October-fest: a fledgling (at best) might spruce up its nest (then take a rest?).

[strictlycaballine]

Welcome to the October 2012 Fledgling Flyers thread. Park your mops, buckets, microfibre cloths, golden dusters and spiders-web-removing-implements here!

A huge "thank you" to Whoknows and Pushme for leading us throughout September!! (Hope you are recovering well Whoknows - take it steady!)

If your house is a mess and you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and along the way.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in weekly designated zones of the house; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with more time to do other more interesting things instead! At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again anyway!

We advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

• start or repeat baby steps

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

[And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.]

More info here on getting started, and the flylady system here and here Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound.

All welcome!!

Join me in the naughty corner. I have coffee might even be able to rustle up some cake or something. Still mulling over the fall out from parents evening. Didn't tell me anything I didn't know in some respcts, just didn't know school was having the problems too. Which makes the problems bigger in some repsects. I also slept threw the alarm clock and have decided that sleep is high on the priority today so I have a big stack of comfy cushions and blankies and I AM hiding in the naughty corner!

I'm coming to join you with some chocolate hobnob's bitchy :)

Carpe - CDs? Strange mental image of compact discs driving cars!

Not expecting much flying to happen today, but will be sending off a signed contract for my big new project. Whoop! That does mean I'd better start work on it though...

[brews big vat of coffee for the naughty corner]
Can I have a choccie hobnob too, Gossip?

Morning all! Literally just galloping through to check all well. Nine hundred things still to do today so in a hurry! Hope you are all OK!!

[Waves to Bitchy and Gossip in naughty corner*]

Bitchy Sorry parents evening proved stressful.

Gossip try and do just 15 mins of something I'm not in the- mood either

Carpe you've got to love your ds's superior sense of timing!!

Good luck with exciting contract Blue [whispers] Yes, I love rabbit casserole when it's cooked by someone else! Very lean meat - a Spanish friend of mine always serves it to her family when they are recuperating from illness. Well done re: yesterday's list.

Crikey Madwoman another one juggling an entire dinner service! Respect for keeping up with it all. Sorry to hear about allegation, which must be intensely stressful situation. How is new job going?

Sympathies! I hate it when dh doesn't follow through with set routines - he put dd to bed last night and of course I came upstairs to find her ballet stuff and school uniform all over the bathroom floor and dirty clothes on top of the laundry basket - not in it - because it's too much trouble to lift the lid of course [anger]

Castlelough your forthcoming w/e sounds fab!! Am dead jealous !

Whoknows I see a pattern I definitely approve of in your list - eat and bed - eat and bed!! Your mil sounds lovely! Hope you and dh can resolve holiday cover. Any dc workshops you could book them in to (exceptionally) for a wk? Might ease the pressure (even half days)?

Got to dash! Have a good day everyone!

mad I like your new regime, stick with it! I am sort of getting there with that sort of thing in our house.
carpe no-one expects a house to be smelling of roses our house smells of cat pee and trainers for a playdate! Enjoy playdate and don't worry too much about what other people think, tis a life's work, that one

A bit scuppered this morning,

ds2 is refusing to go to school because he hasn't done his homework, which he refuses to do...[goes round in circles]
I thought he was ill as he went back to sleep briefly, but now I know he is just being difficult
We are out of kilter because his Dad was ill yesterday so didn't do evening or morning routine the usual way, and ds2 needs his routines. Ds2 is being more and more stubborn, but also mischievous with it! He just gave me a beaming smile and a hug

Kitchen is a mess, after last night kerfuffles, and I am knackered again from going to bed late and waking up at 6.30am. Also feeling nervous about visiting new baby/doing/saying right thing My brother can be a tricky character, yet I know SIL hates clutter/stockpiling so it's difficult to bring presents which won't be enjoyed (they have a very small but perfect house)
Sure it will all be fine when I get there, if I can get renegade son back to school. Brother has just changed visit so I am going round at 2pm.

My mum has just been stirring the breastfeeding/bottles pot on the phone yesterday, so that is another minefield to negotiate.

SC lol at the Meldrew voice,I know it so well, and I quite agree that the thought of marinading your dear little rabbits sounds quite horrendous! Ds1's fave book non-fictionwise is The Film Guide, an enormous tome which he spends a great deal of time consulting.

So, I need to clear kitchen table
force ds2 to put uniform on
put dw on
cornflakes away
what's for dinner? Who knows
Force ds2 to go to school as it is ICT THIS AFTERNOON and YOU LOVE THAT
give up on homework maybe?
buy washing powder
do washing
nap?
visit brother and SIL and new baby
another nap on sofa when kids back from school?
Fencing
collapse

x post

Good luck with your day Swan [hands over strong coffee] and with getting ds2 back to school. Hope new baby visit goes well and not too stressful - surely no one can object to well intentioned compliments about their new born?? How about baby clothing as present - bibs and things - that will get used??? Thanks v. much for book tip!!

Good luck Swan.

SC - yes there are plenty of clubs but someone has to get them there and back, I still won't be driving. The longest one runs 8.30 to 5.30 and DH threw up his hands in horror at his work day being curtailed like that (he only has a 25min commute so he could still do 9-5.

DP pulled me out of naughty corner and ran me a nice hot bubble bath with bubbles and everything (He found me sobbing on the bed and after cuddles and reassurance ran me a bath). But left hobnobs there blue. The good news is I get my dishwasher tonight, bad news is I have to de-clutter the under stairs cupboard for the tumbledryer to live in there :( its a bloody big cupboard and it has all sorts of shit in there -I do apologise for being sweary by the way, it's the only way I can vent as ds3 is home and I cant rant to myself or dp without swearing-which obviously I dont want ds3 to repeat) so I suppose that can be my mission for today. I had mad hour tidying the downstairs and bathroom last night in rage, after the wanky phone call so its not looking too bad today really.

see you all later if I survive the cupboard that is...

phew, ds2 ran off merrily to school without a backwards glance when I mentioned ICT. We had actually by then worked out how to do his Maths and he abandoned verbs

SC there lies the rub with SIL, she hates being given bags of "stuff", and I know she has already got umpteen s/h baby clothes. She has a habit of returning things to me if she doesn't like/need them...which is most disconcerting. I think I am going to pass onto to her a large stuffed horse for the 2 year old. And possibly buy several tins of biscuits. And remember that sometimes new parents want to see the guest not the presents they bring!

Table cleared done
vinegar hot wash to detoxify the washing machine! done

swan what about a universal gift card? You can pick them up from the post office and put whatever amount you were planning to spend on the baby/parents, its small and fits in her purse and easy to access when needed.

Whoknows is there a taxi you could do a deal with, at least for the morning or afternoon drop off pickup. Might be worth investing, if you could find a cheaper shorter course, and then they could just watch DVD when home. It is so difficult to scrape together lots of favours isn't it, but I think in the end you can't compromise your recovery because it will cost more £ than if you look after yourself now. Or Dh could drop you earlier than course starts, you could sit there for half an hour with kids, then get a taxi home, and ditto on way home.

Hadn't thought about taxis I must admit. I'd need to take booster seats then (short DCs). There is one club that is only half a mile away, I might be able to walk that by then. The problem is that if I go out and need a rest I can't sit down!

I normally just lurk on this thread, but I saw the recent discussion about Internet protection for children and wanted to recommend a program called K9 - it's free. You can set it to only block certain categories (there's a long list), or all of them. You can also restrict time on a particular site, so you could allow access to Facebook for only 30 mins per day, for example.

I've found it to be quite strict with full controls on, blocking sites I try to access that aren't dodgy, so I think it works very well!

Hi all! Been a busy day work wise here so not much flying but I do have lists!

There's a meningitis outbreak at a local nursery 2 confirmed cases! So I'm having to be on high alert as well as informing all parents without sending them into a panic!

To do:
School run *3- 1 done 2 to go
DD and mindee to playgroup
drop DB off at college
Wash car seat covers- mindee toilet training incident
Finish cleaning the kitchen from last night
Shine sink
Wash kitchen floor
Routines
Sort out playroom
My room hotspot
Today's mission- when I find out what it is!
Maybe paperwork

That's probably all I will have time for!

I'm back on the diet after a week of birthday celebrations, definitely ready for a detox!

Hope your toddler morning went well carpe!

Hope you are ok gossip your DP sounds lovely!

Enjoy your baby cuddles swan I'm sure it will go fine!

Has anyone seen nicknacks?!

He really is lauren

I have emerged from the cupboard unscathed, and I now have plenty of space for the tumble dryer, yay !! Dp has a tip run and a charity shop run, the charity shop will be so impressed with the amount of video's they are going to recieve!!!

WhoKnows - swan's taxi idea is a good one. And I also agree with her about you not compromising your recovery. I hope you get something sorted. Glad your MIL is being so helpful.

swan - I suspect your SIL has a tidy house because she is the sort of person who has the gall to return unwanted presents. Our loft is full of unwanted gifts that we were too polite to give back or give away. Ever since DS1 was born, MIL has been giving us stuff to 'help us out' and there are bagfuls of the stuff all over our house, particularly children's clothes that are too horrible to put my children in not the right style. I think a gift card is a brilliant idea if you have the time to get one before you visit her. Well done on getting your DS2 to school, by the way.

Gossip - as someone who has recently completed the daunting 'cupboard-under-the-stairs' clearout, take it from me that it will all be worth it in the end and you will feel very smug about it.

issimma - sorry for your pregnancy niggles. Do rest if you can.

Are you ok, PA?

Hope today is going ok, Trazzle. Will pop over and check your thread shortly.

Have had a busy morning Flying with my fortnightly cleaner. It's good when she comes because I have to tidy up. There is still too much stuff everywhere , in spite of my recent decluttering efforts, but at least it makes me want to declutter even more. Am determined to get the clutter under control by Christmas.

DS1 is poorly with a cough and cold. He took himself back to bed mid-morning, but I followed him upstairs and read him a chapter on Aristotle and early science, then switched on a children's CD of the story of 'The Magic Flute'. He's not getting out of home ed that easily! (Although he had managed to fall asleep last time I looked).

As I can't do anymore work with him and my house is reasonably tidy, I'm going to take this opportunity to catch up on sleep before the school run.

eek at meningitis scare, lauren!

Well done on the cupboard, Gossip. Enjoy the new tumbledryer!

EllieQ -thanks for that tip. I'll check it out.

You are all right, I do not want to overdo things. I will look into taxis. Just feels a bit pathetic getting a taxi to a place that you can actually see from the front of the house!

I had a big clearout of the understairs cupboard a few weeks ago, lovely it was. Needless to say DH has stuffed it full of crap again .

That's worrying about the meningitis Lauren

Have a good sleep Toffee

to clarify - assault allegation isn't against me! dd1 was a witness, and due to subsequent parental involvement, I've had to make a formal complaint against another volunteer, etc etc. all a bit of a mess. The assault investigation is all sorted, but the formal complaint and dismissal is still ongoing.

Job is okay - not rocket science, but it will pay the bills!

Madwoman. Can you answer me a question? How in the world does a toilet roll innard improve stick handling?

Gossip - be prepared for him to come back with the videos. None of the charity shops would take ours before we moved so I had no choice but to take them to the tip!

DS and I had a nice time yesterday in Oxford. We visited Primark to get him some front-of-house clothes and a few shoe shops to see if there was anything he'd want for Xmas. There wasn't so he's been internet surfing looking instead. We had a Costa coffee after I sold a kidney to pay for it!

We set him to work when we got back so he cooked cheese stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon, fondant potatoes and pan fried asparagus for tea (I only ate the veg parts) and a pork casserole too.

Today's list is rather short.

• D/W emptied and refilled with Rinse Aid and Salt
• Washing in and hung to dry
• Took - and collected - DS from the station (he wanted to pop down to see what Reading was like)
• Emptied kitchen bin and recycling
• Phoned Post Office about the busted letter box - need to get a replacemrnt quote off the developer
• Opened Gas/Elec account

Bit of a panic on here as all plans for flood clear out are behind, so flying is a bit hit and miss, but many of the basics are doing well.

My legs tender, but reasonably healed in it?s stopped leaking fluid, but the foot won?t even try and heal, which is a major problem as I have to be moving mouldy flood damaged stuff over the weekend. Had it redressed professionally this morning and am taping a bag over the foot and about to go swimming to test ability to seal it from infection. At least if I can?t it will get a good chlorine bath out of it!

S/C glad to have been of use.

Trazzle belatedly agrees with everyone that it?s so nice to have you here.

Carpe Sorry but

Bitchy hope you caught up on some sleep. Parent?s evenings can be a very mixed blessing. Hope the solutions are as clear as the problems.

Lauren, sorry about the scare but I?d take it as a chance to learn about spotting it. We're incredibly lucky, I gave my services at a fundraiser and read about it because it was there, but a year later what I?d absorbed proved vital. D/s ended up with hearing damage and balance problems, but relatively unscathed considering everything. Fingers crossed for those with it.

Swan about your sil, sorry it sounds stressful. Hope the new baby warms away the rest of the stuff. Glad you managed to get d/s2 into school in the end.

Who knows if that?s what you need to do and you can do it, it?s what you should do. Being unable to recover just means more problems spread longer, later.

Toffee There?s a lot of bugs hitting everywhere at the moment, but as d/s says the downside of h/e is you can still do it in bed!

Issima thank you for the recipe, I?d not thought of chick peas and pasta as a good mix before. Hope the niggles subside soon.

Gossip at dishwasher. Enjoy the freedom I hope it brings.

Madwoman that sounds horribly stressful, hope it?s done soon.

Waves to All with apologies for no more personal's but have to go swimming as respite from attempted clear out, or troops will abandon ship.