Is it October already the fledglings utter? We'll Fly with our broom sticks and start to declutter...

[Slimchance]

If 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 and 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 zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework - which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do someting more interesting 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!

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!

Humungous thanks to Whoknows for leading us through the tricky start to the academic year ....

All welcome!!

Pretty quiet first day but completed:

• Laundry load washed and hung to dry
• DD's uniform for rest of week ironed
• Spare beds and bedding used at weekend put away
• Shined sink
• Parcels wrapped and taken to post office
• DD fed and taken to Brownies
• Misc bits put back in garage

Still haven't mastered going to bed early and it doesn't help that I keep falling asleep on the sofa every night!

Trazzles Hi, I never wear heels, they make me v badtempered I'm sure you will be very professional without them, and that your clients will be glad to see you WHATEVER You wear.

I'm having a whirlwind morning.
I suppose that is a better way of putting it than thoroughly "stressed and strung out". Ds2 is now showing classic signs of ASD in the morning, screaming if things don't go exactly to plan, fixating on strange arrangements (like he has to go to school at 7am so that he can have breakfast by HIMSELF at the tube station) refusing to get showered because he has ALREADY put on his pants and we didn't warn him. DH is showing classic signs of "I can't cope with all the mad people I live with" which involves melting down because Ds1 suddenly asked him for £10 as he left the house. However, strange to say, all three children have left the house by 7.20am and we are sitting here slightly bewildered in our nighties (okay dh is in his pjs - he has stormed off to bed again) wondering why what all the fuss was about.

What a weird situation it has become, trying to persuade our children NOT to go to school so early I had to tell ds1 and 2 that the school was not actually open till 8am, but they paid no attention and stormed off (separately)

So solutions are: money in secret jar for DH to access for children in emergency
Ds2 has to have a shower the night before, without fail, as mornings don't work. He is not very sweaty so he is not used to having a wash every single day, so I think lack of routine is problem. Other dcs are much more "programmed"
Dh also need stop letting the mornings get to him!! And back out if he finds it frustrating.
Ds2's blazer needs to be in a special MARKED BOX downstairs so he doesn't feel tense that he cannot find it. On a peg is no good, as he can't remember which peg he left it on Upstairs is no good as he forgets to bring it down in the morning.

I also need to ring the boys' school to find out about unmarked holiday homework which is causing more tension from DH. And to find out how to get Ds1 a new Maths textbook. More scenes over that last night.

Hasta La Vista!!

okay, deep breath. Done both of those calls, both answer phones.
Fed cats
Will try dd's secondary school now
Yesterday achieved: happy sons at bedtime, and two pieces of homework with ds2 which he almost did independently

Something ticked off list anyway

Swan - your endless resilience to your family's challenges never ceases to amaze me . It sounds like you have found good solutions to all those issues this morning.

Trazzles - I have lost two items of clothing recently. I'm sure they must be in this house somewhere, but I will probably just end up buying replacements (at which point, they will reappear). I hope you managed to find something suitable to wear today and that work went ok. So sorry about your broken toe. That must have been very painful.

dizzy - that looks like a very successful day of Flying. I also struggle with the bedtime at a decent hour step. One of my issues is that I often switch on the computer for a quick browse before bed, when the house is quiet, and then find I am still browsing two hours later.

Was up and out early today so that DS2 could have his school photo taken before his school trip. He then changed into his Victorian outfit for the trip and I took photos. Am afraid I had to download one onto my profile page because he looks so, so sweet...

Have to spend today getting DS1 to revise his Maths before he tackles his Maths test for school. He hasn't done any Maths over the school holidays and I swear he has forgotten all the Maths he ever knew.

This is not going to go well....

Hi all. Quiet on here today, hope you are all OK. Very quiet here too. Everyone I know (and their dc) has either had flu, has got flu, or is recovering from flu.

Sorry you have had such a stressful morning Swan and ditto what Toffee said about your solutions and resilience.

Not as testing as you are having to cope with but fwiw deep breaths here too as I've being driven spare by dd this afternoon trying to help her with a hwk project (a 5-min speech), "trying" being the operative word.

Why oh why does such a straightforward thing have to be so stressful?

It was obviously despicable of me to suggest that it might be a good idea to name the countries she is going to be talking about before describing their most well-known geological features and I then added salt to the wound by suggesting that it might be a good idea for her to have her bath early so she could catch her favourite horse programme before supper. Both suggestions were met with explosions of outrage. I obviously have to work on my delivery .

Sorry that was all very "me, me" when you are having a horrible time (and I only have one child to cope with). If I may say so, I think you are very patient to hold it all together when your dh is getting stressed too. I hope your day is improving anyway and that you managed to get a few restorative moments to yourself.

Toffee I love the sound of your ds2 in his Victorian outfit and good luck with the maths tuition you are a braver man than me. [Nicks piece of Victoria sponge to stick behind ear for later]

Waves to Dizzy [and, from the previous thread, a very belated happy birthday to your dd - glad the party went well!!]. Ditto re: the bedtime step but it certainly hasn't hampered your productivity!

How did the day go Trazzles? Ditto what Swan said about ditching the heels and your clients being pleased to see you!

Nicknacks! Yes, I tend to sort out my own zones (Flylady model doesn't really fit this house) so I can neglect them in precisely the order I want

BBL

Was thinking of you both today Engels and Mercury btw! Hope it went well for you both.

Ouch Trazzles btw, missed the bit about your broken toe...

SC - sympathies on the homework battles. I get similar eye rolling and explosions when I make what I consider to be sensible suggestions about schoolwork too. However, I'm sure your DD appreciates your help really, even if she doesn't show it.

Much to my surprise, DS1 worked really hard on his Maths test today .

DS2 enjoyed his school trip. He only ate my Victoria cake for lunch because, he claims, he "couldn't find" the bread and cheese in his lunchbox .

Am trying out a meditation class with a friend tonight. Apparently, it will keep me calm for up to a week...

Knee is still swollen, flying limited to laundry and a bit of wiping down surfaces. Not happy. May hobble to the naughty corner and see if the helps with the pain...

Thanks sc . Had a faint line again this morning. Going to wait a few more days to see if I get a clearer line. In theory this should mean that I do more housework while trying to take my mind off it, but in practice...

Where has the day gone!

Done
Morning routines
Laundry on
Patched 2 pairs DH work trousers
Made 2 sets of bunting, with names on for DD's friends' birthdays (now stressing at whether I got apostraphes correct -2 friends, they both get bunting)
Collect DD, hand over 1 birthday bunting
Tidy craft/sewing/knitting shelves
Vacuum whole flat really well
Dinner
Dd to Woodcraft

Thought I had a doctor's appointment tonight - it was yesterday, so rang receptionist and grovelled. Feel really bad about it, I was so sure it was today.

Am planning an early night, hope I feel more me tomorrow.

Some good news, been asked back to Lakeland on Friday morning for an hour to meet the team and see what the job would entail.

Engels fingers crossed that line gets stronger.

toffee I do that quite often tbh, (only find the cake not the lunch!) Lovely pics of your ds1&2 btw fab dressing up outfit. I remember visiting a Victorian school when I was about 8 and I was nominated by my teachers to receive the 'dunces hat ' treatment ( I was very well behaved at school and painfully shy). The actors playing the teachers were so convincing that I cried my eyes out when sent to stand in the corner.

engels I'm so sorry I missed your news before been though I read the post I must have skimmed the last line. Fingers x'd for you :)

goth I missed an appointment for ds2 last week a precious Saturday appointment I had to grovel as I needed to rebook.

mercury how did you get on?

SC I am learning a very important lesson from ds2 atm. That what engages him is the most important aspect of the homework, not what the finished product looks like.

I've had a rather bleugh day, but I did

take duvet to laundrette and bring it home
walk down to tube to pick up ds2, only to find he had made his own way home on the bus
talk to a neighbour
talk to a friend who was having problems with job/nanny (one thing I don't have to think about
help at Beavers
long walk to Beavers
do ds2 music homework and help Dh deal with meltdown over ART, which was solved by talking very very calmly...CAAALLLLM CAAALLLM THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY. THIS IS A LEMON SQUEEZER AND WE ARE GOING TO DRAW IT. A Cone. We had to draw cone, sphere and cube household objects..and shade them

Anyway ds2 is now in a bath. Ds1 is belatedly remembering he has geography and dd is actually putting her bag in the hall.

better rush
Toffee so sweet, the artful dodger, but cleaner!

Tomorrow's baby-step, no 3 for Thurs 3 Oct, is just consolidating what you have already done ie shining sink and getting dressed to shoes.

We are still in in Zone 1: The Entrance, Front Porch and Dining Room here. Spend 15 mins decluttering!

Once Zone 1 is totally free of clutter, you can go on to detailed cleaning.

Tomorrow's daily mission is dealing with smudges and fingerprints on walls and windows.

Thursday is errand day ie grocery shopping, med appts, haircuts, present buying etc.

The habit for October is clearing paper clutter.

The summary of above, also known as the flight plan, will update itself daily.

Still don't know how you manage to balance it all Swan [respect] and (I remember doing the very same art exercise at school btw.)

Things have calmed down a bit tonight but a bit of meditation might help I reckon Toffee! Yr Victorian boy is totally gorgeous btw! Yay to successful maths tests and school trips!

at trauma of school trips past Nicknacks and hope you are taking it steady.

V. exciting about Lakeland Goth and hope you are feeling OK.

Crossing all fingers and toes Engels!!

[Proffers foot stool and ice pack for Jemima although not in naughty corner as injury = justifiable Flying abstention]

Huge waves to everyone else! After four days of coughing and mouldering, I intend on getting back to some proper Flying tomorrow...

Good evening!

Today has been manic and I have got little/no real flying done apart from the absolute basics, but the maths lesson went reasonably well. I was relieved not to feel nervous and actually enjoyed it. I have sooo much to learn and find the idea of learning it all in one year extremely overwhelming but I intend to apply the flylady approach and just take it one step at a time. Thank you for sending me positive thoughts SC

Toffee your ds looked fantastic in his costume.

Engels I have my fingers firmly crossed for you, but without wishing to jinx you it sounds very positive.

Goth that is exciting news about Lakeland

I had my haircut this evening, so I am actually ahead for tomorrow. Yay!

I will see you all tomorrow with a ta da list , I have an assignment due Friday so should get on with that instead of procrastinating on mnet but I will definitely pinch a piece of Goth's scrummy Victoria Sponge before I go.

Evening all.

I'm not quite sure where today has gone either. I seem to have frittered it away here and there and not quite achieved much of my original intentions. I just can't face the paper clutter at the moment but am hoping that when if the person from Freegle takes away the old cot that's taking up most of the space in here, it'll inspire me to deal with it.

Oh Nick - that would've had me bawling too. Hugely over-sensitive child.

Sorry to hear about swollen knees and broken toes too -

Swan - impressed by calmness in the face of meltdowns. Sounds like you've had a lot to deal with today.

Sympathies re homework too, SC.

Another one here who hasn't seemed to get much done today! It has consisted mainly of moving bookcases from the kitchen to the study to DD's bedroom and back again! I think we have them all in the best place for them so tomorrow I'll need to re-organise the books/DVDs etc they will now hold. I still need to find places for DD's birthday presents to go (mostly science kits or crafty "stuff").

Other completed tasks are:

• Sink shined
• DW loaded and put on
• DD taken to swimming club
• Spare sofa put back in kitchen (with help of DH)

Need to make a decent effort tomorrow as DD has an inset day on Friday so I am sure she'll want my undivided attention - at least until her friends come knocking!

Engels fingers crossed!

swan totally in awe of all you achieve!

Thanks re: toe. Its over a month old now so I can at least wear shoes but it hurts if I go too far. And the angle required for heels puts a bit too much pressure on it. I managed today with flats and shoved a pair of heels on for a couple of hours this afternoon when I run our drop-in advice clinic.

If I can get through til lunchtime today then I have another week to find my trousers. Literally can't imagine where I could have put them.

Scatter-brained comes nowhere near covering me right now.

Ok do I failed miserably in September. But it's October now!!!

Did a crisis clean on Sunday & at least the kitchen @ living room looks tidy

Main job for this week is packing for ds's Year 7 residential which she's off on on Friday. And picking up her birthday cake today for her to take with her as she turns 12 whiles she's away.

Your trousers are in the black hole with my cardigan and jeans, Trazzle.

Engels - sorry, I missed your news earlier. Am also crossing my fingers for you. I remember having a barely discernible blue line the first time I did Poas. He's just coming up to his 14th birthday.

Wide awake by 6am this morning, brain buzzing, so gave up and came downstairs for tea and MN.

This morning, DS1 and I are going to the opticians and I'm having a trial of contact lenses. I am nervous about putting something in my eyes, but I look so silly in glasses and the world is becoming increasingly blurry.

Cleaner is here this afternoon, so I will be Flying alongside her.

Also have to continue tackling the Maths test with DS1.

Hope you all have a good day.

Morning all

[Issues nationwide search alert for Trazzles trousers]

Welcome back and hello to Picturesinthefirelight and happy birthday in advance to your dd. (Are you a namechanger btw? So sorry not to twig if so ...)

Good luck with the book rearranging Dizzy

Sympathies re: the paper clutter Blue (not sure I can face it either). Must, must force myself to do 3 x 15 mins of shredding of old docs today in an attempt to get going.

Congrats Mercury on your first completed solo lesson!! YOu evidently socked it to 'em! Great that you enjoyed it too!

Big feathery wing flaps to everyone else!

OK, house has been in decline while I was ill. Stuff just seems to reproduce on hall floor if I don't constantly clear it. And the fridge is empty ... I need a list...

Ta da:
Morning routine in dw, wm, s&s & rabbits

To do:
more thorough laundry sort
find dd's favourite t-shirts and wash for Sun
find or buy suitable present for party on Sun
quick clear of kitchen
clear hallway
bed changing
tidy sitting room and playroom ready for cleaning tomorrow
quick supermarket shop (may delegate to dh)
some sort of veggie supper prep
dining room table hot spot
find a place for school papers
paper declutter x 3
e-mail to school x 2
dig out dd's tennis kit
put away panier of clean washing
afternoon/evening routine

All very boring but that will do for today. Hope everyone has a good one!

x posts

[Issues nationwide alert for Trazzles trousers and Toffees cardigan and jeans]

Toffee I'm afraid of changing my distance glasses for fear of being able to see more cobwebs

Ooh Toffee you're dead brave getting contacts! Last time the hospital looked at my hammy eye they had to put a lens in my eye and I cried!!! Was fine though actually...

This morning I'm at work and then this afternoon... Well, who knows? We have a ton of shredding so have decided to call a shredding company to relieve us of it all. I've spent years looking at it... Storing it(!)... Waiting for it to go away. It hasn't. So I'm going to kick its papery ass in to touch

Also need to sort docs to send to Carers Allowance people. Have already sent them. They returned them but would now like them again please and also sort the finances for the month. Plus work out if J is going to run out of any meds over the weekend and call the hospital if so. And book community nurse for the morning. Argh!

It's a GAMMY eye that i have. Ffs.