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!!

Didn't get round to the ironing but did manage:

• S/S x 3
• Remade DD and our bed - and fell asleep for 15mins on top of our afterwards
• Laundry loads hung to dry
• Made DH casserole by throwing chicken and vegetables in one of those "cook-in-a-bag" things and for once he quite liked it!
• Shined sink

DD has been fine all day, until just after she went to bed, complained of a sore tummy and then threw up again . She had had a yogurt for supper and I wonder if this was the cause. I think I will keep her off dairy for a few days just in case. (I think I vaguely remember a doctor might have told me once to avoid it for 24hrs after being sick - but I'm old and I've slept since then!)

Evening all?

MrsHoarder - broken sleep is never fun. Hope you find a solution to the sleeping bag problem.

Lauren - 2 hours instead of 20 minutes sounds like an epic diversion!

Toffee - Hope DS2?s tongue is getting better. Any ideas from the dr?

Swan - how did the cupboards and stew go?

WhoKnows - hope laundry crisis was sorted!

Get well soon to your DD, dizzy. Hope you all have a better night tonight.

SC - I?d definitely go with letting off the ballet in the circs! Ooh, Hythe ? I have lots of family connections in that area though haven?t been there for years. Hope you enjoyed the trip despite the hassle.

Well done with the face painting, Gossip - it sounds fab, and a great cause.

Grr to lost post, castle

Big waves to anyone and everyone I?ve missed.

Work went pretty well on the whole, and I managed the ironing to clear my head before collecting the boys, and the fridge mission while waiting for the toaster at lunchtime, so not too bad. Spectacularly bad teatime though with everybody fractious, shouting and cross. And the boys refusing to eat. Hey ho.

Tomorrow is another day and I?ll have to squeeze the rest of the house bleugh into it!

Linkies?

Babystep is to write down routines in the beginnings of a control journal (I have never done this?)

Mission is the kitchen counter tops (I secretly love this one!)

By the way ? do you prefer the missions from the flight plan or the sneak peek?

Cross-post with dizzy. My mum (ex-nurse) always reckons you should keep food as bland as possible when getting over tummy bugs but I have a vague idea bio yoghurt is supposed to be good for building up friendly bacteria again. Sorry. Not much help!

Feeling better now, having sat downstairs chatting with DH for a while about this and that. Since I developed this prolapse about 6 months ago I have been getting so tired and achey that more often than not in the evenings I was puttng the DCs to bed and then just staying upstairs to read, watch telly etc. Which hasn't been great for our relationship I suppose, in that we've hardly seen eqch other some days. Now I am finally getting better I can stay downstairs for the evening sometimes, I had forgotten how nice it is to just watch telly together and gossip chat.

Dizzy - how old is DD? when my DD (6) was younger she had to be kept off all dairy for a good few days after any tummy upset and I still stick to that, although (fingers crossed) neither DC has had one for about a year now. Google "temporary lactose intolerance", it does seem to be an established phenomenon.

Blue sounds as though your teatime was a bit like mine, grumpy and fractious. My two seem to be hell bent on each refusing to eat anying the other one likes, grrrr.

dizzy - my MIL was kept off dairy products for some time in hospital when she had a bad stomach infection. Maybe you can only introduce the probiotic after recovery.

Well, dr was as baffled as I was by DS2's sore tongue, but she did say he had a very slightly swollen gland, a very slightly red ear and a very slightly red throat, so we decided that he might be on the verge of coming down with a cold or something (remembered what you'd said about your sore tongue when you get a cold, WhoKnows). I gave him Calpol at bedtime and am hoping he's fighting off whatever it is and will be ok for school tomorrow.

Didn't get a lot done in the house today apart from basic chores. Did manage to home ed DSs though (DS2 was very enthusiastic as it was a novelty - he did spelling, writing, reading and Maths. Oh, and cooking, if you include making pink milk). And finally booked DS2's birthday party, which has been a source of stress for several weeks. We now have an entertainer and a venue, so all I have to do is sort out invites, party bags, party food and cake. I loved doing it all myself last year, but it's a relief to be able to hand over the job of party games to a professional this time (I always find pass the parcel particularly stressful, for some reason ).

By the way,SC - sorry I didn't reply to your earlier post about loving Frank Cottrell Boyce. I know nothing about him, but will look him up once we've finished 'Millions'. I am thoroughly enjoying the book so far. DS1 is a bit baffled by all the stuff about saints and mortification though. I should explain to him that denying himself the XBox would be his own version of mortification .

Am off to bed now. Night.

*Dizzy! ex- bossy nurse here and dairy products are a definite no-no, sorry!! Bland stuff it is until all settled and feeling well again.

WhoKnows pleased to read that you are feeling so much better.

Toffee I hope you have been able to avert DS being ill already.

I have had internet problems here, which have been a pain, but I am hoping they are now sorted!
Cleaner - I have spoken to her son-in-law, who is our driver. He is lovely and I have written out a list for him to talk through with her to give her more guidance. I really do think hope and pray that it is a communication problem. She is back tomorrow, so I will update after she has gone.

Yesterday was a weird day for me!! A bizarre conversation at language lessons left me feeling like a pimply teenager!!! I had been smugly explaining (in Khmer) differences between houses in the city in Cambodia, to houses in the countryside and the differences between them both and houses in England. All was going very well until I tried to explain why that I do not like our house because the animals get in between the wood and the bricks. Conversation went like this:
Me: (in English now) how do I say "Brick" in Khmer?
Teacher: semen?
Me: (trying not to giggle) No, "brick"
Teacher: Semen?
Me: (Not succeeding very well at trying not to giggle) No, I mean a brick in the house.
Teacher: Do you have semen in the house?
Me: (trying now to swallow a fit of the giggles) yes, but I don't think you mean that, I mean a brick!
Teacher: White people have semen..... (looking very confused)
At this point I was barely able to sit on my chair through my fit of giggles and it took me a good few minutes to compose myself enough to make myself understood.
Eventually we worked out he was saying "CEMENT!!" then he wanted to know what semen was that had made me laugh so much!!! Oh the embarrassment!!!

We then went on to a conference after lessons. 200 people doing similar work to us in Cambodia. Very interesting, but I somehow managed to get roped into doing a presentation to everyone on the impact that pornography on the internet and smart phones has had on human trafficking and prostitution here in Cambodia and how this will escalate over the coming months/years!! I have never spoken in front of so many people and it was quite an embarrassing subject for my first time!!! but I survived, so was feeling fairly chuffed with myself!!

Not going to type out a list, cos I can't be bothered to think of what needs doing today.... sorry!!

Have a good day everyone.

PA - what a wonderful varied life you lead :) Am giggling at language confusion and am impressed at public speaking. I hope the cleaner 'situation' is sorted out.

Am still in recovery mode after DS's birthday yesterday - 5 x 7yr old boys are SO noisy Luckily next-door neighbour (semi-detached house) was out as they seemed to spend most of the time charging up and down the stairs waving weapons and yelling :)
Think they all had a good time though and DS was rendered speechless by his present from us - a red DS. He opened it, realised what it was, jumped up and down a lot then flung himself into my arms. Nearly reduced both DH and I to tears :)
Ended the day with a loooooooooooong session with DD trying to get her to open up about something that is upsetting her. It's having enough of an effect that her teacher had a word yesterday but I still don't have a clue what it is. The most information I have (and this took 45mins of 20 questions with either a nod or shake of the head answers) is that it happened at school on Monday and, I think, involved one or more children. She has spoken to a friend from a different class about it and that helped but she isn't ready to open up to me (or anyone else). I left her in bed with the cat and her worry dolls (tiny S American dolls that you tell your worries to and then put under your pillow where they help your worries disappear) and will see how things are this morning.

Best get the day started. Have a good one everyone.

From naughty corner ...

[yawns, dons stripey apron, puts freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, tea napkins, warmed plates, cutlery, bread rolls on the bar - shakes Castlelough awake - lights fire under heavy, 3ft diameter frying pan, throws in sausages, mushrooms, bacon and eggs. Please form an orderly queue ....Anyone for black pudding? Fried bread?]

Oh Strictly that just sounds heavenly! Wish it was RL

Thanks everyone for the medical advice. I feel like a totally s*it Mum for feeding her milk/yoghurt/cheese these last few days and in effect making her worse . We had a pretty good night after she was settled and in bed and was only up once to go for a No2! I slept on her bed with her so am still a little tired and as stiff as a board!

She wanted to go to school so after toast for brekkie and being told not to have milk at breaktime I'm keeping everything crossed she males it through the day OK. They are having a Divalli inspired day so she will love that.

I need to get on with cutting 120 squares for a quilt I've been paid to make so I shall plug in my ipod and surround myself in fabric! BBL x

SC I hope you pointed out to DH that it is more important that DD keeps up at school then ballet and that one afternoon of sleep will make more beneficial difference to School work then her being to tired to focus properly at school because she is exhausted. DH imo would not be right in this circumstance.

DS is off training. he gave himself concussion. Muppet that he is. Needless to say I am doing extra training to compensate and keep me sane.

should be working today. can focus. going to sleep will pull all nighter for the report later if needed. it will be fine.

Hi all, I am wracked with guilt after something I overheard yesterday, more is explained on the pagan interest thread, if anyone wants to be nosy, so today I am mostly going to immerse myself in cleaning and decorating, until I can figure out a way of fixing it. I dont have a list dump I'm afraid but dp needs boxers so I will be fitting that in at some point.

Watches everyone run over to pagan interest!!

I ran over to Pagan Interest! To be honest it is not a part of MN I would normally find myself in, but I did read your post Gossip and I can see why you feel the way you do. I would feel bad too, but I honestly would not feel the events were connected. However that is because I am coming at it from a very different set of beliefs and so it is definitely how I would feel, not how I think you should feel, IYSWIM. Hope you get some responses on the thread and find a way forward.

I am also feeling guilty this morning. We are due to have a sofa delivered today, I was meant to phone the shop yesterday to find out the time slot but forgot. So I said to DH could he delay going to work till I got back from the school run in case it turned up. I went off to school, forgot all about it and stood outside the gate gossiping for half an hour (6 weeks away means a lot to catch up on). I didn't have my phone on me and got back to a VERY cross DH. Oh dear. The gossip was very interesting although a bit worrying (a parent with increasingly evident drinking problems).

Could have sworn I posted yesterday but it seems not!

Still to do:
Hand washing
Sluice D/s mud covered stuff (not from house!)
have difficult conversation over need for 'bed in shed'
Clean up more sludgefest
Photograph more insurance stuff
Move above to insurance unit.
Ironing
Dinner
Filing
Prep Psychology
Check English

Eyes up the tempting naughty corner and wonders if she can get SC to start a veggie pan. Haven?t had breakfast in years!

The damage to home is pretty comprehensive, and combination of disability, family, lack of money, and a good sized vehicle, is making it all a big struggle to do efficiently, so it?s taking me far longer than it probably should, (certainly being made to feel that!) but pipes been replaced and hole at the side of the house filled in the at least. Hoping the worst of the sludge clean up and really bad stuff will be out by the weekend and it will be down to sorting, cleaning, photographing lighter damaged stuff, and starting to repair.

PA brilliant!
(Memories of a difficult conversation with visitors to central London on a Friday night, whose quite demanding expectations and requests I?d been paid to facilitate, and had put my foot down and said I was a woman of the world, but there was a limit!
Before, managing to decode the important difference between the words whores and horse. I didn?t know they?d seen Hyde Park earlier? )

Going to have to be very rude and wave to everyone else for now, or will still be on here in an hours time.

Its so coincidental its scary, but there are instances where I have wanted and wished for things to happen, and they have !!!!

This morning there's been a lot of extended family stuff going on, which I won't go into details over, but it has a)
made us count our blessings
b) spent us into a bit of tail spin generally

So Dh and I are recovering and a bit dizzy (and hoping we can help with problem long term (which is to do with my brother's poor baby) So there have been a lot of phone calls today and yesterday, and it is difficult with the rest of the family over the Irish sea However, as I said it has made us count our blessings, healthwise and I've been thinking alot about how I first felt when ds2's problems were diagnosed (although they are different of course)

It is great having Dh at home, although he seems to turn up in kitchen for cups of tea rather too often (usually whilst I am not doing anything useful). I need to get myself back into gear with early morning chucking the children out of the house routine though, as I seem to be leaving him in charge most mornings..and I think the worm may turn shortly

Dizzy re: quilting and Whoknows; I love chatting with dh in the evening...Homeland seems to be our chatting slot, I need to extend the chances of chatting in front of tv (although [whisper] Dh hates me talking over the telly - but actually contrary to that, as he has taken to working at his business in the evening I was thinking I need to get my sewing out, and really have a proper project for after suppers.

Blue SC stew went well, slightly schooldinnery in consistency it must be said..SC we have Iranian pickled limes in our corner shop as luck would have it, not to speak of three grades of Bulgar wheat

done
last night, Beavers helping, went much better than usual - it really helps that Dh is home at 6pm rain or shine now...and not such a struggle to get out of house with the 6pm bottleneck. I realise how stressed the afternoons were before.

whoknows school gate gossip takes a lot of time doesn't it...seriously addictive. The children walk to school now, and I miss it I need to return...

Managed to get morning routines done within 3 hours of getting up. DS slept though without nighttime adventures last night thankfully, but work up early to make up for it so I spent the first 2 hours of my day playing before getting a chance to shower and dress.

Today's list:
Do morning S&S
Dressed
Bins away
Reboot laundry
Scrub porridge off the highchair
Clean the worksurfaces
Add a "control journal" section to my filofax (I don;t need a 3rd diary to consult each morning)
Hoover downstairs
Clean that sink!

Oh I meant to add that the Christmas pudding should be made this weekend (unless we visit family instead).

And that I've realised there is a real name for temporary lactose intolerance!! I worked out years ago that if I have my normal amount of dairy on the first day of my period I get sick on top of all the other fun. So thank you for that.

Not long started Flying and love the shiny sink although annoying when people leave mess in it. Bit difficult when hubby is here as he doesn't understand it and thinks I'm nuts. On the plus side I have now planned 5 weeks worth of meals and can rotate them at the end. Well pleased and it hit me how much easier it will make the shopping list. Love being organised.

Hi all, can I rejoin you? I was with you a while back but I kind of fell off the flying wagon.

I won't get a lot done today as I will be out for some of the day but I need to go and wash up in a mo.

Washing up done --apart from a couple of things that wouldn't fit on the draining board--
Off to do some decluttering next.

I am dying over the semen/cement and whores/horse stuff.

We have had a huuuuuuge dump of snow that has caused no end of changes to plans, so I'm playing today by ear really...

I did make it to boot camp today for the first time in a month - body clutter indeed. Hoping to get rid of a bit before I pack it all back on in turkey.

to PA.

I have been on the computer all day working, so why I'm sitting here all evening too, I really don't know. Better do the links and kick myself off!

Babystep 9 is learning about decluttering.

Mission is to sweep and mop the kitchen floor. Did this today so ahead for once. Yay!

Big waves to all, especially Looking - you're very welcome back! - and shutit - well done with the shiny sink and meal planning. :)

Yawn. See you tomorrow.

He is hit and miss atm Madwoman. And going to be totally unimpressed that I told his coach he won't be on the ice for training on Tuesday. It's a balance between the benefit that training gives him and the harm it can do. He is really not great aspie wise atm and it is impacting everything. management got a shock when he kicked off last week. They'd not had the pleasure of seeing him in meltdown before. And it was over a really stupid thing too.

Life has completely over taken me. I am drowning under stress and I have so much to do but can't seem to find any motivation to do anything atm. it's dreadful. I might have to start by trying to find motivation to actually post. So you can kick me in the right direction.

But first things first. I need sleep. 4am start tomo.