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....

Honu - sorry to hear your DH not well thanks for link to rubba scrubba, might have to get one of those. Good luck with the crisis tidying - that's pretty much where I am too...can't clean what you can't see!

PA - hope all is well with dog and rabbits. Shame about DS job, hopefully he can get something else quickly

SC - enjoy the baking/playing with DD this afternoon

I've completed morning routine and all ready to take DD to party at 10am (with present wrapped last night!) grabbed invite and it is at 4pm not 10 am - where I got that from I don't know. Suppose at least I realised whilst here and not when I arrived at the place . Probably need to pay attention to my baby step calendar habit today!! Anyway, don't know what to do with myself now...

Nah, ankle isn't broken SC It has tendonitis so needs lots of rest and ice. I use the word 'broken' to describe anything that isn't working properly.

I took a nap at 5:30pm and woke up at 3:30am for some food and some ice for sore ankle. Asleep again by 4:30am and didn't wake up until 10am. Not feeling rested but definitely needed the sleep. Now need coffee and to fly at high speed as have to get the lounge finished by 4pm as I go to get ds home. Can't wait to see him!

Just marking my spot, got back this morning from a fortnight's holiday and there's a lot of washing to do. Will be back to catch up with all you lovely Fledglings later.

I'm back! I'm home! And I haven't name-changed!

Scuttling off to unload dishwasher...

Yay Trazzles!!!

Welcome back too Whoknows hope you had a lovely holiday!

Phew Bitchy was taking you a bit too literally - sorry! Still sounds painful though...sleep should help with healing though hopefully

Waves to Saturn and everyone else

Am actually being quite productive today must be something in the water ...

4 loads hanging up in the garden, just about to take down the 1st and put out the 5th, thank goodness for breezy weather.

ta da
drink too much coffee
up
lounge windows de mucked (but need polishing up)
half of the windowsil in lounge
1st load washing on
half of the random stuff on the lounge floor
cleaned remaining tables
remove all stuff related to the fire out of lounge
internet stuff
speak to ex about ds
polish lounge and hall windows
finish clearing window sil
more bits removed from lounge floor
2nd load of washing on.
clean window sil
polish window sil

Progress today is really slow as i have to deal with all the piddly little bits. Currently sitting under ice so now is a good time for a round up i think...

Holy shit I forgot how much we like to talk!

First things first:
Zing popped in and explain her frustion with the fat fairy's decluttering that is cluttering up her inbox. Welcome to the thread.

Whoknows has been on holiday and is now back and tackling the washing, grateful for a windy day. It is trying to rain here...

Bitchy's typo has amused a few but horrified poor pa who is clearly properly grown up now she is going to be a gran and doesn't do that kinda thing anymore don't believe that really but probably best to let the Dc believe it

Various people have been struggling with the heat and Flying. Our resident Heat expert has been sending her sympathies. My advice is to take is steady and even if all you do is stick one load of washing on, and the washing up behind you that is still flying. Takes fat fairy's little and often rule literally

Castle has been gentle pottering through but did point out the late night activity. Clearly this is fine because we haven't reached the early night babystep

SC has been overtaken by a rare bout of motivation and has been tackling the kitchen, making plans to adapt things to suit her better and being brave and doing things that DH would normally do.

Jess popped back to say she slipped off the fat fairy program. We all do that occassionally but you will find it easier and quicker to get back on track each time.

Asheth has discovered that it really is the power of 15 and been getting the housework life balance nailed!

Saturn has been working on decluttering and sucessfully decluterred dd's shoes. at how 16 pairs though. I don't own that many pairs of shoes to declutter.

Goth popped in with a ta da and tails of local live music.

Honu wander back it, so nice to see you lovely. Sorry to hear dh is poorly.

PA is currently stopping the visiting dog from having a rather tastey meal of fresh rabbit. Good luck with that and enjoy having old friends back for a visit!

Trazzles popped back without her threatened name change. good job as we all know that I am dreadful with name changes

PA did point out that bitchy was being a bit all or nothing in her style. Quick reminder that this is not the fly lady way. And the fat fairy would be most disapproving. Bitchy is currently crisis cleaning on a grand scale with a tight deadline and is trying hard normally to not be like this. And can't fucking wait until Wed's deadline is achieved! Life does not always permit a little and often approach. But try to avoid this as norm.

Ciao for now.

Hi all. Big wing flaps to Trazzle

I had a late start this morning as I worked until 2am and flying has been minimal:
Ta da
Beds made
Wash load
Towels and bedding folded and put away
Dp hoovered
Put air in tyres
Visited mil
Bike ride with dcs

This afternoon I am off for a swim with my dmum (I have consumed too much party food over the last couple of days and now feel really sluggish), then we are popping to dsis for After that I am planning to get dcs in bed early, fold some more washing and then spend a rare evening with dp

Hope your foot starts to ease off a bit Bitchy

Afternoon all.

Back from caravan after a lovely few days in the sunshine. Got a busy week ahead. Have booked the carpet fitters for DD's room on Thursday along with her furniture to be delivered which means i have to decorate it by then. DH has trashed the house in my absence. And am having DN for the day tomorrow as dsis is decorating. First time she has let him out of her sight for a full day in his 6 months on this planet so I am honoured!

Off to catch up with the thread!

QUICK QUICK QUICK All you doggy lot HELP!!! What is the worst that can happen when a dog eats a whole big box of cat biscuits?????? I am no good at this dog sitting lark. Bloody cats have scarpered giving me the evil eye and have not been seen for hours.

It's ok PA, it's a lab. I have one of these, it's a dustbin on four legs. Cat biscuits are small beer in a lab's world. It will fart and maybe go to the loo a bit more. Make sure it has enough fresh water, put it outside when it needs to go, and put all food out of reach. If you want to do penance take it for a good cobweb-blowing-out walk. Just enjoy!

Thanks Honu. Feeling more relaxed now. Smelly dustbin on four legs has just pulled me round the streets for a late night wee walk.
We are taking her into the forest tomorrow so hopefully that will wear her out.

cats still cross with me, but are sat outside the house now, so coming closer.

Sorry PA but cackling loudly here at your dog emergency Don't mean to sound heartless, but that is hilarious!!!

And arf at Honu's calm but portentous statement ... "It will fart and maybe go to the loo a bit more"

One of our dogs at home tended to over-eat at the wrong moment; it always seemed to be when my mother was trying to have an elegant dinner party. About half way through, when everyone was relaxed and settled, it would choose just that moment to break wind loudly under the table and I remember the guests trying to remain in their places, trying to carry on their conversations with streaming eyes as though nothing had happened. When we got to know people well though, all pretence at politeness went out of the window and they would just cover their mouths and run for the door as fast as possible ....Looking back, that dog's timing was impeccable

Good luck with the baby-sitting and decorating Ellie! (Six months is such a lovely age! )

[Displays sticker proudly on t-shirt] thanks Bitchy Polishing windows doesn't sound at all piddly to me - fab round up too btw! Hope ice treatment working.

Gosh you've tackled that post-holiday washing quickly Whoknows

Top marks for going swimming Mercury- I must weigh myself today - certain I haven't lost weight this week - just praying I have maintained and not gained.

Must admit that the strain of having dh around a lot more than usual (constant golf and motor sport on the telly) and the strain of me cooking healthy meals and him having to eat them .. is starting to tell. Consequently I have downed two large glasses of white wine this evening, even though I am meant to be off the booze in sympathy with dh.

However, today have finished cutlery drawers, implement jars and tupperware basket in kitchen which are now all shiny and organised. Also did on-line supermarket order, played with dd in garden with tent, made leek and potato soup and swiss roll with dd, made a healthy veg medley to go with minute piece of lean steak (dh sulked like a child at size of it), went to church (drove there!), ran and emptied dishwasher twice, carried a load of stuff upstairs and then some other stuff downstairs, did some volunteering, bought some fruit & veg, returned some bks to a friend, sorted office invoices, sorted dd riding equip, suffered through 'Dr Who Live' , did four lots of laundry, prepped more for tomorrow, and planted some lavender. So feeling fairly chipper! Got a long list for tomorrow too ...hoping can crack on with house a bit better now that dd will be occupied with all things horsey for six hrs a day ....

Hope everyone has a good week! G'night all!

Good morning everyone!

SC Thanks - I think!! Sounds like a really productive day for you yesterday.

Cannot believe how much poo one dog can produce and as for having to pick it up when it is warm squidgy and stinking - nah, this dog owner lark is just not for me!!!
And how quick do these four legged dustbins actually eat. It takes me longer to open the tin and put it into the bowl than it does for him to scoff the lot and then look at me as if he is still starving.

Today is looking like a full day so far, so maybe a little list might keep me on track.....or maybe not!!!

Washing in -done
Kitchen cleared - done
Dishwasher loaded - done
Encourage cats into the house, feed, then remove any remains out of four-legged dustbins reach! - done
Quick MN 5 mins - doing
Walk dog - picking up copious amounts of poo on the way
Bunny feed
Breakfast
Trip to supermarket to get food for BBQ
hoover downstairs
clear clothes piles from back lounge
get room ready for 7 testosterone filled 17 year old lads to sleep in tonight
bake humungous amounts of cake, biscuits etc for said lads - Have you any idea how much food these humans eat??????
Dog walk in forest with DD3, her DH and their new puppy and my four legged bin.
BBQ - or maybe that could turn into a pizza fest if the weather looks dodgy......must decide soon before I go shopping.
Bunny feed
Try to ignore the noise and stupidity of the 7 lads.

Optional list if I get round to it:
Business meeting (must be done either today or tomorrow, but tomorrow seems more likely!)
finish clearing landing
hoover upstairs
Move a load of "stuff" from my bedroom into the spare room
Do some paid work which is becoming quite urgent
Form filling
And I am sure about another million things...............

Off to check the weather reports.....BBQ or pizza fest...........that is the question..........

Morning. I am so sleepy I just want to curl up and go back to sleep. That isn't an option with the dcs about. So heres todays lists, hopefully writing it down will keep me on track

To do
Make our bed
Change dcs bedding
Ss
Dw
Wm on
Room rescue living room
Hotspot - bedroom windowsill
15m declutter in kitchen
Mission
Ironing
Hoover throughout
Dust throughout
Pick ddad up from supermarket
Take dcs shopping and for lunch with ddad
Drop dcs to dsil
Hair appointment
Meal plan
Dinners
Gp

Best get cracking!!!

Good morning everyone!

Hoping to get a bit more done today! Am going home to DH on Wed and I want to leave my Mum somewhat in reasonable shape here. Today we should meal plan and grocery shop. Somebody asked a couple of days ago if people has brought us food. Well! It was overwhelming! We have been fed for 8 days solid! And that has been my mum and four adult children, along with a varying number of our partners (sometimes 4!) And we also gave some of the food away! And there are still the remains of joints of ham in the fridge and a rolled and boned turkey in the freezer!!!
I have never experienced anything like it. We also fed (sandwiches/cake) and watered 200+ people who came through the house during our traditional Irish 'wake' for Dad. And all of that food was brought to the house too! The 'wake' meant that Dad was brought home to our house, and the coffin was open on the night before the funeral. People came and paid their respects to Dad and then were besieged by some of our friends in the kitchen, and sent into the garden laden down. It was the most surreal experience. We had a beautiful funeral mass the following day. My siblings and I all took readings etc and my brother said a wonderful eulogy. It was a really great send-off for Dad.

However, there is a room downstairs where absolutely all clutter and extra furniture was shoved into and the key turned in the door. I managed to uncover the poor goldfish when we remembered him the evening after the funeral, but everything else has been untouched!!!
Might make a start in there today...if Mum is up to it...She says she doesn't want to go back to the clutter again though, so it could be an interesting decluttering project!
Gosh I've been rambling on!
Bitchy hope the ankle improves.
SC I hope DH didn't give you too bad a fright...hope you don't wear yourself out looking after everyone. And I say is a good idea!
Waves to everyone else!

Morning all. Today is going to go one of 2 ways. Either i will be incredibly broody by the end of it or 100% certain I want no more children. DN is here and just settling for a nap. Had forgotten how impossible it is to do stuff when babies are around so my list today is minimal and dependent upon naps.

To do:-
General tidy
Unpack
Washing (weather dependent)
S/s bathroom
Washing up
Dinner
Food shop
Gym
Empty furniture from dd's room ready for painting.

That will do methinks. Quick turn round needed for washing as we are away on Saturday for family holiday for a week.

castle so sorry to hear your DF. Sounds as if he had a lovely send of though.

Back later.

Thanks Ellie enjoy your day with DN !

Ta da:
Lounged around in dressing gowns reminiscing, and munching yet more ham sandwiches for breakfast...this has to stop. It's been 9 days now, we have to start getting it together .
On the plus side I found yet another neighbour-made lasagna in the freezer. That's put the grocery shop back another day or two...

To do:
Get everyone out of the house for a walk and some fresh air.

Found you all! We're back from holiday, all in one piece but the car is still in France. Brakes failed on the last morning and couldn't be fixed till today so under our breakdown cover we ended up coming home via a taxi and 2 hire cars... Now carless until we can get it back, which will probably mean me and DH having another jaunt across the Channel at the weekend when the boys were going to be staying with the ILs anyway. May as well make a virtue of a necessity... and there'll hopefully be more space to bring back important matters like .

Not sure how flying is going to fit in with all this, but need to do some. CBA at the mo, though so will try and skim through the thread - 5 pages already.

castle - that sounds like a wonderful and touching send off for your dad. I went to the funeral of my great aunt - a wonderful woman - last year and she was also 'brought home'. We all said prayers round the (closed) coffin in her sitting room and then followed as the coffin was carried to her local church. Both my boys were with me and coped very well. DS1 put his arm round DS2 when the coffin arrived .

ellie - enjoy your day with DN .

PA - picking up the dog poo was my least favourite bit of looking after a dog, so you have my sympathies!

Today started badly because I lost my wallet with my credit card in it. Spent ages searching for it and finally decided I must have dropped it when DH and I went to a local outdoor concert on Saturday . Rang DH to confess and he insisted I look one more time before cancelling our joint cards. Thank goodness, I finally found it tucked away in the bottom of DS2's lunch box, which he'd taken to the event. Oh, the relief! But, thanks to that, I have wasted most of the morning searching.

Lots to do now. All fairly dull. DS2 has a friend here, so at least he is busy and I can get on with housework.

Hope you all have a good day.

Blue - x-post. Sorry about your car. What a pain.

Castle why does it have to stop. grief takes the time it takes. don't try to put a time limit on it. just grieve properly. x

Castle your father's wake and funeral mass sound absolutely lovely. (And all the support from friends and locals - he was obviously much loved.) I hope you found it a comfort (or as comforting as possible in circumstances). Nine days isn't that long you know. You've been through a huge shock and it's often harder after the funeral when you are more on your own and not as busy with all the arrangements etc. Hope your mum is coping ok. Take it easy on yourselves x

Oh no Blue about the car! Must have been stressful with dcs but glad it wasn't a spectacular fail at 80mph on motorway. Hope you can pick up lots of crates on the retrieval trip!

Toffee glad you found your cc in the end. I am losing lots of stuff in the boudoir atm and it is v. stressful. Now I am decluttering a bit more seriously than usual, I am finding what they say about disorganisation = waste of money to be true . Have so far found 2 cardigans I didn't know I had and a school bag that I bought ages ago for dd and forgot about (already bought another one for this year). None will go to waste exactly but they were unnecessary purchases.

Elliepac enjoy your day with your dn!

Mercury sounds tough having to get through that list when you are working so late/sleep deprived. Hope you survive the day

PA Sympathies... I'm not good with dog poo either. Horse poo is a different matter - don't mind the smell - but poo from anything that has eaten meat is a different matter. Actually, although I grew up with dogs, and then lived with my sister who had dogs, and they all without fail farted under the dinner table etcand worse, I don't really like dogs living inside that much (especially around kitchen and eating from plates or begging at table - can't be doing with any of that) unlike dh who would let them run riot. I'd love to have dog if I lived in the country though and it could more or less have an outdoor existence. Hope you survive the visit anyway. Sounds as if you are providing your furry guest with a 4-star service!! And hope you survive the sleepover too!! Good luck with keeping them all fed!

Morning all, not much none flying today as at work, but I have made my bed!

On a plus note, I have cycled to work for the 2nd day and TMI alert am only slightly uncomfortable.

PA arf at dog eating cat biscuits, I bet your cats are very unimpressed with their house guest. I honestly think dog poo is the sole reason I can hold out against getting one. It's weird, I can cope with emptying the litter tray, and as our cat still doesn't want to go out, I know we get everything, but I can't imagine doing the hand in bag thing

Blue I like the positive spin on the return journey to France, admit it you scupper end the breaks just as an excuse to get more

Castle I think SC is right, and that you'll find that now the formalities are over that you'll be starting face up to your loss (sorry I'm not very good at expressing my point) It will take a long time, I've seen it with my Mum when we lost my Nanna, 5 years later and she can only now cope with seeing photographs. You need time to grieve, I just wish I could give you a real life hug.