Fledglings don't makes resolutions in January, they fly and chat through the babysteps.

[BitchytheGreat]

Roll up, roll up. Thread two for January is here. You chatty lot

will be back later with linkie poos and a vat of bitchy's special brew...

In the meantime spot markers will be handed a magic rubber and told to clean up after themselves...

We took dcs out for relaxed pub lunch, and had what we paid for, a relaxed pub lunch

However, family is pretty tense atm, and lots of shouting. Dd had a foul RE project which I basically had to write for her. However that is done!

Ds1's violin dramas continue as we still don't have a violin (the string is now broken when we tried to tune it) he can practise on and his exam is on Tuesday. Tomorrow he will just have to miss homework club and practise on the other violin which is at school. He is sooo all over the place - joining the rest of us in this family!!!

So, in short, we had a mile's walk in the rain
avoided cooking lunch and washing up
we did homework
we mopped various sets of tears
bought some food for next few days
and I am off to Mass now with two sane-ish ones.

Glad you managed a relaxed pub lunch in the midst of family tensions, Swan.

Ta da, Part 3

Spent ages in the loft looking through all the boxes
Found first ed psyc report and lots of other useful things, but not the latest ed psyc report
Became totally enthralled in a diary from my last term at university (cringeworthy, funny, sad)
Opened

Letters to type up now and dinner to cook.

Evening all.

A productive morning and relaxed afternoon is how I would sum up my day.

Ta da:-
Lots of washing
Lots of drying
Lots of putting away
General tidy
Food shop
Dinner (shepherd's pie)
Watched Matilda with DD
Family time this afternoon watching a film
Bathed DC's
Stripped and remade our bed

To do:-
Watch rubbish tv
Get DS to finish homework

Ta da

Cooked chicken nugget & chips for DC's dinner (much more popular than roast beef and veg )
Hilarious conversations with DC at the dinner table
Sent emails and typed letters re statement

Am done with paperwork for today. It is physically and emotionally draining.

Fairly chilled day today, although DH nearly had a fit when he saw me mixing mashed swede in with the potatoes (he's never noticed before ) He daren't say anything as DD would refuse to eat it, she tucked in and he had small seconds.

Also Done
Changed bedding
3 loads laundry
Dry laundry away
Bread mixed for knocking back and baking in the morning
Washing up (lots)
Cleaned down kitchen sides
Cleaned microwave
Taught DD how to make scrambled eggs, she had them for lunch
Dinner
Woodcraft emails & facebook updated (2nd week, less anxious now)

Rushes in with excess and left over from family gathering and collapses in a heap in the corner!

Friday Ta Da

• DD to early morning training then school
• Food and drink shopping for the weekend
• S/S x4
• Dug out inflatable beds and blew up
• Sorted out extra bedding and changed sheets etc already on beds
• Swept kitchen floor
• Rudely interupted by mother arriving whilst mid blitz!
• Hoovered through downstairs
• DD to swim training
• No cooking as we had fish and chips!
• D/W loaded and put on

Got a bit of a lie in after sharing the inflatable bed with DD who spread herself over most of it and stole most of the duvet!

• Rejigged bedrooms as more people arriving
• Organised lunch and fed everyone
• D/W on again!
• Dry laundry away
• Prepared Burns Night dinner

DH trapped DDs fingers in the bathroom door just as dinner was served! Everything stopped whilst we assessed the damage. Luckily she just got the end squashed so hopefully won't lose the nail. She had another bit of a meltdown just as we were serving dinner and then DH stormed off in a huff as I was getting her to come to me for comforting and he thought she was going to him! He then spent the rest of the evening on his own in the lounge. De Ja Vu of New Years Eve . We had a bit of a row after everyone went to bed and apparently because of the incident with DD and earlier in the day I told him I was cooking dinner I "pushed him away and excluded him"!!!!!!! I really have had it up to my eyeballs with his childish behaviour

Today has been a bit strained between us (not surprisingly!) but I have been busy getting some flying done!

Ta Da

• D/ W emptied (again!)
• Rejigged beds for new guests!
• Inflatables deflated and bedding put away etc
• Shared excess food and sent everyone on their way
• Hoovered through downstairs
• Laundry wash on and hung to dry
• Washed pots and sorted DHs kitchen carnage (he cooked)
• D/W on
• Uniforms sorted for the morning and dinner money paid

I will be glad to see thd last of the guests leave in the morning and just may forgo the house bleurgh as we are not in too bad a state and watch Call the Midwife!

I have been a bit of a crap leader in terms of round ups this month. Sorry. Turns out January and 2014 has been determined to occur with a need for doing lots of stuff in a great hurry.

On that note i am hoping to get a craft project finished every month. This month is the completion of blanketgate such that there are 2 complete blankets... Going to need some more wool and an ability to focus and kick ass on this asap as running out of month

Otoh i believe you migh be expecting some sort of links for tomo ok own up who is actually looking at them?

Meal planning

missions: we are in the living room

Don't forget to declutter for 15mins

Monday is home bleurgh day

Also on this note i need to sort a shit load of stuff so i need to have a list:
put ds' trousers in tumbler dryer
ds to school
laundry
finish last square for last row of blanket 1 of blanket gate
fasten ends of last row of blanket 1
make last row of blanket 1
Add row to blanket
Sort off and print paperwork needed for work
sort out post and get dropped off with relevant people
work
Add edging to blanket
work on blanket 2 squares
Anything that looks at me the wrong way

Right time for sleep. Night.

Thanks Toffee - draining is certainly the word. I'm trying to do an hour or so at a time and then stop. I got a bit upset this afternoon re-reading DS's original diagnosis letter, then got cross with DH for taking absolutely zero interest in what I am doing and why, words were had and we're OK now. He's always had his head in the sand about it all.

Anyway, quite a bit of FLying done in between things as well, mainly tidying, a bit of cleaning, clothes sorting etc. DCs helped change their sheets. DS made pizza for dinner for his Cubs badge, with a little help from each of us (me for making the dough, DH for doing the rest while I took DD to swimming lesson).

I didn't tell you about our dramatic drive home from nearest big town last night did I? It's about 15 miles away across country. We went shopping at 3.30, left to come home at about 4.45 and found no less than 4 trees across the road at approx mile intervals, plus a few more blown into the fields. We had completely missed whatever storm it was as it's an indoor shopping centre. Luckily no accidents.

Oh Dizzy I feel your pain. My Dh stormed off at our last social with all my friends and their Dh. Leaving me on my own, to make my own way home. I would never do that to anyone, definitely not him. I was and still am so embarrassed! FFS do they ever grow up? He had the hump over something so trivial, I could of smacked him one!

Goth Love the fact you have to hide veg in your Dh food as well as your dd. As I stated earlier do they ever grow up lol!!

for Toffee and WhoKnows, I do not envy your job of trailing through old paperwork, to make your case. Wishing you luck.

Ta da
Get ready for rugby
Rugby Cancelled went Starbucks for breakfast
15 minutes declutter my room
Bath child x1
Put away all laundry, which has been stacking up over the last few days
Ironed shirts
Dog ill all over lounge carpet
Scrubbed carpet
Washed carpet
HW x1 will regret not doing all of them
Walked dog
Decluttered bathroom 15 minutes
Declutter twins and ds3 bedroom
Encourage ds2 bedroom cleaning skills
Lunch
DW unload and load
Washed up
Sweep kitchen floor
Sorted school bags x4
Packed sport kits x2
Label all sport kit
W/m x3
T/d x2
Polished school shoes x4
Packed lunches x4
Laid out school clothes x3
Ironed shirts
Read BFG to Dcs
Wrote letter
Ordered online shopping
Arranged childcare for when I start work

Goth - love the sound of preparing bread the night before for fresh baking in the morning.

Blimey, dizzy, you have had a busy weekend. Sorry about your DD's finger - that has happened to both my boys and it's so upsetting. The worst time was when DS2 was a toddler and he slammed the kitchen door, not noticing that DS1's fingers were in the hinge bit. When DS2 discovered he couldn't shut the door because something was blocking it, he slammed it really hard again. Don't think I have ever heard a scream like it. Poor DS1 . I think he lost the nail, but nothing was broken, amazingly.

Sorry too about your DH being so moody.

Merry - thanks for the . Much needed tonight. Doesn't look like there has been much rest & relaxation in the Merry household today.

Bitchy - I have checked the link for the mission tomorrow - and the cleaner did just that mission last week. So I'm off the hook! [smug emoticon]

Final ta da for today

Bedtime routine for DS2
Persuaded DS1 to have a bath and wash his hair
Watched Breaking Bad again.
Washed up
Switched tumbledryer back on
Made pancake batter for the morning
Reminded DS1 to go to bed
Cleared and wiped down table for breakfast
Laid out uniforms and put socks in shoes
Checked that DS1 really was in bed
Hot chocolate and MN before bed

Wow whoknows - what a dramatic car journey!

I'm just checking in again - suffice to say flying is minimal. We are now moving house too & so I'm weighing up packing vs decluttering - I know they're intertwined...

I have visions that the next house will be tidy, Pinterest-worthy, bright, clean...

I will need you lay-dies to keep me on the path!

Still - good luck with the house move - such a stressful experience.

WhoKnows - DS2's topic at school is storms and he was drawing a tornado complete with emergency vehicles being sucked into the centre, when we had our very own 'tornado' outside our front door . Sorry you got caught up in the aftermath.

Not had much sleep thanks to going to bed too late, then being woken up too early by DS2. At least I have been able to have breakfast and a cup of tea before the school run and work.

Am hoping DS1 goes in ok this morning .

I only had to put clothes on and iron ds a t-shirt. So why are we running late again?

And how, having done about 6 loads of washing over the weekend, have I managed to not have clean clothes this morning?

Will there actually be enough coffee today?

Goodluck with the move still

Sorry I haven't been great at keeping up with the thread.

today is an out-of-the-house day...

to do
town -haircut, post office, buy presents and cards
get out for a walk in the woods
dinner this evening with a friend/colleague

Morning Bitchy and Toffee :)

Still - moving house is sooo stressful but worth it in the end.

We were in that storm WhoKnows. Lots of trees up around here. Some landed on cars!

I have to stay in all day for a delivery. I am meant to be at work.
DH has taken the kids to school which has unsettled them as it is different to normal . The delivery people have just phoned to say it will be between 1-3.00. Just in time for school run so I have to make alternative plans if they are late. Sigh.

And Engels Hi

ta da
ds' trousers through tumbler dryer and on child
ds' shirt ironed
Play hunt my clothes
ds to school
Laundry load 1 on
Consider plan for the day and decide a nap is the best start...

Eustacia - sympathies about the delivery time.

Bitchy - ahem, didn't you lay your clothes out the night before? You are the thread leader and everything.

Success in dropping DS2 at school with his friend and friend's mum, so he will be in class early this morning.

Massive fail on getting DS1 into the learning centre as he had a big panic and actually did get out of the car in traffic and walk home (as he threatened last time).

Have emailed CAMHS requesting that he sees the back-up person for support with his anxiety again (as suggested by his lovely CBT psychologist should this happen) and have emailed head of learning centre to ask what we can do next (requested he get support at home, but not sure if he'll get that).

Not too stressed by it this time. I think I knew this would happen. Was tough with DS1 in the car, but have been sympathetic since then, as it's obviously beyond his control and I hate seeing him so distressed.

Off to work for a couple of hours now, then friend is coming over later to look at my statement application.

Still good luck with the move, I found that when we moved I ended up just throwing stuff away by the time we got to the last few boxes.

Done
Beds
Packed lunch
Dd to school
Collect train tickets for Easter trip back to Lincolnshire
Shopping
Knocked bread back

To do
Bake bread
Home bleach
Ironing
Collect Dd
Dinner

BBL

Ta da
breakfast
School run
Cleaned kitchen
Swept floor
steam cleaned floor
W/m x3
T/d x2
Laundry away
Tidied study and lounge
Weekly bleurge down downstairs
Swept and steamed floor of bathroom x3
S&S x3
Went into DC bedrooms and bin three items from each!

feels more than this...

To do
visit charity shop! skip and post office
Walk dog
Iron shirts

My cleaner has been so the house looks nice. Does that count? :)

Ta da

Work
Quick shop for lunch
Home - eat sandwich
Teacher visit for DS1 - plan arranged, starting with home visit tomorrow
Ed psych report received - brilliant.

to do

Meet friend who is going to look over my application for me
Drop letter off to psychiatrist
School run
Sort kitchen (this morning's washing up still not done)
Make chilli con carne
etc.

Don't know why I'm not flagging yet. Only managed four hours' sleep last night and hoped for a nap today, but there hasn't been time.