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.

dizzy - your poor DD. Hope she's feeling better today.

Sorry for being AWOL again, I am feeling very much that I just want to hide in my shell at the moment with the statementing process plus still feeling run down with a cold and not much else is getting a look in. Flying is pottering along in the background.

On the plus side, we had our new bed delivered yesterday, it is one of those lift up divan type ones and I am drooling at the amount of storage space there is in it. Perfect for all my crafting stuff and out of season clothes etc (we had under bed boxes under our old wooden bed but nothing like as much space as this bed is much higher).

Toffee - glad the taster day went well, fingers crossed there is a place for DS2 ASAP.

Yes, good luck Toffee I hope the new school for ds2 gets back to you today with the confirmed offer of a place. Fingers and toes crossed for you all.

Whoknows sorry the statementing process is such tough going; it must be such a constant worry. Also, concerned to hear that you are still feeling rotten with that cold; have you been to docs [stern look over pince nez]. I will take my own advice one day too .

Bitchy glad you are feeling a bit cheerier today

Yes, Peanut wot Toffee said about breaking it down in to manageable chunks. You can do it!

Hope your dd feels better soon Dizzy

[recoils at Goth's "look

It's going to be a special brew kinda day isn't it. Shall I brew up a triple strength batch for the fledglings?

Soul destroying isn't it whoknows I am very lucky at how things turned out last night. Although Big thanks to the fledglings who also helped. It was perfectly timed. Especially YOU ellie although if you skip the rest bit I will carry out my threat and pop over the hills

In the middle of all the meltdowns ds has gone out of his way to make sure I know that he loves me and thinks I am the best. Has he been reading the parenting books? . He made me a lovley card at after school club and it made me smile when i picked it up from the sofa to put it somewhere safe. We are not out of the woods atm re meltdowns but to know that he knows I am fighting his corner kinda helps iyswim.

Having decluttered FB and twitter is kinda a relief. It feels really odd because I am bad about how i use it but it will be easier to stay away then if i just turned it off. I only really use this thread on mn which is weird because i used to lose so many hours to mn. Perhaps this break is what is needed for more sensible usage?

I should be doing stuff. i am procrastinating. Bugger. Ok to do list power of 3 stylee:

To do:
car to garage
make dentist and doc appointments
send faulty dvd back

see you in a bit...

Whoiknows sympathies, it is a very draining process.

Still no time to catch up thread properly, other than read. Motivation to work got cancelled again yesterday and has been rescheduled for today, messing up both days, so a bit of a recycled list.

Still to do
Lose half a day to course
Recycling
Wash jumper
Post card
Call hospital over missed ap,
Fill in gas complaint form
More industrial level cleaning – + re bleach fireplace
Paper sorting and boxing
Filing
Find proposed statement and proposed amendments in pile for exam applications.
Hustle Ds about overdue lib books
Hustle Ds Dec 1 Maths catch up.
English coursework - try and get completed
Plan other courses catch up
Dinner
Realise what vital stuff I've missed
Plan tomorrow
Listen to friend
Sleeeeeeep.

toffee i don't blame you for not sending ds in. Can you just give him the day off and say he had a temperature in the night-? kids get these for no reason and you can say you monitored him today- and he seems fine to go back tomo, if needs be.

Argh, touch typing and pressed 'send' instead of caps lock

[Incidentally, noticed I made similar error down thread, my ceilings are 3m, not 4m high as stated previously. Still a bugger when dusting though!]

Anyway, that should have read, [recoils at Goth's "look"]

Glad the party went well Swan

Waves to Feetheart Blue Thinking and eveyrone else!

Felt exhausted yesterday after various meetings but all reasonably positive.

Things at school generally improving with dd so that is good. Continually impressed by her teacher and all the different ages, languages, nationalities she has to contend with in dd's class. Really don't know how she does it.

Positive mood slightly marred by contretemps over hwk (dd reacting in an extremely bolshy and rude way over perfectly reasonable enquiry) but today is new day and all that.

Went to supermarket while dd's tutor was here, but was so tired/distracted that I put a lot of unrelated things in shopping bag (meal planning out the window this wk) and now have to think of interesting ways to use them up!

Managed to complete entire list + recycling and rubbish + ordered bks on-line

Still hobbling this morning but find I hobble less if I wear gardening clogs; not a terribly good look but heigh ho. So glad we are in boudoir this week. Need to start making progress; not just maintaining.

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, wm, s&s, rabbits
5 mins meal planning
spent 5 mins trying to open bottle of olive oil without success
one hour 'work' work

To do:
hang up darks wash
exercise bike
prep supper
on-line package returns
confirmation present
boudoir, boudoir, boudoir
go through clothes rack and ruthlessly chuck/sort/ 'thin' clothes ie 15 mins doing following this advice
school run
hwk supervision

STILL NEED TO CLEAN OUT RUDDY HAMSTER

Have a good day everyone!

x posts

Yes, that should have read, managed to complete list except for ruddy hamster

Thanks for special brew Bitchy. Lovely of your ds to make you a card!

I daren't join Facebook or Twitter. (And really need to join former to access various expat groups) but lose too much time already to screen.

Just blast the ruddy motivation to work. Bad enough having to attend in first place, never mind them chopping and changing the time. Good luck with everything else you have to get through.

i need to do my wardrobe too SC i was ironing a top yesterday and thought hmm this is wearing out and then i realise it is a top I had since I did my A'levels and that it really doesn't owe me anything Need to turf my wardrobe out but I hate clothes shopping and leaving it look full means I can't pretend I don't have to do that task even if i don't wear 90% of the stuff and couldn't if i wanted to cos it doesn't fit [blush[

Sympathies over wardrobe hassles Bitchy I hate clothes shopping too!

Go to one rl shop for trousers and then buy virtually everyone else on-line.

Have lots of nice thin clothes from UK that I can't fit in to though [sob]. Am dieting so hoping to fit in to them. I know you are meant to chuck em, but I just can't bring myself to. Clothes are so expensive here. So going to ruthlessly declutter majority but keep select few to store in proper clothes storage bags and put in (dry) roof. Bought the storage bags months and months ago, had better ruddy well get on with it now! Will report back at end of day!

More power to your elbow Bitchy!!!

PS what do I do with a lovely silk dress that I wore on honeymoon (almost 20 yrs ago). Can't bear to throw it away. Was 57kg at the time and 70kg now, so not really likely to be wearing it any time soon. I need to chuck it don't I?

Purple One is right: it's the memories, not the clothes that stop you chucking things out [sob]

Oh, WhoKnows, sorry you are feeling beaten down by the process today . It's so tough.

Bitchy - that's so sweet of your DS to show you that he loves you and that you are 'fighting his corner'. My DS2 said to me, the other day, that he knew I'd keep him off the school trip he was dreading because "I know you're on my side". That was good to hear.

I just left a message on the office answerphone saying I was keeping DS2 at home today. I didn't give an explanation. After all, there's not a lot they can do about it.

Just finished reading 'The Railway Children' to DS2. Except I had to hand him the book to read the final few paragraphs because I had something in my eye by then .

Now DS2 and I are both on tenterhooks, waiting for the phone to ring.

more ta das

Read book with DS2 (cuddled up under blanket on sofa - what could be nicer than that? )
Breakfast for oversleeping DS1
Swished and swiped in bathroom
Emptied kitchen bin and put recycling out
Folded yesterday's clean laundry and put away
Looked pointedly at silent phone

SC - I still have the dress I wore in the evening at my wedding party. I don't suppose I'll ever wear it again, but I can't throw it out. I think, if it hurts that much to throw it out, you should keep it.

Just - as SC says, blast the motivation-to-work nonsense. Do they imagine you are all sitting around with nothing to do all day, so you don't mind if they keep rescheduling ?

Heating is on the blink again. DH said confidently that he'd sorted it before he left for work, so we didn't need the log burner on. Well, he didn't sort it. We now have a boiler that's not working, plus a leaking radiator. Daren't ring the plumber because I want to leave the phone free for new school to phone. At least it's mild weather today.

Working on Draft 275 of my parental statement now...

well I have done two of the 3 jobs. couldn't face the walk to the dentist in the rain and cold. Will do that later. Also need to run an errand in another shop so will try to do both together.

To do
put 1 load washing on
folding
ironing
socks

Not quite the power of 3 but all linked. see you in a bit

Thanks for the kind words, I am feeling very up and down at the moment (am at work, which take my mind off it a bit).

SC - keep the dress. I have found a few times in my decluttering that I have regretted getting rid of things, you need to keep a few memories. I have a plastic box in the loft with a few precious items of clothing in (eg a jumper that my late Granny knitted for me, a tour tee shirt from the first gig I ever went to, the lacy shrug thing that I wore on my wedding day - I have lost the dress itself )

SC I second whoknow's advice.

sneaks a for Whoknows.

fuck it. I am having a nap. THEN i might be prodcutive. perhaps. maybe. [hmm

Ohhhhh Thanks both!! Think I will create 'treasure' box for myself (have one for dd already).

[Proffers cheering slice of for Whoknows]

and strong for Bitchy

Btw, just noticed I have been inadvertently telling porky pies again. Wish I was 70kg!!! I'm 79 Aiming for 70kg (well 67 to be precise). Put it down to wishful thinking... .

Hello everyone.

The renovations got a bit on top of me for a while there. Into week four, now - I think. Order is starting to emerge from the chaos, even if I can't find any of my knickers clothes and have the washing mountain to end them all.

Ta da

Limescale from sink
Swish and swipe
Laundry x 1

To do

Catch up on thread
Decide on light fitting for hall (technical)
Get refund on huge green rug I thought stroke of genius but actually looks like lawn
Find a shower curtain
And a loo seat
Grouting
Collect kitchen floor

Still waiting for phone call here.

SC - yes, a treasure box for yourself sounds like a good idea .

Received an email from the headteacher: no space available for DS2 at new school, but she says he will be first on the list when a space comes up. She thought a pupil was leaving, but the parents changed their mind.

Am waiting to see if she can guarantee a place in September at least. If she can, we will home educate DS2 until then.

Haven't said anything to DS2 yet. He's upstairs playing and singing to himself. He'll be beside himself if he thinks he has to go back to his present school .

Toffee fingers and toes crossed with you in solidarity!! Good luck sorting heating + writing statement.

Always "get something in my eye" watching 'Jenny Agutter' in film version of TRC being reunited with her father on railway station amidst clouds of steam.

Humanordancer Clearing up after builders is the pits. Sounds as if you are making great progress! [Should I mention that we painted our hall nearly two years ago and still don't have proper light fitters/switch plates .] Good luck with Mt Washmore!

Just had yet another diet fail. If on my own, I usually opt for soup at lunch (either home made or chicken noodle make in a mug type thing). Just about to drink latter just now when dh came home and made himself a lovely pile of beef, horseradish and salad sandwiches "to go with his soup". I just had to eat one three of them didn't I. Excuses, excuses, as ever ... .

Ohhh Toffee sorry no immediate space available which will be so disappointing for your ds2, but here's hoping for a firm place for September. That sounds like a good strategy. You need to know what you are doing.

Sorry to hear that Toffee - fingers crossed a place comes up soon, people leave for all sorts of reasons. Is he Year 2 at the moment? I lose track. Maybe they will have more flexibility on numbers in Year 3.

He's Year 3. New school is building a new classroom for his year for September, so am hoping they will have space for him then even if no-one leaves. Have asked the headteacher to confirm that to me today, then I can explain all to DS2. I just can't bring myself to tell him he doesn't have a place yet.