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....

Ta da :

Breakfasts
Ocado online order
Lost wallet
Panicked
Phoned DH
Panicked
Found wallet
Unloaded d/w
Put w/m on
Swished and swiped in bathroom
Put out new handtowel
Tidied and cleaned dining-room table (hotspot)
Wiped down the stairs
Put 8 bags of rubbish out
Put recycled food out for collection
Emptied bags from Saturday night outing
Put DS2's stuff away in his room
Made DS2's bed
Did times table and handwriting practice with DS2
Reloaded d/w
Made pasta for DS2 and his friend
Made fish fingers for DS1
Put papers out for recycling
Emptied bins from bathroom and bedroom
Stewed apricots
Made flapjacks
Washed up and put away
Reloaded d/w
Wiped down cooker top
Took boys to playground
Came home for flapjacks
Waved off DS2's friend
Sat down for cup of tea, flapjack and MN

And if DH walks in now, I really will hand him the above list.

To do :

Hang washing up to dry
Order new railcard online
Start DLA application
Email friend

Oh, and had a lovely moment in the playground, when a six-year-old boy approached me and said, "What are you for?" (If anyone can tell me, I will be very grateful ).

Oh dear lord.
Child 1 flying 0.

He's back then, bitchy?

The child's quest for knowledge is unbelievable! Back less then 24hrs and already i have learnt stuff and about stuff i didn't realise i didn't want to know!

But does he know what I'm for, Bitchy? If he can tell me that, he's a genius.

He would give you a sarcastic comment that would probably make us both go huh I'll ask him when he has been fed and watered!

Aparently you are for taking care of your dc. he was rather

mind you we have been discussing why you would be giving smarties to people who have been in an area with a radiation leak today so was a rather a different level of question.

He is safely in bed and I am going to go do stuff that my body will hate me for to give my brain a break from hating me.

Thank you to MiniBitchy. I thought that might be what I was for. That and shining sinks. (Or, as my BestF says, "drinking prosecco, reading [your] children stories and falling down stairs, knicker-less" . She will never let me forget that particular New Year's Eve ).

Have finished my 'to do' list. Just have to get DS2 to bed, then am going to sneak off for an early night and leave DH to get DS1 to bed after they have watched a bit of telly together.

Castle - so sorry to hear your news. ((hugs))

Going - my posititve spin on the car situation is rapidly wearing off. Dilly dallying from the garage means we've lost the opportunity to get cheap Eurostar tickets so might mean DH going on his own as the AA won't cough up for both of us. Feel ridiculously :( about this as the idea of extending the holiday was keeping me going!

SC - yes, very glad it happened with DH and DS1 on a short croissant run rather than a fully laden car on the motorway.

No flying has happened here today but I have taken out some frustration on the garden and got rather secateur-happy.

Oh no Blue I don't suppose you could take a cheap single flight via Ryan Air to somewhere vaguely nearby car? And then take train (and buy ticket within France - much cheaper than UK) French trains www.sncf. com??? Eurostar tickets extortionate at best of times! (Eurolines bus from London also cheap as chips and not as bad as you might think.)

at Toffee's prosecco-fuelled exploits! Think your ds might be a professor of philosophy when he grows up! Well done on getting through a humungous list!

Toffee/Bitchy actually I'm amazed by the effects of the holidays on dd and on her actually having space to think instead of being in death by worksheet mode at school. A friend of mine has experienced the same thing too. It's as though our dcs have had some sort of barrier in their minds lifted ...So far this holiday I have been asked why grasshoppers are green, why adults have hair in their armpits (something to do with being ground-dwellers and identifying people by smell apparently), what do parrots eat, where is Indonesia, what language people speak in Brazil and Rwanda, what is an "oracle"? Pretty standard stuff for a 10 yr old I am sure but what is is that she just doesn't seem interested/curious in anything like this during term time as she is kept so busy. She is also trying to built her own kite. Really makes me want to do a a few bits of off-curricular science and nature/geography with her so if you know of any interesting home ed sites or educational links, I'd be v. grateful ...

Passes soft cushion to Goth

Had a reasonably productive day today. Carried on with laundry and decluttering. Oppressively humid in the afternoon though so took advantage of dd's 6-hr absence to do some reading.

G'night all!

Just thought I would check in and say hi and give out some hugs to anyone needing one !!

No flying happening here - house is a tip :((

sc chuffed that I can volunteer Brazilian Portuguese (not the same as Portuguese, oh no...) and Kinyarwanda. Without looking them up!

Please don't use Eurolines. They tried to kill me. Twice. Well, maybe just once in reality and then once by not letting me sleep.

Jessy I'll have one of those hugs on offer, thanks.
Had a shit day.
in fact I'll take two, please.
[selfish]

Thanks for that, SC. Unfortunately none of the budget airlines fly to anywhere remotely close to car, and Eurolines times and prices wouldn't work out... BUT, Eurostar to Calais and then SNCF gets us much closer to car for cheaper than Eurostar all the way. So worth looking into, if garage and AA get their act together. :)

Trazzles - impressed by knowledge of African languages.

Wassup zing ? Hugs coming your way ;)

toffee i had forgott about your new years eve adventures. now you mention them I remember you being very the next day.

Ah yes, SC i have many interesting sites/books that can be recommened but not right now as i am about to set the alarm for 4am, being tuesday and all so i really do need to dump the babysteps and run.

Babystep 5
Monday is house bleurgh day
zone and missions

And clearly I have lost a day forgotten to post the steps and it has all gone a bit tits up. Arses

Tuesday is planning day!
And thankfully babystep 5 is not so very big so here is today's babystep babystep 6

will figure it all out tomo or wednesday. Wednesday is antiprocrastination day. wednesday is a good day for figuring it out.

Good morning.

Didn't do too bad yesterday, so not a massively over-run day today. I had the meeting yesterday, so do not have to fit that in, either.
BBQ for teenagers worked out well, although it was too cold and damp to eat outside. Blimey, I had forgotten how much these lads eat. It was the amount I would normally produced for about 15 people and there was just 7 of them. Hopefully they will be de-camping before lunch time - or they will eat the whole contents of my house!

Oh, I can't think this morning. Pah!! Havent got a clue what I am doing today, just surviving, I think!!

Hopefully I will return later when my brain has woken up and I can be more coherent.

Hey everyone :) here's to hoping I can get SOMETHING for today !

Does anyone
Else have summer holiday trouble - out and about every day and generally doing nothing about the house ??!!

Morning all,

Had a quick catch up on last month's thread to see what I missed while I was away.

PA congratulations and welcome home.
SC sounds like you and DH had a terrifying experience. I'm glad he's okay (even if he is sulking at the size of his steak!).
Toffee so sorry about kitten and everything else you had to deal with last month.
Trazzles lovely to see you back.

I can't remember anything else!

Blue sounds like a nightmare. Good luck sorting it out.

Bitchy thanks for your thread running so far. Your round up posts always make me smile.

jess and zing sending you both hugs. Hope you're okay.

castle have been thinking of you.

Waves to goth and toffee ("knickerless" ? Pray do tell...) and all the many others I've surely missed.

Have just dropped DS off at nursery and now ready to whirl into action. Going to do some serious tidying/cleaning/decluttering starting upstairs and working my way down.

Order of business
Bedroom
Bathroom
Landing and Attic
DS's bedroom
Hallway
Lounge
Kitchen

I seriously doubt I'll get downstairs today.

If I need a break from dust then I'll pop to the supermarket, go outside and check the car or do some gardening (green bins getting emptied today so room for the rest of the jungle!).

Armed with my timer (especially to cut back my internet use!).

Good morning. Reading back through this thread has made me giggle this morning, especially your new years eve antics toffee. It sounds like it was a great night

Jess I definitely struggle to fly during the holidays (and all the rest of the time) because I would much rather be out doing things than in doing housework. My dc seem to be constantly bickering at the moment so I try to get them out as much as possible to distract them from arguing.

It is lucky I am back on this thread. I did the food shopping last night and when I got back dp had emptied the fridge and it was filthy inside It really made us realise we need to get back on top of things!

So todays plan...
To do
Make beds
Swish and swipe
Dw
Wash load on
Ironing
Fold laundry/ put away
Yesterdays mission
Hot spot - living room bay window
15m declutter kitchen
Hoover downstairs
Plan reading to be done for course
Todays mission
Put rubbish out
Dd haircut
School shoe shopping
Get dds school cardigans
Make a list of other uniform to get
Swim
Weight watchers (to see how much I have gained after falling well and truly off the wagon for the last two weeks)
Work for a few hours this evening

Gah! Just managed to break one of the clips on DS's blackout blind like I did last year so will have to go to DIY shop and they hope they take pity on me as I explain in terrible Dutch and give me a new one (don't think you can buy them separately - otherwise have to buy a brand new blind).

Still...

Ta da
Sowered
Bra, knicker and pyjama draws sorted ( I have way too many pyjamas)

Now onwards with the rest of the house bedroom draws.

Morning all. Am drinking my morning coffee and hoping DS2 won't wake up and call for me just yet...

zing - more ((hugs)). Hope today is a better day.

PA - well done with the BBQ. Hope there is some food left for today! How is your DD1 doing at the moment? Is she still feeling sick? And best of luck with the dustbin on legs and poo collecting today.

Jess - sympathies on summer holiday Flying problems. Yes, I think we probably all feel that. I think the secret is in not planning to do too much Flying - just keep the basics ticking over and don't worry about the rest.

Am hoping that I will get something done in the house this morning, though, because DS2 (who usually follows me around chatting non-stop) has a friend round to play. Hopefully, they will be too busy to bother me, although I will have to take them out at some point.

Engels - thank you for your kind words. Yes, last month was not good. And we still miss our kitten, who was an absolute angel. As for the knickerless story: it involved consuming too much wine at a NY party and suffering the consequences . Apparently (I don't remember, but DH and my BestF enjoy telling me many times), I insisted on trying to read the DC their bedtime story at about 1am (poor things), then slid down the stairs and was sick on DH's feet. I woke up knickerless and with a raging hangover the next morning. DH had put me to bed and watched over me all night to make sure I was ok.

Mercury - good luck with that long list today.

Uh oh, DS2 has woken up. Back later...

Toffee - Food left for today?????? Are you crazy?????? These are 17 year old testosterone fuelled food hoovers!!!! I need to do a supermarket run today at some point!!!
DD3 is still being sick, thanks, she will get used to it!!

Shameless boast - DD1 is loving her new job and today she will be waitressing for none other than ..... ....... princess Anne!!! Very exciting.

I am bloody furious with my dad. Just been speaking to a lady while on the dog walk who appears to know an awful lot about my family circumstances and my own father has been telling her a load of "untruths" about certain things. If I confront him at the moment it will end in an almighty row, so I am going to have to calm down and see if I can tackle this with him without an out and out shouting match. If I saw him now I could not be responsible for my actions........bloody families!!