Mad Fledglings March through the Spring cleaning

[BitchytheGreat]

So here we are, March already.

So for those who don't know the fledglings is a long running thread. Some of us seem clicky but that is because we have been chatting on these threads for nearly half a decade makes everyone feel old we quite like fresh blood though so feel free to jump in and join us.

Three key 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.

If you are new then trying to spend 15mins decluttering and the babysteps is the most. Some of us Bitchy can have scary looking lists. One word of advice ignore them. Do what you can, anything is better then nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

It is an ongoing ban from training atm. I am in a lot of pain and ready for that hot bath. But my car is no longer growing mold Already dosed up on the strong pain killers just so that I could get the job done.

Shame they couldn't do it key hole Ellie but glad you are ok. And on the plus size think of the automatic weight loss! Size of a small child cyst should make the scales be kind. But is it even possible for scales to be kind?

Ellie I hope they are erring on the side of caution wrt estimated recovery time and fingers xd you are much better sooner.

Bitchy that is a good ta da! So much achieved! What are you in training for?

Ta Da's
Dogs walked
Minis taken out for fresh air
Kitchen s&s
More washing up
One load of laundry in WM
Minis fed
90% of laundry put away

My own death? Just to lose some weight and be healthy tis all. unfortunately I am not well enough to be training atm (it's a very long story) and really that ta da is not that great but it did get the key thing for today done so I am happy. Done all the to do list except folding and ironing and they can wait. chilling out on the computer whilst waiting for the bread machine for some cakey things and then there is a bath with my name on it.

Ellie i will come kick your butt if you do not take ALL the time that is needed for healing! Trust me you do not want to have to go through scar removal and adhension sorting out just because you didn't rest enough now! Apparently recovery time from that is twice as long. Wish my twentysomething self had known that at the time.

Oh and i find the rule that I am not allowed to sit down unless at work/driving/doing something very productive between 9am and 6pm really helps the ta da list. Seriously though I was not this good 6mths-1 yr ago. I was on virtual complete bedrest and the ta da lists I had would have seen me getting yelled at by several people (including fledglings) had they known list or the instructions (person dependant)

I just book in rest days now so I know on day X is do on day X+1 I only do what is required to function (eg lunch boxes/load of washing etc) Based on today, especially as it was a hard on body kinda day, I shall be culling craft projects in the morning, work in the afternoon, and then ds' training in the evening. This might generate an ok list because of the components but that is the key aspects.

I run 2 lists: The list of everything that needs to get done and the list of what is assigned per day. Rest is a key word that I work around not that you could tell and it is a big balancing act between busy and rest. Eg. i have booked saturday as a rest day so only light jobs can be tackled, but this might be a lot of little jobs or one big job, additionally there is no alarm clock and I intend to sleep until i wake up.

I might tweak the layout of my lists again so the ta da list looks more like my master list. Might make it look a little less scary and then you can see the way I think actually that might make is soooo much more scary.

I think if you had known me pre ds you would have been very scared at the level of activity that I would consider normal. I am not known for my ability to sit down, like ever. I think in days gone by lists of over 60 things done would have been daily despite full time work and the equivalent of part time hours for training. Tis just me. I am not happy unless I am stupid busy feel free to hate me don't jugde yourself by my standards most people would burn out very quickly trying to live my life. And tbh I am going against every thing the fat fairy stands for.

With the fly system you are trying to:

Stop being a perfectionist

recognise the key tasks that make the house work and need doing daily to make it so

Understand that a little bit here and a little bit there will make huge progress in the long run

Life is too short to be obsessing over cleaning and tidying. Do a bit and then go do something fun.

Basically if you have little peeps and you find the only thing that you get done is the bare essentials because you are spending your day with them Brilliant that is what the system trying to achieve.

I know that is a long ranty post (appologies) but you really do need to remember the fly principles and that we are all different. What I consider normal would horrify most people, additionally what most people would consider normal would drive me insane. We are different, we have different circumstances and we need to remember this and do things the best for us and our lives. Not for anyone else.

Whilst I am posting 101 posts I will do the linky poos now as I intend to shut the computer down for the evening. Probably won't happen but the intention is good

Linkies for Wednesday***

Wednesday is antiprocrastination day

Missions

Babystep

Ellie - glad it's all over for you, I too will be nagging you about taking it easy while you recover.

DD is cleaning the bathroom for me! Having shamed me into a competition to see who could get the most dirt off it's floor in 5 minutes .

Ellie - glad you are out of the op now. DH's appendicitis was also open, not keyhole, and I'm afraid it does take much longer to recover, so please take it easy.

ta da

lots of work
lots of interruptions from DS2
lunch
helped DS1 with his online lesson
out to garden to do jobs with DS2
to local field to try out toy helicopter with DS2
more work at home
swished and swiped in bathroom
put washing on
cleared kitchen counter
emptied fridge of old food
more work
made dinner for boys
sat with DS1 whilst he ate (to make sure he ate - he isn't eating enough again)
took in online shopping and put away
emptied kitchen bin
asked Dh to do the next load of washing up

Now about to get DS1 to do his Maths homework. It's not going to be fun for either of us...

Sorry for being AWOL - I lurk but only occasionally get time to post.

My to-do list would probably give Bitchy a run for her money, being very long, very difficult ( as in several entries of the form 'declutter X' where X is an entire room in an awful state and I find decluttering / tidying the hardest part of this flying lark) and unfortunately for every thing I cross off at least another two go on the end, so the list is just growing uncontrollably.

I am very impressed with the way you are bringing up your DD, Whoknows - a competition to clean the bathroom floor is inspired.

Swan the earlier you intervene when they aren't understanding maths the better - I spend most of my private tutoring time teaching children who are trying to do age-appropriate maths built on a very shaky foundation of what they should have learnt years ago. If your tutor is any good at all the 1-1 will benefit your DS immeasurably.

Will add to the chorus telling Ellie to take it easy.

Bathroom cleaning races are a great idea, WhoKnows

School situation here looks to be heading to court. Sigh. So STUPID!! At least I have some work to do tomorrow to take my mind off it...

Urgh. feeling ragey. stupid twatty ex. need a to do list for tomo to focus the mind. Although not in the order given.

To do
lunch
sort out ds' pe kit to go back
make sure missing bit of kit into kit bag
make up snacks and tea for training
air car
school run
check bank balance
make dentist appointments - my anti-procrastination chore
work
pack car
training
kit to air and be washed
ds in bath
both to bed

Bitchy - my sympathies re the ex. Thank goodness my DS is now old enough that I don't have to worry about mine.

Ellie - glad op was a success and wish you a speedy recovery.

Ta Da

• Organise birthday presents/cards to be posted tomorrow
• Watched Paralympics
• Booked car in for MOT (yeah!)
• Bought food for the next few days (newly ordered veg box coming Friday)
• Emptied D/W
• Put dry towels away
• DD to and from Brownies
• Swam 100 lengths
• Washed pots and shined sink

I am so annoyed with DH tonight. Normally if I am late getting DD off to bed he sits there tutting and making remarks (not that he EVER takes the initiative to be involved in the process), so tonight as I decided to go for a swim after bringing her home for Brownies it was down to him. So I get home at 9.45 anticipating just having to go up and kiss her goodnight, but what do I find? - he has just sent her up to brush her teeth!!!! This was after making her custard at 9pm which she then (accidently) dipped her hair into so I had to spend quarter of an hour trying to untangle and brush it out which resulted in tears as it wasn't a painless task

Urgh today is out of kilter. Nothing like oversleeping to cause that.

To do
lunch
sort out ds' pe kit to go back
make sure missing bit of kit into kit bag
make up snacks and tea for training
air car in progress
school run
check bank balance
make dentist appointments - my anti-procrastination chore
work
pack car
training
kit to air and be washed
ds in bath
both to bed
fix the time on the alarm clock so it is no longer running slow
laundry first load on
book doctors appointment for ds

I think coffee and then i am going to wash my hair and see if my eyes will open.

Morning!

Done
Bed
Laundry on
Packed lunch
Dry laundry away
Dd to school

To do
Hang laundry out
Go for a bike ride

Did a fair amount of walking yesterday (8-9 miles) to various things and have a slightly achey knee, but it's just so nice today that I want to be outside.

To do
lunch
sort out ds' pe kit to go back in washer with current load
make sure missing bit of kit into kit bag in dryer
make up snacks and tea for training
air car in progress
school run
check bank balance
make dentist appointments - my anti-procrastination chore
work
pack car
training
kit to air and be washed
ds in bath
both to bed
fix the time on the alarm clock so it is no longer running slow
laundry 2nd load on
book doctors appointment for ds
deal with 101 school letters and emails containing dates
update calendars and add things that need action to to do list
mending
Sort out training file.

ta da

Breakfast
School run
Quick room rescues
Loaded d/w
Tidied up rest of washing up for tackling later
Wiped down kitchen counters
Emptied kitchen bin - put bin bag out
Put recycling out
Swish and swipe in bathroom
To work
Home in time for tea and chat with MIL
Lunch

Now have to do more tidying up (Lego and Brio) in the sitting room before DS1's TA arrives.

done
lie in due to INset day for boys
cooked 2 stews and ratatouille for freezer

hoorible scen with ds1 over his Macbeth homework, as per conv with eacher, I atteempted to get him to add one extra para cue complete meltdown from ds1. Am trying out Explosive child on him! Eventually added extra para, but that took one and half hours of him screaming that he didn;t need it. Teacher had begged me to get him to put more effort into his work. I have not intervened in his English since the Gulliver essay (3rd rewrite) a year ago. Independent study is not working for him because he just doesn't seem to get what is required! INformation/detail/evidence!!!!!!!!

my computer is being unbearably slow, escuse typos. Not sure why it is has slowed down. gnash gnash.

ds2 has done nothing all day except watch telly. Ds1 has been out for long walk, and hair cut with dh. Football at Brentford last night for ds2 so Ds1 was upset over that too. Ds2 knackered in good way.

Dd back and being especially screechy. We have sorted out her party and it is here Sun, and hopefully such short notice and noone will be able to come [mean emoticon]

Evening!

Ta Da's
Dogs walked
Children exercised
Children fed and watered
Laundry washed and on the line - might be sunny out but clothes not entirely dry
Floors swept and hoovered

To do
LOADS OF THINGS STILL TO DO

LOADS OF THINGS STILL TO DO

Snap! Commiserations.

Swan - sorry about DS1's meltdown . So wearing. Good that you had a lie in first, though.

Peanut - well done with exercising dogs and children.

Just and Peanuts - loads of things still to do

ta da

Sat through DS1's time with TA and was blunt about him needing more support from someone other than me (I don't have time to work as well as coax DS1 through his own work step by step as well). Result: TA spent three times as long as usual going through the work with DS1, instead of leaving it to me .

Did loads of washing up, cleared kitchen surfaces and swept kitchen floor

School run. Long chat with lovely friend - told her DS2 is leaving and she was really upset

Helped DS2 take out his anger at present school on a cushion

Lots of work whilst DS2 watched Minecraft videos

Dinner for boys - pizza and salad (easy )

Calorie counted - realised I have enough left to drink wine, so poured myself a large glass

Visiting a private 'special school' for DS1 tomorrow. It will be a miracle if the LEA pay, but it's worth a shot. Must lay out some smart clothes this evening, so that I look like a respectable parent.

I've heard an anger cushion/beanbag be recommended and I think it's a great idea "here instead of trying to be several shades of you know what out of me/your brother/father/sister/the dog go ten rounds with this cushion instead".

Hello eveyrone, back after a lovely holiday (gorgeous weather). Have been very busy (loads going on in rl life with friends and family) but in terms of Flying, spent the start of the week trying to haul house back in to some sort of order (which has been achieved on ground floor anyway) and getting back up to date with laundry and other chores and determinedly trying to avoid Mumsnet and watching the Cheltenham Festival on Channel 4 racing instead.

[Sorry for cheeky hi-jack] but speaking of racing, if any of you happen to have a spare fiver and want to support a really good cause, Rishi Persad is being extremely foolish brave tomorrow afternoon and is riding in a charity race at Cheltenham in support of Cancer Research UK Just Giving Page here. It would be great if something good came out of his abject terror understandable nervousness!

Hope everybody OK!

Ellie glad to hear that you are through your op and out the other side! It sounds like it was a bit of a tough one and that you are being typically stalwart. Hope you are resting up and being thoroughly spoiled by your nearest and dearest!

Just so sorry you are having to contend with yet another onslaught of effluent (literal this time, not just in bureaucratic form). How utterly awful for you. Your downright grittiness and fortitude is incredible!

Bitchy Yay! re: Blanket Gate II!!!!

Honu interesting point about intervening early when it comes difficulties with maths (have noted with regard to dd)

Toffee love your mil's lav seat cover! Fingers crossed for visit tomorrow!

Blue sorry about impending school related court case - v. stressful for all concerned

School for once breaking the dcs back in gently after holidays here Swan with virtually no homework so far but sure I will be joining you in the general explosive screech-fest homework angst next week!

Thinking101 arf at Harry Potter mandrake analogy - I love them!

Hope you are feeling much better Whoknows

And hope all well with you and J Silly

Right, tempted though I am to stay on here and catch up on the entire thread, I am going to try and be disciplined, and finish a few tiny chores before bed. It is 'school photograph' day tomorrow so dd's uniform needs some attention.

HOpe I haven't missed anything important - apologies if so!

Big waves to Feetheart Goth Eustacia Alice Castle Peanut Dizzy Merry Mercury Engels and everyone else I have missed

And last but not least, a very warm welcome to CarrieMoo

G'night!

Lenten diet going extremely badly

I look like a whale!

and have been drinking like a fish

Managed without coffee for three days straight then capitulated

Woeful, oh so woeful

Fuck the to do list. If I have not done it, it is not getting done today.

I suppose you would like the linkies?

Thursday is errand day.

Missions

babystep 13