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.

I am here to list dump. I have lost control of everything (house,work,car,dcs) over the last week or so and really need to regain control and get back into a routine

Ta da
Dcs up dressed and fed
Lunches made
Dw emptied
Dw cleaner running
Washing up all in one place

To do
Get dressed
Make beds
Dds hair
Dc to school
Clean bathroom
Reload dw
Hang out washing
Reload wm
Tidy bedrooms
Dust throughout
Hoover throughout
Finish assignment due tomorrow
Observe phonics session
Write up two tasks and two reflections
Poo pick garden
Make dinner
Reflect on progress made this term
Return overdue library books
Buy birthday present and card for dds friend
Clear car of rubbish

If I manage all of this it will be a miracle but I will be largely back on top of things. I was doing so well. Im really angry that I have let things slip so far out of control

[Eugh and groan]

... woken with horrible sinus/migraine headache right up left side of face and screwdriver-ing in to eyeball

[Eugh and groan]

And lovely fortnightly ironing lady is unable to come so have 21 cotton men's shirts to iron for dh (XL size) + four more stiff cotton XL white shirts with funny wierd separate cuffs and collar pieces that require starch + 5 school shirts for dd ... plus two huge mounds of all the ordinary ironing [sob]. I ruddy well hate ironing.

On the plus side, tis a lovely sunny (if cold) day and I finally, finally, finally have new phone (having wanted one for 5 years or so) that I can listen to Radio 4 on while I work. And have furry rabbits and hamster for company!

And pain is much more tolerable if I'm vertical!

Had better get on with it ...school half day today ....

Then it's dreaded hwk/revision supervision after lunch....

[Eugh and even bigger groan]

[Lifts wing shaft wearily and flaps a bit]

[Extra strong espresso on naughty corner bar for everyone]

x post

Mercury don't be so hard on yourself! You can only do what is humanly poss. Your job must take huge reserves of energy. Go steady x

Skull fracture!

sans chocolat - life is too short. find another ironing person for this occasion.

I am working today so will bbl

Ellie! look after yourself. Glad to hear dh can impersonate the FF.

Toffee I should warn you now, if you don't know about the coke and mento's one, google, before he does! It needs to be reserved for seaside experimentation only. (because you can a) run away, b) if that fails throw them in the sea to clean up)

SC it may sound a little mad, but I've developed many tricks to get round disability, and if someone else doing it isn't a goer, vertical ironing from bed is actually posible.

Mercury SC is very right. We are very quick to self-criticise.

Yesterday mainly got taken up by wretched course compounded by coming out day to their lift getting stuck and me being trapped there most of the day.
Am trying to work out some sort of plan for today but it all comes down to trying to first sort out delivery company to still deliver much needed materials, after discovering that like most domestic customers, I don't have a fork lift truck.

ellie - that's terrible . So sorry you are having such a hard time . But glad to hear DH has donned the purple apron in the meantime.

Bitchy - no, DH wasn't in the room, but he heard the shouting as the bottle exploded out of DS1's hands. He is still struggling to see the funny side.

SC - sorry you are wrestling with lack of sleep, pi and ironing. Not surprised you have woken up with a bad headache . Hope you feel better soon.

Engels - glad to see you are observing the 'bed at decent time' babystep .

Mercury - we all do that, don't beat yourself up about it. Doesn't Flylady say you should 'just jump back in'?

ellie at skull fracture!

SC nice darkened room for you young lady and bugger the ironing.

Toffee arf at cola! I'm going to do cola/mentos combination at the end of Woodcraft tonight. Should make an impact.

Beautiful day here so just waiting for laundry to finish before going for a walk to drop off some stuff at charity shop.

I think it would depend on the temp the freezer is set to. It sounds like the bottle wasn't frozen enough when he opened it. Also did he use the same size bottle and type of coke. Different varieties will act slightly different to the cold then others. It is possible to make coke and lemonade ice lollies...

Could someone explain to me how the school appointed child welfare officer is someone who appears unable listen to parent concerns and is unable to see things from outside of the box?

Today I will be mostly frustrated whilst running around like a headless chicken. Tomo I am hoping to resolve this issue by going over the head of the welfare officer.

Goth becareful not to do in an enclosed container and it can be dangerous done like that. Bucket, large open space that can be hosed down is the best plan...

I am hoping to get ds to do some art for me using paint in water bombs on a canvas... should be lots of fun and mess..

Goth becareful not to do in an enclosed container and it can be dangerous done like that. Bucket, large open space that can be hosed down is the best plan...

I am hoping to get ds to do some art for me using paint in water bombs on a canvas... should be lots of fun and mess..

I think your school-appointed welfare officer probably went to the same training school as DS1's primary-school SENCO, Bitchy .

Re: Coke. I think he did use the same size bottle and brand, but I'll double check. Am sure we can dredge some educational value out of this experiment.

Goth - DS1 loves the Coke/Menthol combination. He tried it with his friends once (naturally ).

There is educational value to be gained from it. I haven't time now but the scientific brain has a whole heap of stuff rattling around it with things to be gained from it. Will get back to you later...

I need to get up and ready for work (different to school run which is a case of dealing with child and throwing anything on to get child to school.) Gotta run. Done a load of tiny time consuming adminy type jobs and had a good rant at Dm who complained that ds was ignoring her. As I pointed out the rest of us are getting screamed at constantly so she should take is as a compliment rather then a snub.

Bitchy I did a small practise run last night in the garden, tonight's effort will be larger but we're in the park so it's just making sure the little ones step back.

I'm may tell them this why they shouldn't have fizzy drinks and sweets

Going to also get them making cornflour slime and mix bicarb of soda and white vinegar (with a drop of washing up liquid) Parents have been warned it could get messy.

Crazy custard is great and you can get them throwing and catching it to see who can get the most from point a to point b.

The reason why i mentioned about the contained container as there have been som very nasty accidents resulting from them twisting and turning in the air. When we did it at school the distance between where the students could stand and where we fired them off were huge. Also scaling up results in a much larger reaction rather then in proportion if that makes sense.

The kids will have a blast I am sure

Quick break for lunch so I thought I would update my list and motivate myself. I promise I will be back to catch up properly this evening.

Ta da
Dcs up dressed and fed
Lunches made
Dw emptied
Dw cleaner running
Washing up all in one place
Get dressed
Dds hair
Dc to school
Reload dw
Hang out washing
Reload wm
Observe phonics session
Return overdue library books

To do
Make beds
Clean bathroom
Tidy bedrooms
Dust throughout
Hoover throughout
Finish assignment due tomorrow
Write up two tasks and two reflections
Poo pick garden
Make dinner
Reflect on progress made this term
Buy birthday present and card for dds friend
Clear car of rubbish

Still so much to do!!!! Be back later.

Hello, just having a cup of tea while dd wrestles with a few French adverbs

Just arf at vertical ironing! Even better, ironing in bed!!! [grin

Sorry, posts keep posting themselves without me seemingly pressing any keys!!

Just at being stuck in lift. Horrible for you. That would be one of my worst nightmares.

Keep going Mercury!

Sorry child welfare officer being unhelpful/uncomprehending Bitchy

Goth thxs, tempted by darkened room but need to supervise dd revision (no school Wed pm) and know from long experience that, although it hurts more at first, pain is better long term when I stand up unfortunately. Hope you and the dc have a blast tonight (but not literally )!!

In the circs, ironing not such a bad job to have to do ...although I was tempted by your suggestion Eustacia to send shirts to laundry.

In fact, do so every fourth week or so. But find that they don't treat collars and cuffs and ink/food stains properly, or any underarm perspiration stains, nor do they rinse the detergent away sufficiently so cotton gets dull over time, and they also wreck the buttons plus it's not cheap. (Dh is generally sweet smelling btw even though I am not painting him as such - it's just he is forever on aeroplanes or in stressful meetings - and that takes its toll on his shirts).

Sorry that was all very [yawn] but nowt much else to talk about today!

Waves to Toffee Peanut Ellie Swan Blue Engels Feetheart Whoknows Castle Honu and everyone else!

Had better get back to it. Have moved ironing board to be near dd so can wrestle with shirts and French conjugation at the same time! Oh joy!

20-25 mins per shirt atm ... that can't be right can it?

Toffee - before I had children of my own I used to think being a SAHM and ML was a doddle and what would I do with all that free time and where would I take the child(ren) each and everyday. I imagined lovely trips to coffee shops and mooching round the local library. Lets say that motherhood has been eye opening!!

I'm sat with Mini1 at the moment whilst he is rolling the life out of some playdough as he chatters non stop. I shouldn't be MNing but playing with him but then he had us all up at 5am so I'm not feeling very bright and breezy.

Ellie - what happens next? How do you treat a skull fracture?

Ta Da's
Dogs walked at ridiculous o'clock
Minis washed, dressed and fed
Supermarket run done - £20 literally buys not a lot these days, barely the essentials!
Bought Mothers Day card
Mini2 napping
White wash done
Tumble dry able whites in TD
Non tumble whites on line - the sun has made a hasty disappearance
Dog towels in WM on hot hot hot
Washing up done
Floors swept - must get a long broom as its ridiculous doing it with a dustpan and brush

To Do
Call insurance
Write and post Mother's Day card
Perhaps tackle airing cupboard
Bring in and sort TD white laundry when dried

Ellie sending best thoughts, and I think from now on you need to be entirely selfish until you are better, no worrying about anything except you.

SC iron just enough shirts for three days, that would be my solution.

Toffee one for the happy memories box!

dd has spent this morning making meatballs with her friend as it is strike day, followed rather unfortunately by them making a chocolate sauce for strawberries out of cocoa etc, which dd then trod around the house . Dd and her friend are doing a project on fast food now. Ds1 and 2 have been for walks to buy themselves fast food despite being given lunch here, dh has gone to auction.

And we've had Bt engineer all morning, which was a bit stressful, but he was such a lovely young man, that I began to imagine my children getting jobs aged 20 or so...there is hope. And builder finally fixed the plinth/ skirting board int he kitchen that keeps falling on dh's toe every morning; I had courage to ring him after 6 months of enduring it - and he fixed it immediately; shows that procrastination is so stupid!!!

done
Options eve yesterday or as I had said to dh, NO Options eve. Only one GSCE seemed to be actually optional, and that was Music as opposed to business or D & T/Art. I am strangely relieved that ds1 is not even tempted by anything else, although I suppose he might have done Sports Science if he had been bad at music. It seems very rigid the curriculum atm, or as they would say in management, "facilitating".

Omg, a hurricane seems to be brewing and the skies have gone black! The wind is roaring down the chimney, feels very ominous - I'm expecting hail and blizzards!

Bitchy ds2 has been doing a fair amount of screaming too. It seems to be when he thinks he has done what he was meant to, and then we question his judgement (ie: why did you wake up at 6am and come downstairs and watch telly without telling us...interpreted as, I got up quietly and discretely at 6am, did not let cats out, disturbed no-one and why are you complaining that I need to go back to bed? My new method is to remind him we are not cross with him, just don't want him up so early. Think we may to revert to taking fuses out again

oh ds2 has just read this and told me he got up at 8am only, so I am wrong!

Peanut - I used to think that too . I think it was because I used to see mothers serenely wheeling buggies and didn't realise that they were only outside because they'd been screaming, on-the-edge-of-a-nervous-breakdown harridans trapped indoors with their crying baby or toddler.

Your DC sound very resourceful, Swan. On the subject of outbursts: DS1's outburst today was predictable as I decided to take the bull by the horns and discuss the possibility of him going to a new school (one that caters for his needs). This was greeted by DS1 putting his fingers in his ears and chanting 'lalala'. According to him, he is going back to his old school (the one he's twice failed to cope with) and where all his friends are (the ones he never sees) .

Don't know how to tackle this one. Am hoping that he will gradually come round to the idea and realise, with his logical mind, that this would be the best thing for him.

Must get back to book logging...

Happy child = learning to make and cook pancakes. Very happy child = eating said pancakes for tea instead of the proper food everyone else has. It's the small things

Aw, good to know he's happy, Bitchy .