Feisty Fledgling Flyers flutter through Feb with flair, finesse, flaws, failures, fortitude, feedback, fiascos, fabulousness, friendship and fun!

[sanschocolat]

[The fiascos are all mine btw !!]

And just for Just, February is the new January that was the new January before

If you are struggling 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 wine and cake 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 something 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!

It’s up to you, but 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!

Points to keep in mind:
(1)No perfectionism allowed - this is harder than you would imagine
(2)You are never behind just start where you are and anything you do is progress.
(3) It didn't get into a mess overnight, it won't get tidy over night - accept it will take time to get on top of things and you will be happier.

Humungous thanks to Bitchy for steering us through the hectic January thread and for the wise three-line mantra above.

All regulars, lurkers and newcomers welcome!!

Am I the only one who's noticed that Goth and her DH have followed the fledgling rule for a Friday? Disappointed you didn't manage the laundry too, Goth .

Ellie - so glad you're home! What a relief!

SC - well done on finding a babysitter. Hope you have a great night out.

Sorry, too sleepy to post any more. Yawns and sleepy waves to all the fleglings.

Toffee it completely threw out my plans for the day. Did get some bread made and some ironing done.

Going to call it a night now, if the weather is good tomorrow, DD & I are going to help planting raspberry canes at a local train station. A local food initiative.

oh yes. well done Goth.

So...dd was just sick This follows an on/off headache since wed and is her 3rd headache followed by vomit in 5 weeks. The other two were intense headaches but I am self-diagnosing migraine if none of us get sick so will book gp appt for advice.

She is asleep and I am wide awake.

oh god I have been away for weeks...sometimes lurking but definitely not flying or even fluttering....

Here have some lay-dies.....

sans your links are so organised....throw myself into sans' arms imploring for absentee forgiveness & asks for a bit of anointing with that organised flying pixie dust

swan - red flannel underwear reminds me of the railway children , when one of the girls rips off her red flannel petticoat to wave down the train & prevent it crashing on the fallen rocks on the line :-)

Knickers could do the same trick, I'm sure. In fact you're definitely going to stop traffic if you rip your knickers off in the street - no waving needed

Everyone else - enjoying the whole thread.

We're moving AGAIN....we're just renting & I wonder if anyone else on this thread is? I don't think I will ever be able to buy in london, even if I get a couple of promotions - the amount they will times your salary by to give you a Lending figure does not add up to a modest 2 bed garden flat. I should have been more sensible 15 years ago and feel I'm starting too late...DS is young - six - but I feel old!

Look forward to reading your posts later today.

Sorry for8r absence this week...I haven't really been keeping up with MN!

Grey and rainy here. Street still being dug up, though they did our driveway/pavement bit yesterday. Still another week and a half until they do the tarmac and we can get back into our driveway.

to do
get dressed!
Mount washmore
post office
sort out stuff that needs to be stored in cellar/loft
clothes repairs
ironing
empty bins

dh is heading out to carry on tidying the garage. Shame we can't take trailer to tip (can't get it out of the driveway!).
hoover

Quick check in before I'm off to work

Didn't do much flying yesterday but did manage to start putting together ds's stuff for his school residential next week before heading off to work

We stay over at my parents on a Friday as they look after ds while I work.

Just waved dd. & dh off to school (last Saturday for two weeks for her) & about to go off to work myself

Hope all the ill mumsnetters/ children are feeling better.

Morning!

Yesterday's:
S&S
Laundry done and on airer
Precious cardboard like laundry in ironing pile
Cleaned all kitchen surfaces
Dog walked

To do:
Phone British Gas
Appt at vets for Miaow
Start car insurance search
More laundry
Remove rubbish and debris from car
Early night

Hope everyone has a great Saturday and that its not too wet and miserable wherever you are.

Goth - next time you need to make sure DH adds it to your 'to do' list so you can plan ahead .

Today I am using the beauty-salon voucher DH bought me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago - getting my brows and eyelashes tinted. Wish something could also be done for the frankly enormous spot that is brewing on my chin .

To do

House rescue
Science homework with DS2
Encourage DS1 to go out (nice skateboarding weather today)
Lunch
Trip to beauty salon
OU work
MIL babysitting as we are going out for dinner with friends tonight

Hope you all have a good day.

Oh. It isnt a migraine, it is a sick bug. And my patents are on the way to visit for a weekend. They are two hours into the journey so cant cancel.

Oh no, Eustacia .

dd is so brave when she is actually ill. so why does she whine all the time about minor injuries!

Eustacia so sorry to hear that. Hopefully a 24hr thing?

Yesterday's Ta Da

• DD to swim training (they were practising relay changeovers that she will need next weekend)
• DD to school with normal gear plus Forest School gubbings
• Meals planned and food bought
• DD's weekend bags packed
• DD to swim training
• DD to my sisters
• Just about kept my eyes open on the wet and windy drive home!
• Washing load on and hung to dry

It felt really odd last night knowing DD wasn't sleeping here! She has a 2 night residential coming up and as she never really spends nights away it is the going to be part she is worried over, so her spending the weekend with my sis - with no contact - is the best we an do to try to prepare her for it!

So DH and I have the weekend to ourselves . We had a bit of a lie in (9am) and we are off out for lunch later to a restaurant that DD finds too spicy. I think he has the rugby is planned for later but maybe I will sneak upstairs and do some sewing!

Good morning all! Yes, as PeanutPatty says, hope none of you are affected by these awful floods I keep seeing on the news. One of the racing trainers (usually people well able to deal with the ups and downs of life) was in tears on Channel 4 this morning. His entire property is under four feet of water but worst of all, it is expected to stay like that for four months before it drains away.

Eustacia I'm so sorry. It's so stressful when dc are ill; particularly so when you have visitors. Hope your dd recovers soon. [And that no one else succumbs.]

Enjoy the pampering Toffee!

Stillwearing don't worry, everyone falls off the wagon on here all the time!! [Would happily throw 'organised' pixie dust around too but not sure I am qualified!!! The links are Flylady's and easy to copy (my Flying is not so organised I assure you and if you study the website for any length of time Flylady herself doesn't come across as very organised either ). The point is though we are all in the same boat. Anything you do - and I mean any Flying task,however small - is a bonus. You are never behind!!!! Just start again with one small task for 15 mins ... . And arf at train-stopping underwear

Hope you manage to resolve housing situation. We would probably be renting if we lived in London (watch Kirsty and Phil all the time and am at the prices). Lucky over here because you get more square metres for your Euro ifyswim.

Good luck with your list PeanutPatty, enjoy your w/e too!

Sorry you are still dealing with building work outside Engels (although sounds as if the decluttering inside is still going strong!). The local commune replaced all the cobbles on the pavement on our street not long ago, only to have the contractors down the road dig them up again one week later to install a huge channel for drains! Talk about bad planning! Thoroughly fed up of all the builders sand being trodden in to the house.

Goth like the sound of that food initiative!

Glad the boys are on the mend Cyber Enjoy your Saturday!

Have a good day at work Pictures

Big waves to Bitchy , and everyone else!

Had a great time last night and so did dd. Woke up feeling full of beans and energy and plans for the weekend: but dh went down with horrid flu bug within an hour of returning from London and has taken to his bed. (He never lets himself be ill during work time)So I've been ringing around cancelling everyone/everything. Oh well, one of these days our respective moods/energy levels/states of health will actually coincide!!

Had better go and mention the dreaded 'h' word to dd ....

Have a good weekend everyone!

x post

Very impressed by how you cope with all those child-chauffering logistics Dizzy!!! Enjoy your child-free weekend!

(and hope your dd enjoys her weekend at your dsis's house too!)

Precious few ta das today. We started the morning with a trip to A&E and the DCs have been all over the place, so not much done. DS2 is determined to break the record for most times put in time-out today. He's got plenty of activities to entertain himself but seems to feel the day would be better spent annoying his brother instead.

OddSocks we rent in Glasgow, we were lucky, found a great location straight away, (I miss central heating & double glazing), the LL owns the whole block so it's a very professional set up. I can't see us moving unless our circumstances change a lot.

Eustacia hope you feel better soon and have a good weekend.

DH didn't come in until very late last night,but he was still up at the normal time, probably because he doesn't usually drink when he's out. So I had tea provided in bed

We made it to the planting, good job really as only one other person turned up. It was good though, only a slight drizzle and not the heavy rain forecast. Got some raspberries and blackcurrents in and transplanted some strawberries, followed by coffee in the shop.

Just back home now, about to tuck into some pizza.

BBL

what a horrible wintry day it has turned into round here, came back to house in total darkness, as dss and dh were out to a football match (which was cancelled so they went to the cinema)

done
catechism class, slightly stressful this week
dd and I to lunch with my aunt to see some relations and two other 11 year old girls (they all incidentally have dip dyed hair this time, last time it was all top knots - some sort of esp going on across London)
dd and I then went to Westfield, that temple to commerce that makes you wilt before you even buy anything. Dd bought a knapsack which looked like someone had spattered tippex or toothpaste over, but she thought v trendy. Hopefully it will solve her backache.

We are home now, exhausted from buses and walking.

I don't even want to think about supper or homework.

Dd has told me she wants to give up Lamda classes at school as she found it too much. I feel a bit annoyed that her acting class has turned into yet another stress, when it is meant to be entirely holistic. It turns out that she hates all the extra homework it generates. I can understand how every teacher inputs as much as they can into every pupil, but I just wanted her to practise speaking poetry and drama, not write essays on the motivation of characters will have to sort that out. So far dd has given up since the age of five....

violin (to grade 1)
choir (at music school for 3 years)
guides (for four years)
netball (two years)
piano (to grade 2)
ballet (3 years at 3-6, I year at 10)
singing (I year)

She is still managing Glee Club though and plays the piano every day (her own compositions)! I don't really mind if she gives anything up, just that it is quite a roll call of waning enthusiasms over the years...Hope school is not the next for the chop

How old is she swanhilda? And what grade is she doing

I do Lamda. & that sounds a lot. Somecteachers find it helps the children to write fiends the answers to the questions part so they are clear in their mind what they are going to say but it's usually just a few simple questions

What do you think your character looks like
How is your character feeling
Are there any changes if mood

Then for grades 4-5 why have you chosen to move/use the stage in the way you have.

ta da

cleaned window sill inside, decluttered,
cut off dead leaves from plants on windowsill.. washed their pots and watered
cleaned kitchen floor
polished furniture in bathroom, bedroom and dd bedroom
watch wales play rugby

Pictures that is very interesting you are a Lamda teacher. Dd is 11/12 and going straight into Grade 3 level (which I think is meant to be quite easy for 11 year olds), but never done drama before. She has told me she has to write 24 paragraphs on The Velveteen Rabbit and Kacuy (sic?) exactly as you described, what are they feeling etc...

I will have to sort it out with drama teacher..so far I've not talked to any of dd's teachers so it will be an odd sensation to be chasing up just the drama. Dh has just pointed out to me how little communication we have had so far with dd's school, possibly because she is not any trouble!!!!

24 paragraphs - wow!

In the exam it's a viva voce. They have to answer fully but only have a few minutes for it.

The Velveteen Rabbit is one ofcthe set anthology pieces. The other must be the free choice

(We usually give a student one bit per week so it might be- ok this week go away & think what your character looks like - maybe draw a costume if it helps.

I personally wouldn't put an 11 year old with no previous experience in for Grade 3

Until a few years ago Lamda set minimum ages for each grade & 11 was the minimum age for grade 3. They did remove that regulation but its still the recommended minimum age.

Dd is 12 & missed a year of Lamda due to dance auditions. She will do grade 3 next time but she's been doing the exsms since she was 5.

Blimey, you have all been busy today.

So for family fun day we went to ds' match. It was actually fun. No aspie meltdowns and only one or two small issues of child not listening

I also have a ta da list
1 load washing
ironing
folding
sort out kit for match
sort out blankets off ds' floor
laundry off ds' floor
wash kit post match
find my glasses
remove too small shoes from porch and put shoes away
clothes shopping for ds for an expensive bit (trainers) and practical bits (socks) because he has grown again
buy a couple of bits to suppliment my wardrobe
15mins decluttering car (2 bags of recycling waiting to be put in bin and a bag full of bits that has been brought back into the house)
5mins decluttering in my room
set up file system for my current set of hospital letters
file letters into file
set up a file for work training handouts etc
file paperwork accordingly
15mins decluttering in my room

Just about to sort a hot water bottle and curl up in bed with work on the last bits of the blocks i can do until i get into the city. Although if i can i think i might just crash and sleep.