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!

WhoKnows - so did the plumber sort the problem? After 2 visits from mine I still had the problem!

Whispers - mine's been 3 for a month - from memory with DS1 they don't really start calming down, but they get less 'frustrated' because they can do things better. DS2 is gradually throwing less tantrums - although the tantrums he throws are doozies!

Bitchy - that's waaaaay to early!

The plumber didn't make it yesterday, so he should be here this morning. Hopefully he will finally be able to get the problem sorted.

Enjoyed ironing with a dvd yesteday - watched Munich finally, I've only had it for about 2 years now!! Ironing pile is almost gone, just a few stay items which need to be ironed and put away.

ta da:
dishwasher unloaded
boys dressed
DS1's bed stripped (another accident - oh this bodes well for school!)
1 x wash in machine

To do:
15 mins kitchen
15 mins dining room
15 mins lounge/play room
3 x loads of wash (at the very least)
prep school uniform
prep sports uniform
shopping for school shirts
check if shoes still fit, if not shopping for school shoes
buy droid treats for DS1 for taking his medicine
buy other treat for DS1 for making his bed every day for a week (with no reminders!)

Yeah, I'm not sure I meant calm down, I think I meant 'better able to resist impulses if not socially acceptable'!
DS doesn't have tantrums, but is driving me and DH mad by ignoring us if he has decided that whatever it is he is doing is a fun thing to do anyway
I have done quite a few things already, including the daily mission I love the missions, they are all the things that it wouldn't occur to me to do, but do make the place look better - I had never wiped a cupboard door before flylady!!

Morning all,

Just dropped the DCs at school, felt a bit lonely walking back on my own . They seemed fine, although DS especially hasn't wanted to go back.

I'm tired, DD woke up at midnight and woke me, I then couldn't get back to sleep, then DH got up and started being sick, which was repeated throughout the night, so he's tucked up in bed still. Managed the morning routine OK though and off to work now.

ChitChat - yes, there were two problems, one was causing the heating header tank to overflow, which would have been OK except for the fact that the overflow pipe wasn't connected so it all came through the ceiling. The other being that the heating was coming on when it wasn't meant to because the switch was sticking. He fixed the overflow a couple of weeks ago, then we had a new hot water tank and switch yesterday, plus the boiler serviced and all seems to be fine again. Luckily we have a good plumber who we have been using for years. Hope yours gets sorted soon.

Happy 3rd birthday, MiniTrazzle .

Blue - you are sounding very organised with your back-to-school practise runs.

Bitchy - yes that is too, too early .

ChitChat - good luck with the plumber. Hope problem gets sorted today.

Whispers - calm down around three? . No chance. But they make up for it by being incredibly sweet and adorable at that age .

lauren - date nights are sounding good!

Hope shoe shopping is successful, Swan. Am wondering how I am going to wrestle DS2 out of his beloved Crocs and into school shoes tomorrow morning.

WhoKnows - hope DC have a happy first day back at school. Sorry your DH has been sick. Let's hope it's not catching.

Last day of the holidays here. DC both woke up at respectable times (ie, in time to get to school), so we are back on track for that at least. Am enjoying my last morning of hanging out in my dressing gown (and Mumsnetting) with undressed children until 11am.

This morning, I'm going to tackle the house (decluttering and cleaning required), sort out PE kit (whereohwhereisit?) and uniforms and have another sort through home ed stuff. Then am taking the boys out for their Tudor experience (greeted with less than an enthusiastic response this morning, I must say ). Hopefully, they will enjoy it when they are there and I will get some decent pics for the LEA woman's visit on Thursday.

Oh, and I must also plan my routines again. They definitely need tinkering with.

Sadly, from tomorrow I am instigating a no-internet-during-school-hours policy, which applies to me as well as DS1. So, no MN before 3 .

Hope you all have great days.

Sneaking in a little fuzzy-headed. Spent yesterday at the Paralympics and my ears are still ringing from the noise in the Aquatics Centre! Didn't get home until nearly midnight - DS tired and grumpy, DD flying high on the sheer buzz of the adrenaline. Unsurprisingly neither of them have surfaced yet :o
Our 'back-to-school' plans are completely shot this year as they are supposed to go back tomorrow but we have morning athletics tickets - oops. I will get everything ready today though so I don't have to think about it tomorrow.

Whoknows - I am expecting to feel a little lost come Thursday too. It seems to have a been a busy summer this time round and involved a lot more arguing than I remember from last year but I have still loved having them around and am not looking forward to hectic school-run mornings again :(

Welcome back Swan - Ireland sounds lovely, shame about the family politics though. Hope a little distance gives you the ability to process it all and that life doesn't get too frantic.

Happy Birthday to all the 3 year olds (and anyone older for that matter). I think I had two completely different versions - DD could tantrum for England and was Hard Work at times, DS was Mr Laidback and relaxed though he did have a habit of ending up in A&E

Today's list:

• Work
• Morning routine - washing, washing up, S&S, cat litter, sweep kitchen floor
• Mop kitchen floor
• Missions for today and yesterday (and maybe tomorrow if I have time!)
• Sort out plumbers/electricians for rental properties
• Make strange but yummy sounding elderberry sauce
• Prepare and freeze rest of elderberries
• Make bolognese
• School uniform sorting/ironing/polishing plus cheques written
• Ironing whilst watching Paralympics

That sounds like far too much, will see how I get on.
Enjoy the sunshine those that have it.

Yeurgh.... just yeurgh...

Warning: self pitying post alert!

This morning started wonderfully with my boss (I WAH) emailing me to tell me he'd (as I thought) done my job so I could get on with tidying & packing.

So, I start by putting on a wash of new clothes for DS to wear on holiday, and get them hung out. And next load (bedding) put on, but with a bit of a hitch as when I open the drawer, there's still water in it, so I get a wet foot. Sort that, and the washing goes on.

Breakfast and morning routine all done.

Then I notice that bedding doesn't have any tablets in it, because I was sidetracked by wet floor. Stop cycle, reset, and add tablets. Restart washing.

Start shredding documents from cleared out folders. Jam shredder 3 times during this.

Get phoned by boss wondering why my job isn't done. I bluster something about DS not letting me get on and apologise. Upon re-reading the email, he's just done the bit that someone else normally does so that I could get started earlier.

Work like stink to get job done.

Go to make coffee and discover that DS has been in kitchen and pulled tablecloth making his bowl with remainder of cereal spill all over floor.

Yeurgh... just yeurgh...

Oh, and DS will have to go for a nap in about an hour (as he's got kid gymastics at 2) and I know he's going to kick off about this too...

Oh Carpe - that's just grim!! Hope your day gets better.

WhoKnows - wow, that's some ongoing plumbing problems! Glad it's sorted.

Well the plumber has been and gone, problem not sorted but at least this time it's been identified! Our switcher/timer thingy (very technical term, that ) is bunk. The power keeps flickering which makes it lose connection with the boiler and so the boiler turns off. So now we probably need a new switcher/timer thingy..... waiting for a phone call to let me know the damage. Damn thing was only 14 months old in the first place!!!!

This is all making me oh so tempted to get one of those boiler policies which gives you free servicing/fixing. I've resisted because I've rented houses with those policies for electrical items and its taken FOREVER to even get the people out, let alone get the damn thing fixed. Can't handle the though of being at the mercy of their booking systems tbh!

Sigh.... and on with the day we go.

Morning all!

Ta da!
Bread made (in machine)
2 loads of washing on line
Downstairs hoovered
S&S
Kitchen doors cleaned
Back door cleaned
Bathroom cleaned and mopped
Sink shiny
Kettle polished (!)
Smeary handprints wiped off TV
First draft done

Still to do
Finish work
Hoover upstairs
Straighten bedrooms out again
Mop kitchen floor
Pick veg
Dead plants in garden bin
Cook dinner
Make chutney

Parents arriving around tea time...

Good luck with the shoe shopping, swan.

ta da
early training
see friend for coffee

to do
nap
collect ds from school and start the teams chaotic afterschool activities schedule.

Anything else that gets done is pure luck and miracle.

Did anyone fill the geography position?

I started felting at the beginning of the year but dropped off the threads a while back. I have kept up the fifteen minutes a day and the Hot spot attacking.

We are now safely ensconced in our new home and are enjoying the space. I have also taken on board a great deal of that organisational document that did the rounds a while back and I am different person now in terms of birthdays and events. Even DH understands how to file stuff!

Things like wiping round the bathroom sink and putting bleach down every other day as well as waiting the rooms bad making the beds, deciding on clothes for the days DD and I are at working nursery are all now standard practice.

The new house means I can finally have a place for everything and everything in its place. My deadline is Christmas to have everything streamlined and every single box unpacked. Cleaning happened alongside other activities and washing is also just done. Nothing seems quite as bad as it used to be but there is room for improvement.

Felting? Flying!

Today's list

Am. Work.

Wash up. Done
Dry up. Done
Do a quick wash
Hang up wash
Sort clothes for next three days
HOOVER
Cook dinner

Pack work and nursery bags

Toffee I think you are allowed internet at coffee break surely? And just because ds1 isn't...that is no reason to curtail your internetting? After all teachers are allowed to Mumsnet at breaktimes...
No internet in Ireland where I was (too much granite) and it made not a mite of difference to my productivity (ie v unproductive). I think certain shades of interneting keep one sane.

done
one set of school shoes, school socks, dd friend over again came with my three shopping
multiple exercise, park three visits, bicycling x 2,
sent ds1 to find a friend, (no friend has turned up alas) but at least it broke ice, maybe he will visit THIS term...
kept peace between sons
forced ds1 to do a chore (hanging out washing)
forced ds1 to make his bed
dd has packed her PE bag (yes I had washed everything)

stillnotdone
cards
bills
wider tidying
supper

Feet my sons are obsessed by the Olympics atm. I think it has inspired them in a big way.
Chitchat hope your boiler problems get sorted too.
Ellie well done on the GSCE grades, I remember August 2011 you were worried about the grades (may have misremembered) so that is a relief

better go and do something with the suitcases

Chitchat from what I've heard anecdotally, BG service contract is rubbsh when it is depths of winter and you actually need the boiler fixed NOW. Ithink only answer is just to find a bloody good plumber to install who will service and fix things because his reputation depends on it.

Carpe sorry you are having such a frantic day, very admiring of you fitting in WIH at same time as toddler.

ChitChat - I have read one or two threads about those service contracts with a very wide range of experiences. We've never bothered and this is the first time we've had a water / heating breakdown in 11 years in the house, so actually per year it hasn't been too bad. That's the other thing, you can only get cover if your boiler is relatively new, ours is about 17 years old so not eligible now. We do get it serviced every year though.

Swan - internet at coffee break will be my downfall. I really do have to stay off it, otherwise it will eat up our time and DS will sneak off and log onto 'Minecraft'. I have to set a good example . If I can be strong willed enough, I might log on briefly at breakfast time to check emails and MN threads.

We didn't make it to the Tudor house because DS1 had one of his anxiety wobbles about it and couldn't go. At least I gained extra time to declutter and tidy the house though. Spent ages tackling DS2's bedroom, which wasn't my priority, but badly needed it. Now have a big bagful of rubbish to throw out and drawers full of neatly folded clothes in time for school tomorrow .

Tried to stick a children's map of the world up in DS1's room, but was scolded because it was apparently very 'uncool'.

Right, back to decluttering and tidying up. Have found the PE kit (washed and folded, which I can't even remember doing) and the swimming stuff.

Anyone else a fan of 'The Walking Dead'? ( Ellie ?) DH said we could watch the new series tonight. I think he has downloaded it. I don't know how I have the stomach for it, but I am so gripped by the drama that I have learned to tolerate the gore (not usually my cup of tea at all). It will make a stark contrast to the DVDs of 'Upstairs, Downstairs' that we have been watching recently!

Ooo, eyes what is the organisation document you mentioned? Sounds like something I'd be interested in

Not onto such a winner today, only 10 things on my app ticked off

Why did I listen to DS1 when he rarely knows what day it is, let alone which month? 'Walking Dead' is not on till end of October. Sorry to raise the hopes of any fans.

I used to watch it Toffee but dfrifted away halfway through season 2, it just didn't feel as though the story was moving on at all, I got bored of them all being stuck on that farm with the barn full of zombies.

Apparently I have just had 6 weeks off work. I don't appear to remember it.

Survived the first day with pupils..... just. DD survived first day at reception.......just (had to be peeled off CM roaring but then settled) DS survived first day in Year 5 ........just (massive nosebleed in playground before school began) DH survived a day of doing feck all..... just(may kill him yet).

swan nice to have you back. You have some memory. Twas indeed a massive relief!

trazzle happy 3rd birthday to DS

My brain does not have enough mental capacity to remember all other posts as am on phone!

Am going now to take one exhausted and stroppy 4 year old to bed, even though she has just screamed in my face that she is NOT TIRED.

Oooh forgot to mention toffee. All the school systems are down so I can't access the History stuff until tomorrow. Don't get me started on how fecking annoying that is. And I love Walking Dead. I too hate gore but it has sucked me in somehow. I was actually thinking of cancelling the extortionate amount I pay to Sky each month but then I realised I wouldn't be able to get Walking Dead so that won't be happening.

Evening all,

can I join the corner of exhausted people in the back-to-school corner? Slightly cheating as this is my 3rd week back, but my energy has disappeared now and I just want to sleep. Zzzzzzz.

carpe hope your day got better.

bitchy Ouch. That's way too early!

ellie I hear that summerholidayamnesia is increasingly common

eyes you sound very on top of everything. I have a looooong way to go to declutter throw out all of DH's crap

I really don't know how anyone works fulltime with small children. It just feeld like a whirl of nursery drop-off/work/home/pick-up/make dinner/eat/clear away/prep fr tomorrow. Now I'm lying in a heap on the sofa, and am planning on falling into bed pretty soon. Last nigth we went to bed at 9.10, and one night last week we gave in 8.30.

There is no way I could do this for 5 days on the trot. I was considering going up to 4 days next year but have told DH to remind me of how tired I am right now if I bring it up again.

Do any of the fledglings work full time?

too tired for anymore personals I'm afraid. the laptop is going off and Smallville is going on (we're up to season 5 )

I don't do paid work at all anymore, Engels. I used to find it exhausting trying to fit in freelance work and children. Having to home educate DS1 has scuppered any plans I had of going back to work at the moment.

Ellie - well done on you and your family surviving the first exhausting day back. Thanks for letting me know about the History stuff. How annoying for you to come back to work and find the systems down. I was right about you liking 'The Walking Dead' then! I thought I remembered you mentioning it.

WhoKnows - 'Walking Dead' kept all its budget for the grand finale of the last series, apparently. Actually, I quite enjoyed the quiet pace of the last series, but oh my goodness, they made up for it in the last episode. Worth watching if you can find it (but you will need a sofa to hide behind ).

EyesDoMore - the Geography position is still vacant . Are you interested?

Since last posting, I have tidied up the garden and hoovered upstairs. Also unloaded d/w and cooked dinner. Waiting for Ocado order to arrive, then it's bathtimes and bedtimes, followed by last-minute check on school stuff for tomorrow.

engelsmama that's very kind of you, I can quite genuinely say that everything I have learnt about housework and organising has come from mumsnet!

Am. Work.
Wash up done three times
Scrub sink to remind DH of what clean sink before bed 'actually' means done
Dry up done again three times
Put away dry washing done
Did two washes done
Hang up washing done
Sort clothes for next three days done
HOOVER done
Pack work and nursery bags done
Wash wooden floor in hallway done
Empty all bins including bathrooms and put out done
Bring in bins from collection done
Visit craft shop to try finding material done
Cook dinner done
Bath and bed for DD done
Finish urgent work emails prior to return tomorrow
Decide photos to print for a gift