshape linen jacket and dry flat
Washing on
Dishwasher
Bins out first thing (suppose that is now really!)
Clean yoghurty marks off kitchen floor
Nag dh until he pays for holiday
Ring bank for settlement figure for loan
Nag DH until he rings his bank for same purpose

PA Good luck at the embassy; hope you finally manage to get the visas sorted out.

MC Hope you were able to get some sleep in the end and that things are looking more positive this morning. ((hugs))

Bitchy Thanks for mammoth round-up.

PMPY / Toffee I had a shiny, pale blue ra-ra skirt of which I was inordinately proud, although I only remember wearing it once (to the primary school disco).

Toffee Hope you're feeling better today.

ellie Great news about you and your DH; I really hope it works out for you.

JustGetting Ouch, hope the thigh isn't too painful.

Engels Well done on the decluttering. I discovered some 80s horrors in DH's wardrobes when I was decluttering it tidying it up for him and even managed to persuade him to get rid of some.

swan at Catholic and Protestant loos!

SC The DC will be at two different schools in September, as primary school is only for four years here so DD1 will be starting secondary, or rather middle school in the autumn. Agree about the shoes - I don't know anyone here who has problems with their feet/distorted feet due to the lack of Clarks-style fitters; I've decided that checking the fit myself and asking the DC whether the shoes are comfortable is good enough for me (not that there's much alternative)!

Waves to Chitchat and Scruffy.

We survived DS's party, so that's it for another six months - although I'm hoping that DD1 won't want a "proper" party at home now that she's a bit older and hopefully will prefer a trip to the cinema with friends or similar. I had very good intentions about being assertive with the cheeky mother (and enlisted DH's help, as I tend to give in too easily), so ummed and aahed again when she checked that it was OK for her DD to stay and said that we really had a lot of children to keep an eye on down by the river between the two of us and that it would be good if she could come along too to look after her DD. She agreed but said she could only stay for an hour as she had things to do at home. (To cut a long story short, we decided just to take the children to the playground next to the river rather than down to the water, so I phoned to tell her we didn't need her help after all - we'd arranged to meet her at the river.)

Must go as DD2 has just appeared; back later!

MC {{hugs}}. It's a bummer, isn't it. Re the not sleeping, my solution (well, amelioration I suppose) is ironing. At least I feel I've done something positive rather than just lying there, and feel more justified in taking a nap later iyswim. The size of my ironing pile is in inverse proportion to my stress levels!

Bitchy I have this theory that not everyone has exactly a 24 hour daily rhythm - some, like me, do more like 23 hours which is why my day tends to get earlier and earlier, and some (like you) have more like 25 hours with the opposite effect. Now all we have to do is find a solution other than caffeine!

Good luck Ellie with the start over. You've just got to give it the best shot you can.

Morning all!

MC Hope you managed to get some sleep.

Lovely to hear your news ellie . Good luck.
I look forward to the day when I can give someone a warm fuzzy feeling by returning to the fold

Good luck today PA

I know what you mean pmpy - I was trying to sort the boxes in the loft/attic room the other day and DS just wouldn?t go to sleep because he could hear me.

toffee I wish I could see the face of the charity worker who opens DHs bags! I think that doing it together was really good as things that he thought were still wonderful, were hideous (and vice versa!). We both have a small pile each of ?sentimental? and also ?too small but fabulous and I WILL lose weight in the next year? but much smaller than before. Will revisit them next year (so had better get off my lardy arse!).

Okay, setting off to supermarket and bottle bank now. Challenge to day is to get rid of 5 binliners of clothes (found another bag that I sorted out a few months ago and has been languishing under the stairs ) and perhaps if the fat fairy waves her wand, then DH will finish the last bit of the wardrobe which is all his and we can bask in the wonderfulness of our decluttered, slim-down wardrobe

bitchy I accept your challenge! Ready, set, FLY! (that means I have to turn my laptop off doesn?t it?)

MC sorry you are suffering.You sounded as if you had a lovely night out quite recently - so maybe these things go in cycles. If it is any consolation, I felt I had hit a brick wall again with dh over the utility room. . Ishoos sometimes go round in circles don't they, the same story again and again, or variations on a theme. I mentioned again to him that disorganisation was was one of the reasons for my feelings of inadequacy", and how I felt (trying to be assertive) a utility room might help me, and the SNARLS that met with this!! From a man who is unfailingly helpful and kind. He was also very cross because he said why was it that when he said something I didn't take it seriously, but when a professional said it, I decided it was flavour of the month...

SC DH needs a holiday. I trying to coo/agree soothingly about how work was stressful for him, when he said he was looking forward to holiday, and he SNAPPED," it's not stressful.I'm just exhausted".so that was obviously the wrong thing to say. So I suppose the line should be...work is great, but it is nice to have a change...
He has after all had a whole ten days off from children and me, already, but he claims that was tiring and boring!I a

Done
ds1 off to Sportscamp, and buying his own lunch from Tesco, I am supposed to be meeting him in x minutes to check the receipt for hidden junk

I'm 76.6 kg, so I have lost a kilo over last three weeks. Slowing down, but I felt like I've eaten everything I ever wanted, so it didn't feel like dieting at all...I was knackered yesterday from walking everywhere too.

Oh Ellie just read your news As you say, there is absolutely nothing lost from starting afresh. That is brilliant.

[Resolves to start afresh]

Morning

Tbf Engels my problem is that when stressed i can't sleep, I have recurrent issue from old injuries which can mean I don't sleep, Ds has a sleep disorder which was out of control for years, migraines effect my sleep patterns, meds affect my sleep pattern and of course there is the I have to cope and function pass the coffee thing. It all fucks up a fucked up sleep pattern. I am working on bringing it back into line but have decided a trip to the docs is in order as atm I am having little success and i want to try to sort out the niggles. Unfortunately all the declttuering is hindering the sleep as it is kicking up huge amounts of dust that I am allergic to.

List:
book service and mot - URGENT
food shopping and banking in next town
cooking with ds
Advance batch cooking for wkend with insane plans
Laundry
put away folded clothes
decluttering in my bedroom

The observant of you might notice that i am not working in the correct zone. This would be because it recently had a mahosive blittz and is in need of top up work only. Thus instead of thinking fab no zone/mission work i and heading to the zone that is a disaster. Possibly not what fat fairy thinks is right but very much needed.

Right have had the first of two cups of coffee i will have today (which is vastly reduced from what can be drunk) Off to hit the next town jobs... bbl

MC - I really hope you and DH are able to resolve things soon. It's so horrible when it all feels wrong.

Swan - I'm sorry, but I had to snigger at your DH 'snarling' . He sounds very tired, but I wonder if he realises that your life is exhausting too. It doesn't sound as if he does.

Bitchy - thanks for that great round up. Not sure I will get round to any missions today, but I have managed my morning routines.

PA - good luck with the visa palaver.

PMPY - hope it turns out not to be chicken pox. Sorry you've had so little sleep.

Linzer - well done on surviving another birthday party.

Honu - I'm afraid I just go on MN if I can't sleep . Ironing is much more productive.

Engels - excellent decluttering going on in your house!

issima - sorry you are coping with the dreadful early starts of toddlers. I hated that. It made the day so long. It does get better though (mine even sleep in late sometimes ).

Well, I woke up feeling dreadful again, so I rang up the friend I was meeting this afternoon to cancel. However, I didn't want to cancel this morning's arrangement, which involved me looking after a friend's boy whilst she had a hospital appointment. As usual, it was non-stop all morning and I now have four boys here altogether, plus the dog who I have had to walk. So I have now rung my friend back and said I seem to have lost the illness in all the chaos this morning and would she like to come over after all.

DS2 did such a sweet thing this morning. I had just hung my wet sheets out and told him to call me if it started raining. Then I let his friend come with me to walk the dog round the block, leaving DS2 at home with his big brother. We were only five minutes, but in that time it started pouring. When I arrived home, DS2 was hauling the wet washing off the line and had slung a raincoat over the remaining sheets .

Hope you all have a good day.

Issima Oh I love the food here. Although it is slightly restricting. Rice, Rice, rice and for a treat, rice noodles! Wooooo!!! The only meat that looks slightly edible is chicken and I certainly would not touch a fish with a bargepole when you see and smell from a mile away the river that has been their home!! I am hoping to lose a lot of weight!!

Ellie - a post specifically to you saying how pleased I was to read your news seems to have gone awol. Probably about the time that MN messed up for a while, then posted the other one twice. Anyway congrats and thoughts will be with you as you both give it another go.

Right, after 3 hours this morning and 3.5 hours this afternoon of going between offices again we are now the proud owners of visas to get us into Vietnam next Tuesday, then back into Cambodia the same day with correct visas. Another Wooooo!!!! We ended up having a pay a bit extra back handers , but I was on the verge of giving up on life here, so I am pleased its done. Next Tuesday we start off at 4.30am and arrive back home at 9pm. Oh joy!! All that time stuck on a hot bus!!

Dd1's 21st birthday today. We have just had a lovely skype with her while she opened her presents. Sometimes I feel so far away and just want to hug them back there.

With visa shinanigans nothing else has been done today. Now watching a dvd and then off to bed. See you all tomorrow.