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!

[Makingchanges]

Morning all

bitchy glad show was enjoyable
whoknows it's lovely when dcs enjoy an activity. I sometimes think that DH would like a son for the football/cricket etc instead of a girlygirl.

Ok so managed all my list yesterday but didn't get back on as ended up taking hoover to pieces as it wouldn't pick up, so that took me a lot longer than expected.

Today is a family day. We had plans for local geocaching, a walk around local country park with dd taking her bike which she has been practicing riding without stabilisers. However dd had an incident with a loose tooth last night and she is refusing to do anything so far so it might end up with a day at home instead.

Also to do

• Check for washed pe kits and put back in pe bag (DH has put it somewhere instead of putting straight into bag)
• cook a full chicken dinner (yum)
• clean bathroom and ensuite
• sort out and put online some bits to sell on eBay.
• sort out new uniform and remove old and unfitting uniform to sell/recycle.

That will do. Have a good family day

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Back again

What steps do others find difficult? I don't shine my sink every night, or wear shoes in the house. I also find the before bed routine really hard work, even though I know this is the most important one for keeping the kitchen under control But after we've battled through dinner and putting dcs to bed (including lying with dd until she falls asleep), the last thing I want to do is clean the kitchen! Am really trying to force myself to just do 20 mins even if I don't finish as that's better than nothing.
My other nemesis to a clean and tidy house is DH. Whatever the opposite of a born organised person, he is it His parents are both BO, why couldn't he have got the gene?! He now knows all about flylady though and is starting to make a little bit of effort for some things

Anyway, sorry for wittering
My ta-da list:
1 load of washing on the line, 1 more in the machine.
Up, dressed, bed made
Dishwasher loaded, sides wiped, floor wiped (bloody blw)
S&S

I've also managed to do a bit of baking with DS

To-do
New washing on the line
Put baking stuff in dishwasher
Lunch
Go to in laws - this is the best bit as we will be having dinner there so no cleaning up to do for that later

[ToffeeWhirl]

Morning everyone.

JustGetting - yes, I'm happy with the LEA visit, thanks. I already know the woman who is coming because she managed the e-learning DS1 tried last term. She has always been supportive. I know I don't have to have her here at home, but I'm actually keen to show off our new home ed library and to discuss our ideas for DS's learning. Am hoping she will have some useful tips too.

Bitchy - glad to hear you had a great night out .

WhoKnows - aww, that's lovely that DS and his team won! Sorry to hear that your heating system is still playing up.

MC - I hope the tooth falls out so you can enjoy your family day out. It's horrible when the tooth is just hanging on. I remember calling our family dentist in a panic once because DS1 had a tooth that wouldn't come out, but was hanging by a few threads. It was agony for him, plus he couldn't eat. In the end, he pulled it out himself (realising that his DM was useless in the tooth department ).

Brices - at the little hand prints (you may be finding it less funny!).

lauren - great that your mum is coming home today and you will be able to go back to looking after one house instead of two. Was it you who said 'dogs choose their owners'? That made me smile.

Iburnt - I hope your grizzly baby is happier today.

Whispers - welcome to the thread. I love your name. I used to read those books over and over to my boys, but they are too old for them now .

ChitChat - grr to the boiler breaking down. Well done on your strategy though (ignoring it and having a good family day regardless ).

PA - did you find the Korean girl? Or did she find you?! Your tales continue to entertain! I suspect they will be my son's favourite part of his home ed project. And yes, we want a dog now. The Jack Russell combined with me being ill put us right off, but it was only temporary. We are hoping our holiday dog will have puppies (it's all planned) and then we could have one. In the meantime, we all keep hoping expecting the dog to turn up on our doorstep again.



DH is giving me a morning to rest again and has taken DS2 out . He must be really worried about tomorrow's blood tests . So far, my rest has involved:

Unloading and reloading the d/w
Washing up extra stuff
Wiping kitchen counters
Dealing with the kitchen hotspot (bought a magazine stand-up box file yesterday to put all the post and papers in )
Putting on first load of washing (new school shirts etc)
Moving clutter from kitchen hotspot to rightful places
Giving DS1 his meds
Getting dressed to flip flops
Room rescue in sitting room

However, I am now sitting down with a cup of tea and am about to spend some time sorting out stuff for home ed next week. This is a pleasure, not a chore. Spent far too much money on stationery yesterday, so I have lots of files and folders to sort out .

Hope you all have a great day.

[ToffeeWhirl]

Whispers - I haven't been very good at following the Flylady routines over the holidays and, like you, I don't shine my sink every night or tidy the kitchen. This doesn't matter during the holidays, but I find it really throws everything out of kilter on a school day, so I am intending to get back on track next week. Like you, I feel too tired to tackle the kitchen after putting the DC to bed. I think I'm going to move dinnertime forward a bit, so that I can tackle the kitchen before baths and bedtimes, as it's just too demoralising to come back down to a messy kitchen later.

Great that you are being cooked for today!

[PositiveAttitude]

Good Sunday to you all.

We went to a Khmer church this morning for the first time, which was quite good fun. - previously we have been to an ex-pat church all done in English.

I have done a few loads of washing today and have survived even though the hose is still determined to spray water into my dodgy electrics!

Sat with DS and watched the worst film in the history of films! - District 9, about aliens! It was ridiculous. DH thought it was a comedy, but I think it was supposed to be taken semi-seriously. That was a waste of an hour and a half of my life!

THen I baked a yummy chocolate cake and faffed around making spring rolls. What a load of time and effort for not a lot of taste! Last time I do that! All the rolling stuff up and stuffing it in etc.... I will wait another 10 months and get them from the takeaway back there!!

Just about to skype my girlies......

Have a good day and I hope all the going back to school prep is going well. (I don't envy you one bit, I used to hate all that.)

Oh, yes, the Korean girl was found last evening, thank you all. Now she is out agian and has been gone ages, so we may have a deja vu as it is now dark again here! She is only staying here until Tuesday, then I wont feel responsible for her any more. Roll on Tuesday, I say!! Its bad enough with your own children, but one who doesn't speak the same language as you and who wanders off is a worry!

[ToffeeWhirl]

PA - hello! I watched that film and have to say that I fell asleep before the end... I have just been talking about you in Cambodia with DS1 and telling him about the cars parked in front rooms and the house-numbering system. I thought that would get his attention and it did! He has just downloaded a new app which allows him to watch (and control, apparently ) any CCTV camera anywhere in the world. I don't suppose you have a CCTV camera at the end of your road, do you ? Anyway, I thought we could use this app in geography when we are home educating. But, as he was swift to remind me, he is still on holiday at the moment .

Enjoy Skyping your lovely girls. You must miss them.

[PositiveAttitude]

Nothing half as new-fangled as CCTV here, sorry Toffee. DId you get my email today?

[ToffeeWhirl]

Have just replied, PA! I have only just checked my emails - was too caught up in MN before . Thanks so much.

[elliepac]

Hallloooooo. Apologies for extended absence. I got caught up in extended madness of DS bday and then exam results (my class did very well, so proud of them) and then getting ready for holiday.

Have returned from holiday this afternoon and am currently swamped with unpacking and trying to restore normality before tomorrow. On the positive side, i have had the most lovely 6 weeks and genuinely feel rested and ready to go back.

Finished the bankruptcy exercise that is school uniform shopping just in time. The most stressful point was trying to find DD shoes. She has very wide feet and really high instep. I lost count of the amount of shoes we must have tried on and branches of shoe shops we have tried including 3 clarks. Eventually found some in a small independent retailer recommended by the poor Clarks lady who tried everything to find us a shoe. Startrite for the first time bu cost £40!!!! Good job I managed to get DS some from the clarks outlet!

Anyway better crack on!

toffee i haven't forgotten your history stuff. Will e-mail it tomorrow if that's ok. Sorry for taking so long.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Welcome to Whispers. I don't shine my sink in the evening, however I do (if it's my turn) do the kitchen straight after eating whenever possible, the DCs take fruit and milk to the lounge and watch a bit of telly once they have done their bit of helping. Mine are older though, 6 and 8, they don't go to bed till 8.30. Any handwashing (we have a DW but always have to handwash a few things) gets left on the drainer overnight and put away in the morning, which is when the sink gets shined (when I remember/have time).

My favourite babysteps are Swish and Swipe and hotspots I think. The ones I never bother with are getting dressed to shoes, post-it notes all over the house, reading testimonials from the Flylady website. Probably others too.

Ellie - welcome back. If it's any consolation both my DCs have high insteps (so do I) and they both end up with Start-Rite every year. Clarks have never fitted them for school shoes, although they both wore them when younger.

PA - glad you enjoyed the Khmer church, sounds as though you are starting to settle in properly over there.

Toffee - I agree that routines are far more important in term time - one of the reasons I like the holidays!

MC - we have had a couple of those tooth incidents, with both DS's top front teeth. The first one got wobblier and wobblier, then one morning he woke up and said it really hurt, I looked and it had turned right round! DH had to pull it out for him.

Bitchy - hope you've managed to grab a bit of sleep

Iburnt - some things have been on my to do list for at least a year

Lauren - welcome back to your mum.

NickNacks - hope DD had a great day today

Justgetting - glad to hear things are progressing re your building repairs.

Waves at ChitChat, Carpe, Brices, Feet, Honu, Trazzle, Blue, Engels, PMPY, Shift, Gin - anyone else that is around.

Quiet day here today, I went shopping by myself this afternoon while DH and DS watched the F1 and DD made clay models of Moshi Monsters. I've given myself a bit of a headache by squirting perfumes on myself in Debenhams. Cleared the airing cupboard ready for the plumber tomorrow, and earmarked a large pile of bedlinen to be got rid of when it all goes back in again. Back in a minute with some links.

[ToffeeWhirl]

ellie - welcome back and congratulations on your class results . It must feel good when all your hard work pays off. Thanks for remembering the History stuff (shame I can't just teleport you down here once a week too!).

WhoKnows - I love the 'swish and swipe' step too. It's so quick and makes such a difference. Best of luck with the plumber tomorrow. I hope it's quick and not too expensive .

Have spent lots of time today planning our home ed timetables and routines. My head is spinning with ideas for English, Science and History. Haven't tackled the Maths yet, as that's my weakest subject (shame I can't teleport Honu down here too ).

Maybe DS1 could be entirely educated by Mumsnet...

Off to sort bedtime routines. They are getting earlier in time for back-to-school timetable next week (DS2 goes back on Wednesday).

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I like Maths Toffee and use it in my work, but I am probably very out of date with modern methods and I suspect I have forgotten all my geometry, algebra, calculus etc. If you need any science help (chemistry, especially) do let me know. Plumber is going to be all day if not into Tuesday and it's probably going to cost about £1000 .

Just been explaining to the DCs that I am going to hospital and that Dad is going to need a LOT of help around the house for a few weeks. They were so sweet and immediately started devising a housework rota and finding teddy bears for me to take with me. Awww.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Links for Monday 3rd Sept.

Babystep DON"T DO THIS! This is where Flylady tries to get you signed up for her emails. Instead, just shine your sink dress to shoes (or not) and maybe browse the Flylady website.

This week's Zone turns out not to be Zone 1 after all but is Zone 2, the kitchen. .

So, here is the sneak peek for the week Sneak Peek

THe Mission Mission Dust and clean all the high up bits. If this link doesn't update properly, it is also listed in the Sneak Peek link.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Back from w/e with my brother, which was fun.

Now I have 2 days to plan DS2's birthday party, meal plan for the week, crisis clean the house to mum-visiting level, and probably lots of other things that I can't think of at the moment. Baby steps!!

Waves to all. Good night!

[ShiftyFades]

Maths! Did someone mention maths?
Love it, love sooo much. The only thing I love more than algebra is DS (DH is 3rd.... Or maybe 4th after my car )
DNephew passed his GCSE with extra coaching from me, he's my 3rd "student" I've helped.
Got my best friend's daughter lined up for this next year

So flying:
Rain put paid to my washing intentions, but I've done as much ironing as I can.
I've popped a load on tonight & will do another in the morning, so will have plenty to do tomorrow

S&s
Cleaned bath thanks due to DS pooing in the bath yet again
Shined sink

Going to Paultons tomorrow as most kiddies will be back at school and it's going to be nice weather

[Scruffybear]

Am late for everything....whoops. Hello all. Even though I am rarely managing to post lists I am making progress at a snails pace just through lurking in the company of more organised types, so thank you and I am back for more in september. (who stole the summer?!)
To be fair, if I wasn't always trying to cope with poxy iPad screen keyboard and the clamouring paws of two toddlers I would probably do better at the lists and therefore the flying methinks. Ah well. Delighted to find we are in the kitchen again (not) perhaps in 30 days I will genuinely progress from rotating stuff in a clockwise and then anticlockwise direction around our very small kitchen.


Whispers- am chuffed that you have exposed the fact that many of us have less than sparkling sinks AND that I am not alone in having a bit of a half arsed before bed routine.Off to bed feeling less guilty!

[dizzyday07]

Spent another day up to my elbows in boxes. DH asked for a list of what to do - then promptly packed something in the wrong place! I know I'm being anal and should be grateful that he's "helping" but if he called out to me once asking about something he called out 100 times. All that's really left to pack is my sewing stuff that I need to crack on with tomorrow and the kitchen.

I will then be spending Tuesday wiping, dusting and hoovering as best I can before the house gets emptied on Wed.

MC - My DD has pulled all of her 6 loose teeth out!

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

Hello all, this is a very dynamic thread, from missing Koreans to shiny sinks and all points in between!

A success to report, finally managed (we moved in 2 years ago) to get DH to help me tackle the garage (read dumping area, still with packing boxes and goodness knows what else) sorry, I should say my back can be dodgy so I tend to avoid humpfing boxes etc just in case, plus I needed him to help decide what to keep and what to chuck. He cleared one whole half, did 3 runs to the dump, so we now have space to put his bike, ds bike scooter and beach stuff in. Yay!
Hopefully we will get thru the right hand side next time there is a dry day at the weekend. That could be spring 2013 I suppose!! Hope not.

[ToffeeWhirl]

WhoKnows - OK, you can be Chemistry teacher. Honu and Shifty will have to job share for Maths . PA is covering topic-based work (Cambodia, of course) and Ellie is doing the History. I'll cover English Lang and Lit. Any takers for Geography?

Shifty - why do you love Maths so much? I find it so, so difficult and (sorry) uninteresting. But then I was never very good at it and I suppose it's hard to like something you find difficult. It's good for me to have to tackle it again for DS1's sake, though. Maybe I will learn something too.

WhoKnows - what date is your op? We will need to send you virtual . Your DC are being so sweet about looking after you .

Blue - two days to do all that - eek! Crisis clean whilst planning meals and birthday party, maybe...?

Scruffy - 'at a snail's pace' counts as 'babysteps', so that's ok .

Dizzy - good luck with the moving house! It's great that DH is being such a help .

Just drinking a hot chocolate, then off to bed. Head still spinning with home ed ideas. It would be OK if it was just me studying them all, but imbuing DS1 with the same level of enthusiasm is going to be impossible tricky. Ah well...

Night all.

[elliepac]

I have nothing positive to say this morning. Uurrgh.

[Brices]

Wonder what happened to zone 1?
Mondays are the hardest with flying....

Gym (week 6 day 1 of couch to 5k)
Strip and make beds
Dust
Hoover
Mop floors
Clean microwave and oven
Still decluttering bedroom

Had a good sort out of DSs clothes moved all 3 - 6 months out and 6 - 9 months in. He has so many clothes! A lot are pink from his sister, oh well... He's only 4 months but very tall like his Dad.

I love the idea of home ed and what I'd like to do with my two later.

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Right, an apology to start, I am also typing on an iPad so impossible keyboard and the inability to look at others replies whilst typing my reply will make it very difficult to do personal replies until I 'know' some of you better I am reading them though, thank you to everyone who replies to me, I am delighted that others find the shiny sink tricky too, it seems like the worst one to get 'wrong' as it's the first baby step! I forgot, I also find hotspots tricky, I do do them, but not regularly and not timed. Could do with working them into a routine somewhere...
Totally confused about the zones this month, I use the home routines app which is on zone 1, grr! I hate them being out of sync
Will be back soon with lists

[WhispersOfWickedness]

at brices doing that list with a 4 month old! I am full of respect

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Oops, mission link fail! It has gone to tomorrow's. If you look carefully above the pink flight plan icon there is a link saying Go to Todays

[BitchyDragons]

What Ellie said!