August is when the fledglings party, and perhaps do a bit of flying, maybe.

[BitchytheGreat]

Roll up, roll up to this special birthday month for the fledglings...

We are going to attempt to keep the dc happy, whilst flying. No mean feat in the month of holidays and adventures.

Rule 1. yes even in a birthday month we have rules
It is not about perfection. A little is enough, no really.
Rule 2.
You are aloud to spend time doing fun things, don't regret them or feel guilty.
Rule 3. This one is a fat fairy rule.
you are never behind, jump in where you are

So newbies if you are reading this you are probably thinking wtf?! This is a wonderful system designed by the fly lady. in days gone olde one fledgling had a dream about the fly lady in which she was a fat fairy, thus the thread nickname fat fairy was born. Just so we don't confuse you like
Anyhows, this month it is Bitchy's turn to lead, and perhaps this should come with a warning. She has her own unique style of leading but don't let that scare you off, the fledglings are luffsly and generally far more sane then the bitchy one just be aware of bitchy's special brew. Terribly high in caffine and can sometimes be found in the naughty corner. Which reminds me, the naughty corner if for those who are struggling for whatever reason or those just in need of a stiff drink.

So this flying thing. It has three stages:
stage one: the babysteps. these build a routine. some of them are contriversial, and some a little wishy washy seem a little less significant. But most are really good.
Stage two: babysteps and missions one the routines are in place the missions are designed to help you tackle tasks room by room. These room by room approach is helpfully referred to as zones.
stage three: the mythical deep cleaning stage yeah lets just ignore that, none of us have got to the point where we have not only decluttered but got in control of the chaos

Oh yeah CHAOS - what the fat fairy calls "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome"

That clear as mud? good. Let's Begin....

I'm in Birmingham overnight. Welcome back Swan and Trazzle. Cheers everyone!

Waves to Swan - nice to see you back and hope you enjoy Broadstairs again.

Have I missed the ? Mmm. Belgian beer!

[Opens case of French too]

Going - thanks, think it was a draw, but yes triggered by that Radio 4 programme. See this blog post from a friend of mine for details of the argument.

Oooh pork scratchings .... lovely to see you Whoknows cheers!

And you too Blue (V. interesting about literary translation debate...used to work down the corridor from Harvill Press once upon a time ... when translated books (for trade fiction anyway) were quite rarefied beasts) Assume we are drinking liquid treasure from your car retrieval trip and thats not easy to say after 4 glasses [hic] ?

Cheers everyone !

Welcome back, Swan. Glad holiday went so well. It's lovely to have you back.

Planning on a rare early night tonight, but not before grabbing one last drink from the naughty corner...

Waves to everyone sorry to miss the party, still being very anti social here just trying to get things to a point we can leave. Supposed to be gone in three hours, but not not even packed and the discovery ds central London library books were due on the 6th not the 16th so £45 worth of fines, -weep- and he' managed to double renew then so they're due back in person, and we have to add that to the mix, has done little to make things go smoother.

Swan well done on surviving family politics, sorry about the constant
cleaning and hope you make it away smoothly.

Sorry about the library books, Just . Hope you manage to have a lovely time away.

Have woken up with a dreadful headache. Must be that bottle of virtual wine last night . Have an appointment at the hairdressers in less than an hour though, so have taken some painkillers and hope it will go away.

Have a good day everyone.

hope you mange to get everthing sorted without too much stres.

there is something odd going on here. We have visitors with a toddler coming, and the only thing that needs doing is to remove the ironing board, a load of folding and to hoover through. This is like unheard of. BUT they are due in about 30mins so i really need to get cracking. going to ignore the fat fairy and not get up straight away, my clothes are in the tumbler dryer. Coffee, folding and then up.

must dash, I promise I will make time to catch up with the thread

[picks up empty bottles, fag ends and hoovers naughty corner] Hope everyone is on for another party tonight???

Well done Bitchy sounds as if you are Flying high!!! Enjoy your visitors ...

[paracetemol to Toffee] hope you feel better as day go ons

Good luck with final preparations and hope you have a great trip away Just

I had yet another stomach bug overnight ...very odd indeed ... so feeling a bit fragile this morning - not rl alchohol related either (honest). Going to go to doc on Mon. Getting a bit fed up with it. [Staggers back to bed]

Isle of Wight here I come!

All hell has let loose with wretched neighbour, so we?re still here. Am just about to go pack finally! If we're lucky we might be there before midnight.
SC doesn't sound much fun, fingers crossed they can sort you out.

I've chosen the new lino with builder. That was stressful. Stressful because in life's great scheme one can see that lino is v unimportant, yet when loads of dosh are being thrown at the main problem (new loo, and smelly floor hacked up) a pity to blow all that effort on wrong lino. Have selected tasteful greyish white fake tile effect with a irridescent shimmer.

A long time chatting to builder.

Rest of family have gone to Broadstairs. A wonderful calm has descended, except one of our cats has disappeared. Last seen by catsitter two days ago Where is he? He is the fluffiest, friendliest one named after Rio Ferdinand. He is at least is microchipped.

I have a day on my own to catch up on various tasks visit friends, search for cat, hoover, wash clothes. Dh says I booked a cottage next to the carpark (we travelled by train so no advantage there , so when he arrives I am hoping there won't be a reproachful phonecall about horrid view/noise. Fingers crossed and leave him to it for 48 hours

Blue interesting blog in that a) I love Naomi Alderman, b)knowing no languages except possibly Latin I always read foreign novels in translation, and they still influence me, and I feel as if they are the original writer's voice, properly rendered.

SC - yes, you must definitely see your GP. Hope it's easy to sort out. Am wondering if it's stress related, though, as you have been through a lot with your DH's illness recently.

Swan - hope you find your cat soon. Good that he is microchipped.

Zing and Just - enjoy your hols.

Am just trying to do a quick tidy up before MIL comes round to babysit. DH and I are going out to see friends tonight. Neither of us feels well (I still have a throbbing headache), but we want to go. Unfortunately, we have to go to a family do all day tomorrow as well, so no chance to rest. Ah well.

DS1 has taken off to see his best friend. I asked him to ring me when he got there, but he hasn't - and they're not answering the house phone. As both these things are normal for them (they are probably playing on the XBox and don't want to be disturbed), I'm trying not to worry and reminding myself that it's good that he's getting out and being independent.

Must continue tidying up. At least DS2's bedroom is still tidy. I keep looking at it admiringly. I wish every room looked like that!

Hope you all have a good evening.

Gosh, two anxieties quashed in one hour!

Cat has returned, and was discovered in dd's suitcase luxuriantly curled up on a pile of dirty clothes
Husband has phoned to say holiday cottage has no view but seems nice enough (as could be expected from what turns out to be a German owner, and thus will accord with dh's ideas about well run holiday apartments)

done
load of washing

todo
some school forms
hoover our bedroom
coffee with friend
ring another friend
cat food
more money
catsitter
order more parking vouchers
wipe table
replace withered plants?
lie down lie down lie down
put away all dry clothes

Toffee enjoy evening out. Ds will be fine, but it is difficult to switch off isn't it, when they make us worry most of the time . I think that's what I'm feeling now, a sort of deferred anxiety emoticon from the last three weeks, like I've been on red alert dealing with one thing or another and not really relaxing at all.
SC I second what Toffee said.

SC have you seen the cabbage thread?

SC at the risk of repeating myself...get yourself checked out, this has been going on to long, you've either had 1 thing for weeks, or something that keeps coming back, neither is good

Just and Zing have a great time and relax

Done
Morning routines
Vacuum -done by DD, she volunteered!
Library & walk
Pop to greengrocers
Dry laundry away
Fit panniers to bike

To do
Knitting

Thank you everyone!! Promise, promise I will be going to doc's next week. Am fed up of this now myself and want to move on!

Goth we've been fitting paniers to bike today too! (DD has new one bought in sale - got 30% off!)

Just hope you have a lovely time (sorry about neighbour hassles at v. worst minute though) and some carefree relaxation for once! Safe travelling!

So glad Rio returned to the fold Swan [brilliant name for a cat] Enjoy your rare moment of solitude (although doesn't sound as if you have had the opportunity for much relaxation!)

Toffee hope you and dh manage to have a good time despite various ailments/fatigue - take care x

Zing¨are you off too? Hope you have a lovely time!! [Cabbage thread? Goes off in search]

Must go and read Blue's blog too ...and watch Beeb bunny burrow prog recorded from yesterday ....

Waves to everyone else (including Saturn who I have inadvertently left off recent "wave" lists - sorry about that - hope all ok!)

Tis not my blog in this instance, SC, though you're welcome to read that too if you like

Thanks swan - that's the generally desired effect

Sorry I missed the party.
Look after yourself sc.

Ta da
Washing up
Ironing (I broke my resolution not to iron)
Washing x2 (2nd lot on)
Beds changed

House is a bit of a tip though.

Have to get sonething off my chest. My MIL really upset me today. Was at DN's birthday this am and put on a nice dress, lenses in, touch of make-up, new shoes. I actually made an effort to look nice. She asks me if I had eaten something to give a rash on my face??? WTF.?? I do not have perfect skin. I have always had a slightly uneven skintone. I have a few pimples on my chinline. But I look the same as I alwats do. I gad terrible acne as a teenager/student years ago, but right now my skin is by my standards good. I will never have peaches and cream skin. But who the fuck asks someobe if they have a rash on their face in public at a party? Grrr. Made me feel really insecure. I went and looked in a mirror straight away and I honestly have no idea what she is talking about.

The only excuse I can come up with is that she's Dutch and therefore sometimes a bit blunt. Not the first time she said so I ethingnlike this either. Sge doesn't seem to understand that diet is no time the only thing that affects skin. My hormones control my skin! Especially since we're ttc so I've just gone off the pill. Last time my skin got so bsd one of my colleagues asked me "what's wrong with your face?" (Also a dutchie).

Sorry for trivial me me me.

Wd love to read both! -Thxs Blue!

Zing wherefore art cabbage thread? Have searched in chat, recipes, even under health ...

x posts

Not trivial at all Engels but really hurtful and genuinely unkind, especially when you had made the effort to dress up for everyone (a compliment to your hosts etc). VERY impolite on your mil's part. I immediately thought "that's typical Dutch rudeness bluntness" after I read your first para, but it seems to exceed even that. Why couldn't she mention lovely dress/new shoes etc? How do you get on in general? I know I shouldn't judge but if I didn't know any better, sounds as though she is deliberately trying to undermine you ...(had a mil who used to do this so hyper-sensitive to it). Hold your head up high and illegitimi non carborundum and all that! xx

I think she honestly doesn't realise that it would be offensive. It's the type of thing that you would only hear from someone who has never had problem skin. DH knows how upset I am about it and I think my reaction to it a look so let her see that it wasn't a nice remark. We normally get on well. She has very different standards when it comes to clothes and cleaning. She's always been a housewife, has never worked and doesn't have any hobbies so all her energy goes into housework. Flylady would LOVE her house. It's spotless.

Engels oh good, I am glad to be wrong if you normally get on OK - as mentioned - am over-sensitive to these sorts of issues! She probably just didn't think when she spoke. Still rude and negative though. You know what they say about people with spotless houses ...

G'night all!

sunday is renew your soul day

Morning all!

I'm back from work trip (actually back Thursday, but done absolutely no flying - struggling to get back into it and house is a complete mess!), trip was fantastic though - wish I got to go away with work more often felt like I've had a lovely break - but back to reality now...

Unlikely I'll have time to catch up with everything I've missed this past week so I just hope everyone is doing ok

Have day to myself and despite my issues with lists, do seem to have quite a long one to get through - but would like to meet friend for lunch today so need to get started...power of 3 and 15 minutes right? Bbl