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!!

I haven't read the thread yet but just a dump...ill be back to catch up soon!

To do:
Scrub bathroom floor (mission)
DD and mindee to playgroup
DD sock and tights cupboard as mission from earlier in week
Clean bathroom
Clean out hand bag
Routines
School runs
Tea and with a friend tonight

BBL

sc I am suitably inspired

List update

load of washing 1st done, 2nd on

• DS hospital appt...the helmet is toast! this afternoon

polish shoes (and lovely new boots I bought yesterday) polished 2 pairs of boots and 2 pairs of shoes

• find a place to stash my supply of christmas paper and cards...need to do some christmas flying

food shopping done -put garden furniture cushions up in loft have made it into zip case -tidy lounge so I don't have to do the whole thing on Saturday for DS birthday party number 2 on Sunday I'm thinking about it -do some writing...time to get creative. does MN count?

And a few more to do

• order car seat
• order extra travel cot
• washing-up
• hoover downstairs

And a few extra ta-da's

• emailed magazine subscription re: misprints (half the magazine has been printed twice so the rest of it's missing!)

-meat out of freezer for dinner -emptied paper recycling bin

Hello everyone. I have been here in spirit though not in much else - I haven't even been lurking so have no idea what has been going on and I've missed you all.
RL in the form of school Autumn Fayre then a HUGE work catch-up has meant a virtual MN ban as I tend to get rather distracted from the task in hand . Feel that I am finally on top of work for first time since end of the summer term and can now justify rejoining the chat hard-working Flyers :)
I have been trying to sort the house though it has involved trying to bring one room at a time back up to some sort of rather low baseline. Each room is now OK but I need to get back to FlyLady first principles and declutter/tidy/clean.
I have an interim deadline of next w/e as DH and I will be child-free for 2 WHOLE DAYS and I want to spend the time lounging around together rather than feel as though I should be tidying up horrible house.
Need to shop now and then sell leftover cakes to willing parents who donated them in the first place

I hope everyone has been keeping well and having more Flying success than me. I will return to my mantra of 'I will sort this bl*dy house out, I will sort this bldy house out, I will sort this bl*dy house out......................

Good afternoon ladies :) (waves heartily) my dishwasher is awesome, I cannot believe it cost only £50, and I have air humped it a fair few times, it is amazing and I have nearly a full cupboard of sparkly clean pots !!!!!!!!!!

Well this morning I have had another driving lesson, bit iffy on one thing (indicating round a parked van on main road with junctions) but that's all. Have done nothing but get dressed and have breakfast with the ladies (of course sorted the kiddywinkles out too) I am planning nothing for this afternoon, apart from playing world of warcraft, as 2 out of three children's didn't sleep until midnight so I'm going to enjoy the quiet time while it lasts,

Then this afternoon I will do a few room rescues, hotspots and a general tidy.

Also I hear that one of the dinner ladies at ds's's school may be getting the sack, so I think I may apply for the job....

hi. Feet well done on the Autumn Fayre.

gossip I use my dw a lot, and I always put my saucepans in, which some people think is cheating!

I am mildly shocked by the fact that I have just found the Council Tax bill which I had forgotten I need to supply with the secondary applications, quite easily. Not filed in a box marked utilities oh no, that would be too simple, but still I FOUND IT, hallelujah. Was worriting about that. I blame the Council, as they told me I didn't need it, as I was registered at a council school with my address, but apparently some of schools do insist on their own copy for catchment reasons.

Kitchen tidyish
now tackling the hall which is horrendous, smelly shoes, far too many holding bays and the radiator is continuously blocked by clobber.

swan - your meal plan looks delicious .

Had to shift a lot of clutter around the house this morning because DS1's new Maths tutor was coming round and I suddenly noticed a lot of boxes of stuff. Am so fed up with just moving clutter around the house. It's all so silly and time wasting. DS2 has a friend coming back from school today, so I hope that they will play together, leaving me with time to declutter some more.

Ah, Ocado van has just arrived (half an hour late). Will bbl.

ta da
strip ds' bed
4th load of normal washing done
duvet washed
Wipe down plastic sheet
Remove blind for restringing
1/2 load dishwasher
Stick cleaner in toilet - leaving to soak for a bit
collect laundry down stairs
Melt plastic in a manner not expected

Although I think I am actually on my 6th loads of washing Can you tell I have been skipping the laundry babystep?

What a list Bitchy ! Are you on Flylady speed or something?

We have a dishwasher Gossip - its name is engels

Have managed to do almost my whole list except do some writing, but have done something even more stupid stunning and signed up for National Novel Writing Month in November 50,000 words in one month! I will be retreating upstairs to write away as soon as DS is in bed for the month ? maybe it?ll kick start some good creative habits.

I've just spent an hour and a half dealing with ds1's epic meltdown, he's now in a chatty mood. All's good in the gossip world.

Gossip - An hour and a half! . Oh, brings back memories....

Sorry you are the dishwasher, Engels . Good luck with the creative writing.

Bitchy -

(I have no words).

DS2 and his friends have been playing non-stop since they arrived back from school, apart from a break for dinner, so I have been able to do all the washing up, unload the tumbledryer, fold up the clothes, unpack and rinse the lunchbox and hang up a load of clean clothes that were piled up on the bed . Was going to do some ironing after dinner, but have decided to print out some photos and stick them in my home ed diary instead (much more enjoyable).

still chaos here
Builders are making slow some progress but the weather is against us.

Trying to keep on top of laundry due to no where to dry the flipping stuff!!

Evening all

Looks like you have all had productive days!!

I've no idea why I am so tired (certainly not explained by Flying ) not helped by sinus headache. Spoke to mothers of 3 sets of godchildren this morning which was lovely - need to contact fourth. Then went to doctor's (not for headache) where I was everso politely and efficiently dismissed (which is frustrating because I avoid the doctor's like the plague and only go when I think absolutely necessary). Then did a bit of shopping, a few errands for office, and then picked up dd from forest walk. That was it - no Flying to speak of accomplished. Downstairs is clean but that's because cleaner did it! I'm hoping to glean some energy from somewhere tomorrow morning to get some decluttering done [spies Gloucester Old Spot traversing a cloud]

Awards Bitchy congratulatory purple feather duster for accomplishing most comprehensive list of the week!! Whatever you are on - I want some

[Bitchy and SC huddle behind bike sheds]

Feetheart really great to see you!! And well done re: Autumn Fair - I remember what a big deal it is every year. [Joins in chanting mantra]

Toffee oh yes to being fed up of moving clutter about - I'm doing the same thing - it's so frustrating

Engels (arf at dishwasher) that's brilliant news about the writing competition! More power to your fountain pen tip and all that! Very kind of you btw ... (to be inspired after my Eeyore posting this morning)

Swan well done on finding important bit of paper and to the idea that saucepans in the dishwasher = cheating. I shove absolutely everything in there would bung dd and the rabbits in there if I could

Gossip well done for handling the meltdown and good luck with job if it comes up!

Enjoy your evening Lauren cheers

Castlelough am so of you getting to see Frankel in action!! (I'll be watching on the Beeb tomorrow lunch time though ) Hope you have a brilliant time!

Waves to eveyrone else!!

Leaves crate of red and bottle opener in naughty corner ...

xposts

Waves to Shifty Sorry you are still in midst of building hell

One sentence ds had friend to play after school it's a big motivator.

also ta da
more washing
hoover car out
supervise two very excited boys
finish off pizza
Wash hair
Return house to normal

Oh said meltdown wasn't a good one, he wanted to hurt himself and tried to as well, incurred a headache after banging his head on the wall, he was generally sobbing, banging, fists, legs and head and was very hard to get through too, it consisted of me trying to keep him on the bed until his tantrum calmed then trying to talk to him after, on which he constantly went off topic, turns out he's really struggling with the workload at school and although I find the teacher really helpful he isn't, and finds her really nasty, so I think my next step is to do an hour a day with him in the things he's struggling with over half term, and a chat with his teacher.

As for cleaning it really hasn't happened as after ds1 had calmed enough to play independently, they needed dinner, then ds2 had to pack his stuff to go and see his family up north and this has been the first time I have sat, also had to try and get through to ds3 that calling someone a fat dude isn't nice and he mustn't do it, after he seen a large person on my fb page.

I will be doing cleanings now though !!

How old is your DS, Gossip? Does he often have these meltdowns? I'm sorry for you. It sounds as if you dealt with it really well, but it takes its toll, doesn't it?

DS (3) is still up!!!

Grrrr.... Will try and do another small load of washing.... Only have the airer (in the kitchen) to dry on

Managed to s&s today and did the food shop.

Really ought to sort DS's clothes and pack up the lounge (my precious ornaments need to go somewhere so they can't be damaged)

He's ten, there often not as long as that we can have up to four a day but probably only a few of those days a week, there normally like a sort of toddler tantrum, or there are the ones where he'll sob in a quiet area (normally in a cupboard or under the bed) and then the nasty ones where he slams doors and throws things about but they don't happen often thankfully, he's fairly hit and miss but I can guarantee a meltdown if there has been a change in the routine or he has lost a privealage through bad behaviour, or if there is something on his mind and he cant cope, bless him. Todays started when he got angry with ds2 for denying something he wasn't aware he'd done to ds3, and even said that it was accidental but ds2 wasn't aware of it so kept denying it ds1 kicked off kicked ds2's bike and stomped about in the back garden for a bit, so I banned computer time from him for being so aggressive, and the meltdown ensued from there really.

Thanks for the wine :) its a strange thing really because I look at ds2 and ds3 and wonder why they're not as difficult, and sometimes I wonder if they're ok, because their just being good.

upstairs is more bearable now but I have so much washing its crazy, hoping for a nice day tomorrow as I will need to hang some out.

Too tired to post really, just to say
Gossip you sound so calm! Dd had a mini-strop this evening and I am worn down by it. About being on time for something, of all things...she is obsessed by being on the dot for everything, including gambling. [school Race Night] She absolutely screeched at me. I have had enough of screeching. I don't why I even went to the blooming Race Night, someone made of stronger stuff would have told her that was IT.

ds1 had a nice evening, I see he loves a sociable evening out with lots of primary age children and some bets thrown in He put on his trendiest clothes, and was in such a good mood to go back to his old school and just hang out there He was conversing knowledgeably about how much money he could have won; I had to explain to him that the whole point of gambling is that you always lose the money you win, if you win any in the first place. Did some PTA helping so that is something.

SC this feeling tired lark is depressing isn't it I am so sick of feeling tired, and just want to wake up, zap around, feel a spring in my step etc etc, pull up some brambles, row a boat etc, dig a hole. Even when I am feeling happy I am feeling tired. Perhaps it is just the menopause alas...

[admires flying pigs]

done
cleared hall of detritus
baked banana cake
enjoyed company of ds1 and dd[eventually]
chatted to some friends over loud noise of horses hooves

Gossip LOL at how odd it is when children actually do what it is says on the tin, having become used to a different sort of child. I often wonder whether ds1 is trying to plan something when he is suspiciously polite and nice, but he is just being nice.

Watching X factor USA with ds1. What a horrendous way they all have of warbling like bad versions of gospel singers. Can't anyone sing normally without prancing around the stage and gesticulating wildly? It all seems very contrived and over emotional. I've never watched X factor before so maybe I just haven't understood that this is the "style". Now v alarmed at thought that ds1 wants to sing this way. Bring back Bob Dylan!

I blame Mariah Carey Swan.

Another lazy day here, a friend popped round bringing chocolates in return for a countersignature on her passport form which I thought was a very good deal indeed. The DCs had their school disco, it was nice having an excuse not to have to go and help out o a change. I am feeling stronger but the discomfort in my surgery scar has increased over the last couple of days, can only think that it is the stitches tightening up as I really haven't been overdoing thtings. I have started some online Christmas shopping this week which is a record eqrly start for me.

Welcome back Feet, good to see you.

Thank you for the great roundups SC

Going to sign off as it is so late, night all and have a good weekend.

And Whitney Houston (if I may speak ill of the dead)

they all sing through their noses nowadays ...

Whoknows hope the infection has all gone and that's not the cause of discomfort. Take it steady.

Swan argh, yes, I do that too but my version is "has Daddy bribed you to be nice to me?" Arf at "primary school age dc with bets thrown in" Sounds all v. precocious!! And yes, yes to renewed bramble digging-up capabilities
[tries not to warble ..."oh but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" (Big BD disciples in this household)

Gossip well done for keeping so calm in face of major meltdown whilst coming up with excellent coping strategies at the same time.

Got you Bitchy (but still impressive!)