Remember, remember to Fly through November, but Fledglings will chatter a lot

[BlueEyeshadow]

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 SlimChance for leading us through October and such a copy-and-pasteable OP....

All welcome!!

Goth - I like the sound of your beetroot chutney. Do you have a recipe?

Who - DD had an overnight residential just before the summer (Yr3) and I fretted awfully. She hasn't spent many nights away with family never mind other people! She was upset and cried at bedtime (which is what I expected) but she still had a great time. I have to gear myself up for a whole week without her before she finished Yr4

Engels - Sorry to be personal, but have you had a molar pregnancy? I only ask as the symptoms you talk about are the same as I had. And on the DH front - mine is just as bad as yours! I have got him to agree to have 1 weekly chore - putting the bins out. I tend to fill them up whilst blitzing on a Monday and although he knows there is a schedule of which bins have to go out which week on the noticeboard he still asks me! Sometimes I think it would just be easier to do it all myself (like EVRYTHING else - including DD) but have to grit my teeth as after 13 years together this is progress

I think I need some of F/L's wings as my home bleurgh took over 4 hours and I didn't even get to the kitchen!

Ta Da:

• Dusted and hoovered all upstairs and down (including stairs)
• Upstairs windows and mirrors cleaned
• R/R x 3
• S/S+ x 4 (I'm adding the + as it was more thorough that a quick wipe over!)
• 2 loads washing washed and hung to dry
• Dry clothes away
• Changed DD's bed
• All bins emptied and recycling put out
• Tea made
• Supervised violin practice
• Sink shone

As DD has Pottery after school this meant I had an extra hour to myself so I decided to take myself off for a swim which hasn't happened for months. I (stupidly) did 60 lengths in 35 mins and I paying the price tonight as my arms, legs and back are as stiff as a board

Morning! I never made it back last night, bubonic plague took over and I went to bed not long after DD did! I've got some left overs from yesterday on today's list because of this too

To do:
Put away DD laundry
Dust
Clean mirrors and windows
Hoover
Food shop
Fruit and veg shop
DD and mindees to gymnastics
Under sink- challenge
Clean kitchen floor

Off to find your thread now nicknacks! Not sure if ill have anything useful to add but anyway!

Waves to everyone else!

dizzy I have never even heard of a molar pg. Would it be visible on an ultrasound though? Have had 3 scnas in the last week and a half by mw and gyn and none of them could see anything, though perhaps at this stage too small (I would be 9w). Would explain the HCG (I tortured myself last night by doing another pg test and still have a stonkingly strong line) and the ridiculous growing stomach.

I have a hospital appointment today and am taking a friend with me (DH is under alot of pressure at work to complete projects - has time off himself tomorrow for his own hospital appointment and is off Friday and Monday for our trip to UK and DS's hospital appointment....reading that we're a very healthy bunch!). Handy to have another pair of ears, especially when it's all in Dutch and I have tendency to nod and say 'ja' even if not everything has sunk in or been understood!

Will mention molar (ponders the Dutch translation), thank you.

Engels I hadn't heard of it either until I had one! It happens when no baby forms after fertilisation but your body thinks that you are pregnant. I had some slight bleeding at 7/8wks, was exhausted all the time, feeling sick and was huge at 13 wks when it was picked up at the first scan (this was 18 years ago). You have raised HCG levels which have to be tracked after removal of the pregnancy to ensure they are dropping.

Maybe print off some info to take with you as they are pretty rare and they may not have encountered one

www.nhs.uk/conditions/Molar-pregnancy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I might be well off track but thought I would mention it just in case x

Thanks dizzy The more I read everything the more it seems to make sense.

Ahhh!! a lot to do today, a bit scared!

Ta Da

Morning routine.
Second Washing on - strip one bed
kids delivered to school with everything needed.

To do

Three piles of clothes to put away.
1 hrs worth of ironing
House Bleurgh (cant see this only taking 1hr)
Paperwork - car tax, chasing parcel and banking!
this weeks food planner - trying to use up things in cupboards as money is tight this week.
food shopping
run dog and training - 1hrs
sort dinner
mission - clean under the sink
wash up
school run, 1 hr
homework x 4
Beaver run
Children Bedtime routine
my bedtime routine.

Hope your hospital appointment goes well, Engles

Lauren Hope you are feeling better today and the early night did you good.

Good luck today, Engels. I hope Dizzy's information proves helpful.

Lauren - hope you are feeling better today.

Dizzy - am very impressed at your 'ta da' list from yesterday.

Am feeling a bit the worse for wear thanks to the boys waking me up repeatedly this morning. When will it ever end? . DS2 woke me up at 5 ("Scared! Need a cuddle!"), but was persuaded to go back to sleep. DS1 woke me up half an hour later, just as I drifted back to sleep (needing help with an OCD ritual which it's my job to help him fight, so I don't mind that because I'd rather he overcame it). Eventually, DS1 went back to sleep and I tiptoed back to bed, only to be woken minutes later by DS2 again. At this point, I gave up.

DH slept through all of this .

Today's list includes:

Wrap present and get DS2 to make card for birthday party at midday (it's an INSET day)
Order stuff for DS2's birthday party this weekend
Take DS2 to party
More uni stuff
Washing up
Washing
Put clothes away
DS1 back from school by 2. Lunch
Collect DS2 from party
Tidy our bedroom

Yes, Engels hope appt goes as well as these things ca n Good you have a friend there with you.

Sounds like an awful thing to have to go through Dizzy

A warm welcome to Aliceinwinterwonderland

Sorry, tried to find your thread Nicknacks but couldn't do so (pathetic emoticon). (Experience of anxiety/panic attacks here.)

Sorry for lack of further personals but um, a bit stressed out here atm, to put it mildly.

Dh travelling again. I have urgent work to finish (which four people are waiting for). Started up computer at 9am to find that dd has reconfigured the whole screen/all programmes/set up/icons etc without telling anyone. Entire history deleted. No Outlook Express - it's just disappeared. And when I searched for it in "all programmes" it tried to get me to set up a new e-mail account. There are bubbles floating across the screeen fhs!

Just thought "oh bum" going to have to put it back to rights, what a pain. But have spent past two hours trying to retrieve my e-mail account without success. All my e-mails have disappeared (including ones with work attached) . I am seething and so are the people who are waiting for my work!. Have, as last resort, called the school so I can talk to dd at lunch time to see what precisely she did... . [Head in hands emoticon] I know we will be laughing about this in years to come, but oh no, not right now... .

Engels best Dutch translation I can come up with is "cyste" or "molazwangerschap"

Is this of any help?

It is also known as a "grape pregnancy" or "druiventroszwangerschap". Is that the same thing?

ergh, what she did precisely

Unfortunately Slim I am suspicious but I would personally what to know why she did it. What was she trying to hide by reformatting it? Good luck with the phone call but unfortunately if she had actually reformated then everything that was on the hard drive was lost and only forensic computing is likely to stand a change of recovery. I will keep my fingers crossed is it something simple and easy to fix.

Hope you get some answers Engels

Things are in complete and utter chaos here and not of the fat fairy kinda although that too I am not sure whether i am coming or going and tbh got to the point where i don't care.

ta da
5mins folding
early meeting
Sort out from withdrawing from a set of meetings now no longer able to attend
Sort out changing early meetings due to now changed available child care
sort out a meeting to discuss ds' medical issues
pick up ds' prescription
Have a good chat with a friend and swap woes
Long think about plan of action

About to put on a load of laundry and then to draw up a spread sheet

to do
laundry
spread sheet
folding]
ironing
my room (a day plus worth of work in itself)
make a list of stuff deliberately vague
ds' room (enter at your own risk)
Early night
Get prescriptions to and from pharmacy

Sorry SC didn't recognise you with the nc

Well, just taking a break for lunch (trying to be healthy - soup and sandwich and ). I took some over the counter meds so hopefully keeping some of the flu symptoms at bay a little bit.

ta da (after usual morning routine and school runs)
picked up prescription from surgery
took prescription to chemist to be filled
took out cash to pay chimney sweep later this week
put petrol in car
washing up
sorted out recycling and took it out
one load laundry
stripped boys' beds
tidy up living room
painted one wall and part of ceiling (before head started aching from looking up - might have to do this in little bits until feeling better lol)
cleaned upstairs bathroom (after taking a nice relaxing bath )
tidied up kitchen
baked cookies

to do
sweep kitchen
a second load of laundry
vacuum living room
clean downstairs toilet
sweep dining room
clean out 2 craft drawers
make up boys' beds for tonight

I'm sure there is more, but can't think of it as my list is in the other room and I'm too tired to get up and get it right now.

All in all, I at least feel like I've gotten a fair bit done today. I was going to get out the filler and fill some tiny cracks and holes in the living room as that's my next paint project, but decided to let it go for a couple days.

Oh what a nightmare SC - Hope you can get it sorted and fingers crossed for understanding clients. Will keep the bar well stocked with fortifying supplies.

Good luck for the appointment Engelse. A friend recently had a molar pregnancy so hope if that's what it is you can make yourself understood and get the right treatment.

Big waves to all. Not much flying going on here today but trying to get back into the mindset of putting things away right away.

Sorry to list and run but v. short on time today, so will check back in properly later.

ta da
Children to school, complete with science project
Met friend for coffee
Picked up click & collect stuff (most of my xmas shopping!)
bought stocking filler bits

to do
Put xmas presents away
Finish rest of xmas order
do some study before i forget everything
make dinner
pick DD up from school
pick DS up from IT club
Make lunches
Bring down laundry
pick up DD's blood test form
clear junk off stairs

Oh and extra waves to Alice - welcome on board. Do take it easy with the flu though. Hands over

Thank you BlueEyeshadow. I'm going to relax for a few more minutes and have another before I get back to working on my list.

Today is split pickup day - one DS gets out normal time and the other gets out an hour later due to an afterschool club. It absolutely blows getting much done from 2:30 to 4:15 because it's all transitions - get to one school, do the pickup, get the child home, get their school bag sorted and cleaned out, get their clothing changed, go get OTHER child, same thing, then rush to get tea made and then it goes right into the evening routine with baths and whatnot.

We won't even discuss ironing. I've debated hiding it all in the airing cupboard so I don't need to look at it.

Turns out if you put washing powder and soda crystals into a washing machine before you put it on for a 60C wash to clean it you also wash the floor and half the kitchen.

Dr said def not molar as HCG nowhere near high enough. HCG had gone up again a little bit.

I just have to wait it out and be patient. They wouldn't do a D&V (if that's what it's called?) because there's nothing visible on the scan so they wouldn't know where to look.

Just have to go back next week again fro HCG checks. If it really doesn't go down by itself I will have an injection but they'd rather let nature take it's course if possible. Injection would have impact on when we could take ttc further. Dr said it could take 3-4 weeks for HCG to drop naturally.

I'm taking the next 2 days off work. So frustrating to still feel so pg

Thank you for your support ladies

Oops Bitchy !

Alice I keep hiding my ironing basket when we have visitors and then conveniently forgetting about it

Oh no sc !

Bitchy oh no!! what a mess!

Calling how frustrating for you. It's actually good it's not a molar pregnancy - most doctors will recommend not ttc for 6 months to a year afterwards. We went through 5 miscarriages between DS1 & DS2, so I understand the rotten this feels. Take care of yourself.

At this rate, if I keep hiding the ironing, it may revolt and take over the house.

Yikes Bitchy I did something similar with a boil wash the other week, while on the school run, so Dh ended up washing the kitchen floor.

Engels

Alice brilliant list.

Dizzy Beetroot Chutney recipe, hope you enjoy it.

2lb beetroot (cooked)
2 medium sized onions
¼ teaspoon ginger
½ lb sugar
1 lb apples
1 pint vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt

Cut cooked beetroot into small cubes
Peel onions and apples and cut finely. Place into large saucepan with sugar & vinegar and boil for 30 minutes, add beetroot & simmer for 15 minutes
Bottle when cool.

I have moved into the naughty corner, with an exclusion zone, as I have the lurgy. I have tried ignoring it for the last few days, but am admitting surrender. I have spent a lovely day on the sofa with cat watching Brave and the Gilmore Girls. DH has been playing nursemaid.

ta da
5mins folding
early meeting
Sort out from withdrawing from a set of meetings now no longer able to attend
Sort out changing early meetings due to now changed available child care
sort out a meeting to discuss ds' medical issues
pick up ds' prescription
Have a good chat with a friend and swap woes
Long think about plan of action
Folding
ironing
Machine clean wash
mop up floor
2nd Machine maintenance to clean out the attempt the first time
Long difficult conversations
spread sheet
internet stuff
Drink far far far too much coffee
forget to eat
Arrange meeting tonight with a specialist.
Make some difficult decisions.

Lacking motivation atm. Surely the fan must run out of shit to fling soon?!

It is now obvious I was trying to fly too early, as only just hatched. Hence a lot on my list not done. But going to stay positive and pat myself on the back for what I have achieved and not focus on what I did not!

Ta da
Morning routine.
6 lots of washing, dried, ironed and put away.on a roll there
Three piles of clothes which I hid over the weekend put away.
2 hrs worth of ironing done
Made Vegetable curry using veg lurking in the bottom of fridge.
Paperwork - car tax, chasing parcel, inland revenue and banking!
Emptied and sorted email account.
Next 4 days food planner - trying to use up things in cupboards as money is tight this week. manage to plan, without having to visit the shops.
Kids dinner done
cleaned up
load and unload dishwasher twice
school runs x 2 goodbye 2 hrs of my life.
Lunch with friend hence no running! but good for the soul.
Beaver run
Second dinner

Still to do

Children Bedtime routine.
Put on yet another wash.
Remake bed for DS2
My bedtime routine.
Bath and bed - before 9 to watch Luther - as shattered.

Still on list for tomorrow
Under sink
forgetting the 15 minute de-cluttering as counted the extra clothes put away as that!

Would have a if i wasn't on health kick!

Goth, I am going to use your Beetroot Chutney recipe as have some Beetroot left over in the fridge. Do you grate or chop the ginger, and when do you added the lemon juice and salt? Thank you.

Thanks to all the lovely fledglings who posted on my other thread and pm'd me :)

I'm feeling much better and I know it won't go overnight but I'm putting it all in perspective and being kind to myself. A mother who's anxious about putting their PFB in childcare or starting reception goes through the same feelings of trying to make it all perfect and I guess it's no different just because he's 9 years old.