Fledglings Remember to FLY through November...

[BlueEyeshadow]

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 wine 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 Flying lessons. Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings. Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound (and you may discover a few of our subversions of the vocabularly along the way).

Many thanks to SC for leading the thread through October (and for such a good OP, which I've blatantly cut and pasted) - - and I'll post the first babysteps and mission tomorrow evening.

All welcome!!

Bitchy I am always so impressed with your lists! Good work !

I have lots to add to the list. Including basic car mechanics 101 a fucking nightmare!!! but ds is the middle of being bullied into doing his homework and needs the computer. I will be back. I hope.

i have a huge list, we are re-decorating at the moment so flying is minimal and the house is a right state!

today i did manage to clean the bathroom and paint the stairs though so not a completely wasted day..........not sure how im ment to achieve a clean fully functional and pretty house before christmas arrives though

Well I managed to get all my jobs done, and make a start on my pc, though things aren't working quite as I want, but it will do the essentials so I can start programming later in the week!

Just got to wait for my shopping delivery now, and maybe put some washing away, but the house as a whole is really tidy for once (just cluttered, but I'm trying to work on that)

Hi all
Not even going to make the usual excuses, I was rubbish in October. Ever the optimist, one month has to be the one in which I make a real dent in all the decluttering...it could be this one so I had better continue hanging out with you lovely lot! To be fair, eldest DD will be at pre school for 3 mornings a week, so surely even I can make progress.....

Done
swept downstairs
cooked pasta bake ( a different kind)
counted money for church all morning
spent nice afternoon with Dh
felt miserable in late afternoon I hate my kitchen situation!!!!
Dh did a firework display for kids but I refused to go (I think that is my asd sensory stuff - I like watching out the window but the combination fo cold rainy muddy garden, and tinderbox kids, and loud bangs sets my teeth on edge.

Ds1 spent most of firework display insulting ds2, which is a slight relief because now I am absolutely determined to take him to family therapy appt tomorrow with the main conspirators, which I was feeling a bit guilty about school absence for, but NOW I@M NOT GUILTY HE NEEDS FAMILY THERAPY TOO

PA my cleanign lady is arriving tomorrow and I am now in a panic about hoover bags, lack of Flash, where to hide the dirty laundry (I hate it when she washes the clothes and how to explain the recyling horrors. So I am joining you on a reboot of mad barking employer to employer of essential helpful person. And anyway, what if we have to clean house first, that can't be that bad, at least house is a bit cleaner if cleaned doubly???

Toffee ds2 had several screaming tantrums about x-box when he got it, but I suspect they weren't about xbox at all, just an expression of general frustration. He hasn't mentioned it for a while, and has changed tack again onto another obsession. Since weekend he has actually been behaving really well, and asked dh very sweetly how his business was going at supper and he even shock horror ate some tomato sauce attached to his pasta (usually has to be plain) and made a joke out of it. It is so much to do with being relaxed v. feeling tense isn't it? I want to pm you, about how things are going with home ed etc, and hope I can later in week. I feel the dark winter days are definitely closing in, and I suspect it affects kids' mood too.

Also have discovered may be bumping into an old flame at end of November at some big do! Am determined to lose weight for that, do not want to be pointed out as old hag in the corner Of course we are both happily married to other people, just felt it was important to retain dignity [ahem]

So Body Clutter, I am back!

Just caught up with everyone's happenings so leaving the chocolates DH bought me on the side for anyone that needs one.

We had a nice weekend - but seemed to spend it eating! Meal in the village pub on Friday after dropping DD off. Lunch out on Sat. whilst checking a shop where I can get my sewing machine serviced (need to add that to my to-list now), chinese meal in the evening before going to the late night showing of Skyfall. Classic James Bond and was fabulous. Sunday morning was quiet and we just seemed to fill the empty time before going to collect DD by doing nothing!

DD has a nice time and was taken to a firework display by DSis. Was complaining of a sore tummy, but managed to get home OK before she threw her dinner up! Bleurgh I hate vomit with a passion. So at least my downstairs toilet got a thorough S&S .

Day off school for her but we managed to go out to replenish the fridge and then spent the afternoon DVD watching. Uniform all organised for the morning then I'll need to blitz the house which has been mightily neglected

Good evening... Today has been interesting - I've had some really nice times with each boy seperately, and been screaming like a banshee at them together. Sigh. Did manage the mission though, which is something I guess. I've also been to Zumba, but the class clashes with choir, so need to move one or the other. Another sigh.

Hopefully won't be MNing so late tomorrow, so will be able to catch up properly then, but big waves to everyone as I dash in and out with the links...

***
Babystep 6 is a crucial one - all about hotspots!

Mission: wipe down kitchen cabinet doors.

Evening all,

I've skimmed all the posts but not caught up properly. I was back on the school run today (only half a mile) but between that and cooking tea I was whacked by teatime. I also managed to make a decent inroad on my filing from the comfort of my bed and have just about finished reshuffling all the DCs after school activities, one change meant about 5 more changes. They both had tasks to complete for Cubs and Rainbows tomorrow, got that done too. Oh and managed to introduce DS to a new food - pesto, he loved it. Oh and went to a friend's for coffee (driven by another friend). No wonder I was tired.

Tomorrow is busy after school so my mum is coming round to help. From Weds I can drive again which will help.

Night all.

totally agree with something in the air for ds1's...

my kitchen currently looks like a bombsite. i had an email from ds1's teacher telling me'your son' has failed to hand in such and such assignment. not even mentioned him by name.

the fact that i haven't seen his homework folder or agenda since he went back to school, and that learning support have essentially washed their hands of him, means that apparently i now am responsible.

good thing his psych appt is weds.

his assignment was to make a tree cookie. this apparently is a model of a cross section of tree trunk, labelled appropriately. he has chosen to bake one, presumably because the word 'cookie' appeared in the title, and in his aspie head, it was the obvious solution.

good thing it's the kitchen zone, as i'm going to have a looooot of repair work to do tomorrow. i'm just letting him at it. the first saga was not creaming the butter and sugar. he just chucked it all in together and stirred it.

i did resign, and they are happy for me not to work my notice. good job, really, as with this teacher i can see me considering home ed again. bah humbug.

no nano for me today, but tomorrow is a new day x

there is flour everywhere. the dogs think all their christmases have come at once.

Marking my place

Morning all! Just another dump, have mindees coming any minute!

To do:
Put DD laundry away
School run
DD and mindee to baby gymnastics
Walk dogs
DD to CM
horsey afternoon
Today's mission
File paperwork
Clean bathroom
Clean bathroom floor

BBL!

I had to laugh Madwoman that is so much like my DD3. But they are very special, aren't they!!! I remember when she was about 3 years old and at a speech therapy lesson and her I could hear her speech therapist having a shout at DD3. I was not sitting and listening to that, so I stuck my head in the door and asked what DD3 had done wrong. I was told she had thrown the dice right across the room, I realised what had happened and asked what the speech therapist had asked her to do, she said "throw the dice". So I gave an exaggerated face and said, so what did she do, "threw the dice, but EVERYONE knows the difference between throwing a dice and throwing a dice, surely!!!!" Errrrr no..... I took DD3 and we changed speech therapist after that!!!
Hope the cookie turns out ok!!!

I am trying hard not to be disappointed with my cleaner. She swept the floor, but did not mop it downstairs, she did the shower room, but not cleaned the toilet. She did a lovely job of cleaning the cooker. I do think its a communication thing though, as the only thing I showed her how to do today was clean the cooker, and she did that really well. I think I will have to spell it out for her to start with and show her step by step what I want her to do. I am not sure what she did for 2.5 hours, though!!!! I think half the problem is that she is really shy and quiet and here the local people stand in awe of white people and she is so scared of doing something wrong, so instead of doing it wrong, she didn't do it at all, IYSWIM. Hey ho, I was so looking forward to this. I will see how it goes over the next few weeks and hopefully she will become more confident.

Off to cook a local curry dish for tea, yum yum!!!

Have a good day everyone.

at the tree cookie, I use metaphores a lot and when I realised that ds1 took them literally I made a game of knowing what they meant, so if one slipped out, I would immediately say that was a metaphore what do you think it means? and he would give his answer and some of the time he was right about it, and then other's I would tell him what it means if I could see that he was struggling to figure it out, he's very good with metaphores now but still struggles with new ones, however when he went through a "wow that was phat" phase I was .

This morning I had to ban ds2 and 3 from the sofa as they were using it as a trampoline. They are not allowed to sit on it at all today, ds2 said "but what do we to about dinner" I said "sit on the floor", "
"but what about if I get gravy down my top", and I said "but what if you break my sofa and I have to save up for weeks to buy a new one which means I will have to use the money I give to santa for your presents so that we can have a sofa to sit on at christmas?"
"oh I wont get no presents".
Hopefully it will sink in this time !!

We as parents got up late this morning, so it was a mad rush around, ds1 got up even later but he was an absolute dream this morning, I'm hoping it lasts and of course bonfire night is over so I will not be hearing one more thing about fireworks !!!

list to do today is,
gloss frames and last bit of skirting,
put scocia down,
remove decorating junk from lounge,
declutter kitchen,
pop to b&q and change roll of wallpaper,
school run,
cook tea,
tidy hallway,
do washing,
dp to sand doors with super awesome sander thing,
kids to go bed,
gloss doors,
bath and bed.

Will catch up with you all later :)

We don't get too many problems with DS being too literal but the baking story has reminded me of the first time I did baking with him, aged two. We measured out the flour, sugar and butter, I said "now we need to put the eggs in" and he grabbed an egg from the counter and dropped it into the bowl from a great height, resulting in a massive flour explosion all over both of us.

PA - do you think there are communication issues? You'd hope someone employed to clean would have a better idea of what to do though!

swan what's up with your kitchen?

dizzy I hate vomit too - I could deal with it when they were tiny, but it's so much worse now they're not babies!

This morning everything is running smoothly so far.

Done:
dressed to shoes and makeup, and medication.
stripped beds
rebooted washing
ordered a few bits for the new pc
potatoes in the oven to bake

To Do:
dry bed covers
take kids to playground
lunch & cleanup
remake beds
do painting with the kids
dinner & post-dinner routine
bathtime
before bed routine

Madwoman, PA and WhoKnows - am grinning at your tales of DC being literal (and glad you changed your speech therapist, PA - she was in the wrong job!). DS1 is very literal too. He knows a lot of metaphors off by heart now, but still struggles with new ones. We make a joke of it now and he says, "Oh, am I being literal again?" It's interesting to see how DS2 - half his age - 'gets' metaphors without any problems. I used to think all DC must be like DS1.

PA - sorry your cleaner wasn't as thorough as you'd hoped. It sounds as if she just needs more instruction.

Chairmum - looks like your Flying is off to a good start this morning.

Gossip - I hope your DS1's mood stays good. It's lovely when they're being nice!

lauren - looks like you are going to have a very busy and active day!

Swan - I would love a PM from you, thanks .

cheese - welcome!

Ellie - thinking of you going back to school today. Hope the first day back goes ok.

Well, like Gossip's son, my DS1's mood is good this morning. Am wondering if he was upset by the half-term change of routine. He has been lovely this morning, although still incredibly anxious. He now won't let me out of the house without coming with me (in case something happens to me), but at least this means he is getting more exercise. He walked up to school with DS2 (carrying the Tudor house - phew, we did it) and me this morning.

Am going to take it easy with home ed this week and start off with easy, fun stuff. I started reading 'Millions' by Frank Cottrell Boyce, to DS1 last night, so I think we'll continue with that today - not to study, just for pleasure. DS1 is having his Maths lesson at the moment (with a tutor), so I can tick that off the list. And he has his farm therapy this afternoon, which he is really enjoying. It has made him think twice about eating meat though, as he's getting very attached to the animals (very upset that we had chicken casserole last night ).

Hope everyone has a good day.

Right I have done as much glossing as I can now, just have to wait for dp and a sander, will be popping out to b&q in a mo, I'm leaving the scocia to dp as hes much better with a hammer and nails than I am and I know for a fact I'll put another hole in the wall. I'll declutter the kitchen when I get back and then I can put decorating stuff in there, ready for decorating the kitchen tomorrow. luckily its a small kitchen so it should be done by the end of the week. Then that will be 2 rooms done and dusted by christmas !!!

Blimey, you are tearing through the decorating, Gossip! Am very impressed.

Arrgghhhh I'm back b&q wouldn't take back roll of paper, now I've checked my bank statement and know when it went out, will hopefully be able to take it back and I was indecisive about the kitchen paper I wanted but now I know which one I want so will be going back after a quick coffee and load of the dishwasher !!

I hate today. ds has had accident in school, the car saga ran on and it required major disassemblying by the mechanic so at least it was me being useless. Just one of those days. I feel like crap. Off to take ds to get his glasses fixed. Hopefully he will be back in school tomo. He is driving me potty.

Wrt literalism. Dm does it because she is being awkward and tbh I have yelled at her when she does it in front of ds as we have big problems with stuff being literal. Change in any for is still an issue for ds atm. On a positive note a fabulous doctor meant we got to avoid a&e to get him checked.

Is it bedtime yet?

Hope he's ok bitchy x

aww bitchy :( pretty sure its a good 10 hours away I'm afraid.

On a good note, finally swapped the frigging wallpaper, manager gave me a credit note for being so persistent , let's hope I don't have to go back for anything for a few weeks now.