It's September so the Fledgings Fly, as we wave our clutter bye bye

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Welcome to the ongoing Fledgling Flyers thread for September, thanks to Bitchy who kept us posted through August.

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 me anyway, somewhat unrealistic and in theory you don't need to worry about it until you have finished decluttering that's never then. Just do it if you want to.

Now for those of you who are completely lost, lets rewind a bit.
CHAOS: Can't have anyone over syndrome. We've all been there

The fly lady approach works by breaking the house down into tiny activities which you do repeatedly until they become habit and don't feel like chores any more. The house is split into zones, each zone is tackled for a week before moving on and comes round again at the start of the next month.

There are lots of experienced Fledglings on here, hence lots of advice and support and chat about anything except housework some days. the main thing is that you can post any time you like even if you haven't lifted a finger around the house that day because with Flylady you just pick up again the next day and off you go again.

We advise against signing up for Flylady emails as they can lead to a great deal of clutter in the Inbox, each days steps will be posted on this thread to save you having to find them yourself.

In the meantime here is a link to the Flylady website for anyone who would like a browse.

Getting started Remember - don't subscribe to the emails!

Thanks everyone! I think I'm doing my own version at the moment, . Yesterday I took a holiday after all I had only cleaned the sink the day before. But today sink cleaned again, and also did a whiz around the kitchen which looks a lot better than it did this morning. Also through out 3 things that were lurking in the kitchen and I can't even remember what they were :) bed v. soon I think

Ta-da!

Morning routine
School run
Work via Sainsburys
PTA meeting
School run
Home for tea
Swimming lessons
Grownups dinner
DCs reading, spellings etc - have stepped up the level of effort this term
Half an hour on Sports Direct.com ordering winter sports stuff
Half an hour on phone with parents trying to sort out childcare nightmare for post-operation weeks
Mid way through making pickled onions (jar sterilising in oven)

Welcome back MsOn - sounds as though things are looking up for you, which is great.

SC - try not to beat yourself up about DD, you are not a neglectful parent, far from it. The fact that you cared enough to get her checked out and will now do something to help her is what matters, not the fact that you needed a bit of help to realise.

Swan - hope therapy went well today

Waves at everyone else, we seem like a busy thread this month.

Just off to pickle my onions, back with links later

Evening guys

Sorry to be AWOL but I decided that recently I have spent too much time writing about flying and too little time doing it.

Yesterday therefore I ran all my errands for the week and therefore cleared a few days. Today I have attacked the house.

I have clear dds old toys and books from the whole house and cleared out 3 black bags. I have also spent the rest of the time until pick up time cleaning and hoovering the lounge and the toy area of the dining room. After picking dd up and doing the karate run I've attacked dds room, washed and dried her bedding and sorted the piles of clean laundry in the spare room. After putting dd to bed I've attacked the kitchen.

I still have soooo much more to do and it's very unfly like but I feel so much better.

Now I'm going to catch up with you guys over a cuppa. I hope you are all well.

Evening
Well the towels I hung out at lunchtime got soaked.... And I forgot to bring them in
It's pouring down so I'm leaving them overnight and will pop them in the wash again in the morning

DH ordered a big shed so had to help him get that in this evening.

Rescued DS's bedroom
Shined my sink
Couldn't be bothered to do the ironing

Just checking in, sc don't feel bad about your DD, please, she might just be a beanpole like me and my very tall very thin DD? Had the GP got some useful suggestions? Lots of healthy fats and oils? Avocados?

I am still flying, slowly, a bit off the ground, but flying is definitely happening. Have a while afternoon to myself on Saturday and intending to use it to great effect ti make some drawstring bags for DD to store her toys in.

MC - good effort!

Shifty - yes, pouring here tonight too, feels chilly (which reminds me I need to pay the massive plumbers bill for fixing the heating last week)

Orange - bags sound like a very useful decluttering strategy.

Well, my onions are pickled and I have just knocked up a couple of packed lunches for tomorrow. Need to finish my Ocado order, unpack swimming bag, check sports kits for tomorrow and go to bed after watching a bit of telly and having a drink

Thursday 13th

Find a mission and do it - especially for those who have been avoiding the clean round the back of the loo one - another chance!

Mission - shine your bathroom basin and surround. I had to do this earlier in the week because I henna'd my hair at the weekend and the entire bathroom needed a deep clean after that

OK, those of you with concerns over the spiders in my house will be glad to hear that they are still living happily all over our ceilings. They have been granted a brief reprieve.

Spent this evening catching up on all the housework I couldn't do in the day because I was busy doing home ed with DS1.

DS2, who is seriously in love with a girl in his class and wants her to come for tea, told me tonight that I had to tidy up and "make the house look nice" before she visited. He then mopped the kitchen floor for me. I know that the piles of home ed books on the dining-room table are not helping maintain a tidy appearance...

So, this evening I:

Walked another neighbour's dog with DS1 (Border Collie this time)
Cooked proper dinner from scratch (have been eating a lot of readymeals recently) - chicken curry
Did bedtime routines
Washed up
Dried up stuff on dishrack and put it away
Shined sink
Tidied and wiped down kitchen counters
Emptied tumbledrier
Folded and put away dry washing
Put today's wet wash in tumbledrier
Did the ironing
Unpacked lunchbox and put freezer pack in freezer
Washed out water bottle
Signed school letters and put back in schoolbag

Am now rewarding myself with a browse on MN before lesson planning for tomorrow.

Have managed to catch up on everyone from today, at last.

ChitChat - am impressed that you start your day with kickboxing!

lauren - hope potential new mindee visit went well today.

swan - how did the family therapy go?

Shifty - sorry your towels got soaked. Pesky rain.

rowing - er, not sure the spiders will live, I'm afraid

BlueEyes - Thanks . Am suitably awed by your list.

Bitchy - sorry you had a 'mare of a day'. Grr at lost things.

SC - eek at the spider in the laundry! So sorry you were upset by your visit to the dr with DD. I was lectured by DS1's dr about him being underweight about six months ago. DS1 has a tiny appetite and often refuses to eat. I now insist that he at least eats breakfast every day and am much more relaxed about the food he eats. Nutella on toast, chocolate croissants or Cocopops are all better than nothing at all, I realised. If it's any comfort, just making very small changes seemed to make a difference and he had put on a little weight last time we visted. If your DD is energetic and eating well it is no wonder that you didn't realise she was underweight, so please don't chastise yourself. Incidentally, I was underweight throughout childhood and early adulthood and it didn't seem to do me any harm. Some people are just naturally skinny. (And, actually, the most harmful thing was people nagging me about how I needed to put on weight ).

MsOnatopp - welcome back. Good to hear that you have chosen a new DP with excellent Flying skills . Am very happy to hear that your depression has shifted.

JustGetting - so sorry you are laid up in bed. You make your green and gold garden spiders sound beautiful.

GetKnitted - well done on sink clean and declutter.

WhoKnows - I can't believe that you pickled onions at the end of your busy day! That's really impressive. I hope you manage to get the childcare sorted out easily for the time you're in hospital.

MC - congrats on the massive tidy up and declutter.

OrangeEyes - the drawstring bags sound a great idea for keeping the room tidy.

Off to bed in a minute. Night all.

Just popping in to say Hello
Have managed to get house back in order of sorts asfter birthday he had a good day thankfully.
Can't believe how much flying is done by us all on this thread. Bathroom and toilet sorted I forget to do ironing cos of flying so need to factor this in somehow All the dc completed homework and bags sorted for tomorrow so not too bad a day

Good morning to you all.

Sorry for falling off the thread again. We have had a really busy week doing our orientation. In the offices for a 7:30 start then on the go all day and leave there at about 5:30, home for a quick shower and change then out to dinner with the team and "social" time. Last thing I wanted to do was be sociable! In this heat that is a bloomin long day, I can tell you!

Just had a quick scroll through to catch up with all your shinnanigans.

Lauren - good on you for your date nights!

MyMum - Pleased to see the birthday celebrations were appreciated.

Bitchy & Blue wow at your ta da lists!

Whoknows - ooooo pickled onions. I hadn't thought of them since being here and now I want one! Hmmmmmmmm

Toffee - at DS2's girlfriend. I would invite her for tea daily if DS2 helps to get the house sorted in preparation for her arrival!

I would like to announce my proposal to put breath-holding in the next Olympic games! I would be the first competitor and would guarantee a gold medal for team GB! I am having plenty of practice here. On our way into the office we travel by moped. Along the main road there are loads of people selling yummy smelling foods. You want to take in a deep breath and swoon at the yumminess......... then right next to that is a river. It is called "the stinky river" it could not possibly be called anything else! Once you have taken in the deep breath of yumminess you need to hold your breath until past the river. Honestly this river smells like the pits of hell! One milli second too late and you are assaulted by lungs being filled with vomitous poisonous gases. One milli second too early and the lungs will not hold out until you get past the river before needing another breath and then you are in for huge trouble! A traffic jam along that road is not for the faint hearted I can tell you.
Anyone want a holiday here? Do you think I could head up the tourist board and sell this place as a luxury holiday destination!

Nice and "cool" this morning. Only 28 degrees so far, its lovely! So far I have managed to clean all the floors and bathrooms.
Just off to see DD4s head master. This is our meeting to sort DD4 out! Oh, I forgot to thank everyone for their words of wisdom about her behaviour at school. I think you are all far too nice and a mahoosive kick up the bum is in order. We will see what the head says this morning.

Have a good sleep everyone and massive waves to everyone on here.

Evening. i am working in the wrong time zone again. Just avoided a crisis and finished off stuff for today that i forgot to do yesterday.

Going to grab a tiny nap when i have eaten some supper, take ds to school and then sleep properly. today will be a flying fail day. shit happens.

Good luck with the meeting PA

PA - 28 degrees?! where on Earth are you?!

It's hard to keep up with this thread.

SC - I was very underweight as a kid. Was eating poorly though. My parents only got concerned when the school rang to say 'why is MrsO so thin?'
When you see someone everyday you don't notice small changes or you get used to them how they are and don't see it. It is no reflection on your mothering skills at all. Just encourage DD with her eating and don't make a huge thing of it. My dietician at the time told me, I don't care what you eat as long as you get the calories in.

whoknows pickling onions... Gordon Bennett! :o Good for you!

ToffeeWhirl - aww bless your DS2. School love was the best... and the worst :o

Was really proud of myself for making DS and his wee friend meatballs from scratch yesterday (been lazy on the food front recently) and they had a good time together. Today though we are having fajitas... not so impressive :)

To Do
2 hours of study
2 loads of laundry
ironing three loads of laundry
tidy lounge
clean bathroom
do the few dishes from last night (DS left the hot water running in the bathroom so no hot water last night)
make dinner
tidy up after dinner
workout

PA - at inviting DS2's girlfriend daily. Worth a try! Good luck with the meeting at school.

This morning, I am home educating, going to the dentist, running into town on errands, then coming back to meet up with MIL, who'll be at my house with DS1. More home ed this afternoon.

You may notice that there is no Flying on that list .

MsO it is now early evening here and it is 34 degrees. Thunderstorm clouds are gathering. We are in Cambodia.

Well, meeting was worse than I could possibly have imagined and DD4 is very lucky to have a place in the school still. I am ashamed, furious and so sad. She has blown her new start and new chance and has just thrown it back at everyone. I don't want to go into the ins and outs on here, but let me say, she deserves no sympathy! if the school had not been so understanding we would have had to get back to the UK and finish her education there. But they have been very good and are hopeful that this was a very unfortunate mistake and that she sorts herself out now.

Hi all! It's a bit of a crazy day here so just a list dump and I might get back later but it's another date night so I might not

To do-
School run *2 - one done
DD and mindee to playgroup
Walk dogs
Today's mission
wash winnets off chihuahuas bum
Put my laundry away
pay bills
Date night

I've volunteered to run the Thursday sure start I attend...I'm still a bit as to whether it's a good idea or whether I've just agreed to even more work!

BBL if I find time!

Aw, have just come on here for the first time since posting yesterday and read all your lovely, supportive messages about dd and weight. Thank you so much - everyone is REALLY kind on this thread - feel much better now!! [And would feel even better if dd hadn't had further meltdown last night and again this morning before school]

Doc didn't suggest anything special - just said to encourage her to eat whatsover she wants, even if unhealthy (as long as she is eating reasonably balanced diet in general, which she is). I was (difficult to imagine, I know ) the same size as a child and young adult (tall and skinny as a rake - all elbows and knobbly knees) DD seems to be always hungry, eats fairly well (not so well at school it must be said) but she also seems to get full fairly quickly/easily bored when eating.

So going to continue following little and often regime of five meals a day: brkfst, substantial break-time snack, lunch, substantial after school snack, supper, and also add in small but substantial snack before bed-time.

Could kick myself though because started instigating more 'puddings' (instead of usual fruit from bowl/yoghurt/occasional ice cream) around this time last year - crumbles/fruit tarts/steamed puddings etc and like most 'projects' I start .. I failed to keep it up except after lunch on Sunday. Must start again and keep it up (and not eat them myself!!).

Also going to try and take MrsOnatopps advice and keep it all as laid back/non-pressured as, knowing dd, could potentially have reverse effect!

Poor you PA cooking a roast in 34° heat. Hope you enjoy it though!! Hope temp acclimatisation getting a little easier for you too. Sorry you have had all these school stresses with dd4 on top of everything else you are dealing with currently; do you think she was doing it to as a sort of bravado "act" in order to win friends etc etc because secretly underneath she was feeling anxious about change (or am I over-analysing here)??? [Funny how it is always easier to theorise about the motivations of other people's dc while remaining permanantly baffled by one's own ] Hope things improve anyway!!! Arf at "mice" conversation and breath-holding Olympics

Good luck at the dentist Toffee (hope not too horrid) and at your ds2's "love interest". Btw, you wouldn't like the spiders here; huge brown ones that keep attaching themselves by long, invisible threads to various bits of ceiling and swinging themselves around hallway.... [yikes!] [Lots of Nutella and chocolate croissant-eating on offer here too btw!!]

Whoknows >"well my onions are pickled" [is that some sort of euphemism I wonder???]

Very impressed by your drawstring bags Oranges [thanks - glad to know I'm not the only 'owner' of string-bean child ]

Hi MC > "I decided that recently I have spent too much time writing about flying and too little time doing it." For some reason my eyes keep being drawn to this sentence!!! Well done on the bin bag clearing, mega-cleaning and laundry front!!

Art at Blue's Bitchy-style list and congrats to your ds2 and lav success!

Justgettingonwithit loving the sound of those iridescent green and also gold spiders

Applies burn salve to Bitchy's hand and pulls duvet more tightly over ed (distinct autumnal nip in air here today), flaps wings enthusiastically at Mymums Shifty GetKnitted Lauren chitchat Feetheart Castlelough Ellie Swan Lookingforinspiration Foad Arses Rowingboat Nicknacks Honu and loads of people I've no doubt missed ...

Anyone "seen" Linzer recently btw?

Have a good afternoon everybody ...!

oops!!!

also-gold spiders anyone?

pulling duvet over Bitchy's "ed" ?

Ta Da!
DW
WM, TD and fold (get me)
All children dispatched fed and mostly dressed
Leaflet updated and emails sent
Kitchen surfaces wiped

And it is before 9am.

To Do
Boot Camp
Cry because boot camp hurt
Accounts for meeting later
Cancel lunch with friend (no time today, boo hoo)
School Open Night
Dance (ds1)
Meeting
Wash bedding
Finish moving books in kitchen
Clear dining table (stuff. Not so much a hot spot as towering inferno of doom)
Clear dining table.
Clear dining table.

will catch up with a cup of tea after boot camp. Which is considerably more than 15 minutes of loving movement, whatever that is supposed to be, fairy person.

Hi wonderful flyers!

No laptop at the moment only phone and I'm crap at posting big posts on the phone so will be back next week when new laptop arrives,

Good work everyone (not patronising at all!!)

Hi all,

It's taken me a good 10 years to not freak out as soon as I see a spider - coming from Oz I have a very healthy fear of the darn things. It's so nice knowing that the spiders here aren't going to kill hurt me!!

PA - it's not the temperature, it's the humidity that goes with it. It was bad enough landing in Oz for a holiday and it being 43 degrees for the next week, but at least it was a dry heat. Couldn't imagine the constant heat and rain you're putting up with.

I've managed to read all the posts, but that's as far as I can manage with personals, sorry.

Still feeling sore after yesterday's kickboxing. I have a pretty rubbish tada list, but it's all been urgent/needed stuff, so didn't really have a choice.

Tada:
Yesterday:
Caught up on Laundry
ironed all DH's clothes
packed DH's suitcases

Today:
breakfast with DSs
School/nursery run
Paid work (tis very important, need to pay for all these new hobbies of mine and DSs!)
tracked plumber down finally
after tinkering with boiler for a couple of hours plumber admits defeat with boiler
booked manufacturers to look at boiler (thank goodness for extended warranty - always pays to have a registered installer!!!)
nursery/school run
deal with tantruming DS1
take DH to airport with DSs and waved goodbye for a few weeks
deal with tantruming DS1 and DS2
feed DSs at airport
crap drive home on M25 with DSs
bedtime for DSs
collapse with cup of tea and catch up on MN

To do:
lay clothes out
load dishwasher
glare at hot spot(s)
go to bed

Hi. All
Just wanted to pop in. Late night at work tonight! But actually managed to do a bit of washing up this morning so kitchen isn't as bad as usual.
Toffee that's funny about the spiders coming out, but I doubt they will be in any fit state to do much climbing. I can't persuade you of the usefulness of spiders can I [doubtful face]?
Mad did you manage the loving movement? Sounds like a particularly dodgy Mills and Boon to me! [suspicious face]
Hope to post a mini list tomorrow, as off for a long weekend at the seaside.

Friday 14th

Using your calendar

Mission Mop the bathroom floor

Sorry, too tired to chat tonight, just wanted to send a bit of sympathy towards PA over DD4.

Well, why can't they just go and be useful outside instead of all over my house, rowing? I'm afraid if they cross the threshold, it's war.

However, they are still there. Five of them in the bathroom alone now. And DH fished a tiny one off my head this evening.

Too tired to do more than wave sleepily at everyone, but I second WhoKnows in sending sympathy for PA who is struggling with DD4's school issues on top of everything else.