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.

Aah Bitchy it's lovely to see them happy.

Toffee - is it awful that I give a knowing smile when I spot first time mums to be stroking their bumps as I wrangle any number of minis down the local high st?

I'm back from Woodcraft and all children still accounted for (despite a couple trying the bicarb of soda) I think it went well, an organised chaos. And now I've done my first session I won't be nervous about volunteering to lead again. The nerves just went once I started and I even led the song at the end!

Off for a relaxing soak now.

Well done Goth! Am full of admiration. I would hate to do what you've just done!

Peanut - What I find most annoying is first-time mums or dads who actually do have easy babies and tell you how easy it is, as if there must be something wrong with you for struggling .

Have done loads of work and DH has cooked us a delicious meal (think he noticed I'd stopped cooking recently).

We unearthed a brilliant old book for Fledglings today: 'The Housewife's Book', published in the 30s, I think. It is like a pre-war version of Flylady. There are some very funny instructions, eg. (to be read in a posh old-style BBC accent) 'As soon as a girl is old enough she should be encouraged to take an interest in housecraft'. Not sure what the boy should be doing...?

An entire chapter is devoted to daily routines: one plan is designed for 'mistress and one helper' and another is for 'a small servantless house' (that'll be me, then ). You need to start the day at 7am and spend no longer than 10 minutes getting ready . Then strip the bed and leave it to air for three hours , whilst you stoke the boiler, light the living-room fire and prepare breakfast for the family. The day continues in a whirl of household duties (sweep the porch, hoover, make the beds, prepare lunch, wash up, tidy kitchen and scullery and so on) before you get changed for the afternoon (presumably to welcome home your hard-working husband).

I was reading snippets of this out to DH and I think he quite liked the idea until I pointed out that there was no room in the routine for home educating two children, doing paid work and working on an OU course .

If I find any useful tips, I'll share them with you all.

toffee

Today i don't whether to laugh or cry as ds has figured out a way to make eye contact even when he feels a bit stressed. He stares at their pupils. SO basically renedering one of his most obvious tells useless. FFS

And the people who are supposed to be able to provide some information won't unless we jump through their hoops and I suspect they will only provide information on a who they feel needs to know will know basis (ie not unless they can bloody help it so the parent has no knowledge and thus power in the process)

Needless to say flying has gone out of the window and I have just been asked by ds why i am eating nutella out the jar with a spoon. because it WAS the only fecking chocolate in the house

So antiprocrastion day here saw a lot of procrastinating. I am now stealing myself for finishing that bloody report of misery and preparing for the telephone calls that need to be made tomo.

Toffee absolutely with you on that one All I can say is wait for the teething or even better the terrible twos and threes

Peanut it's when they hit the two/threes and ask when the tantrums stop, I always say that we're still waiting

Sorry I am still being really rude and just dumping and dashing. I am exhausted so I'm off for an early night. But I really will catch up with you all tomorrow. Big wing flaps to you all.

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
Make beds
Clean bathroom
Tidy bedrooms - just need to finish ours.
Dust throughout
Hoover throughout
Finish assignment due tomorrow
Make dinner
Set targets for next term

To do
Write up two tasks and two reflections
Poo pick garden
Reflect on progress made this term
Buy birthday present and card for dds friend
Clear car of rubbish

I say the same about sleeping through the night [evil]

Hmm. i believe you are expecting some links...

Thursday is errands day. you know, those jobs that take you out of the house.

missions

babystep 27 nearly the end of the month how the fuck did that happen so quick, it was only just March 3rd right?

further dones
help at beavers fail couldn't face going
cooked emergency supper, fish bake
did career profile with ds2 (geoscientist) for science homework
washed uniform yet again
hung out washing
wiped table
dw loaded in two rooms
bin relined
cats fed
talked to cousin who lives in Lewes! She was telling me about the Forest School playgroup Toffee apparently they sat in nests made of leaves and then the spirit of the trees came to them in a green cape!! She loves it, but thinks they are a bit barmy.
talked at length with dd about where her black trousers were for school concert tomorrow, eventually she found them behind the curtains in her room Other trousers were too unflattering to wear, she attempted to sew them into drainpipes, and then admitted defeat - I am amazed how resourceful she is; I think if she had seen the Sewing Bee and the trousers bit she might have been a little less confident.

I'm going to bed now, feel shattered, and sad that it's school tomorrow, although ds2 was not on his best behaviour today...

ellie i hope you are managing.

Shattered here too. Day off work and I have spent about 6 hours on my OU assignment, should hopefully finish it by tomorrow night and get it submitted, I only need to get 10% so not too worried but still want to do a decent job of it. I have enjoyed this module, but will be glad to be free of the workload.

Also done two loads of washing, school runs, Brownies and trampolining with the DCs and made an inspired dinner - chicken and mushrooms coated in melted boursin cheese served with pasta. DS really enjoyed it, so did I. We've had a few little food breakthroughs recently with him, thank goodness.

Evening all.

Have a slightly ta da! list today:
Washing, dishwasher etc
Spoke on local radio in support of teachers' strike
Boys to childminder
Shoveling stones in front garden
Finished first draft of one work project
Spoke at NUT strike rally (the really bit!)
New work project
Cooked tea for boys
Zumba
Collapsed with very healthy dinner of spring rolls and crispy duck

Thanks for good wishes. All went surprisingly well!

at that household book, Toffee

Hope you're feeling a bit better now, SC and that revision and ironing have been survived.

Big waves to everyone else.

Bitchy that’s actually really impressive, but I understand the not knowing whether to laugh or cry when a symptom is overcome. I don't know if this is any use to you, I've chucked it up in case.

Best we’ve ever managed is between eyelid and eyebrow or centre of nose. All three I have daily contact with here, say looking at actual pupils more than fleetingly (and one of them, at all) normally causes extreme discomfort.
At the moment your ds is likely to be concentrating on the ‘trick’, once making a lot of effort doing that stops being the main thing, and he processes the reciprocal gaze, he may or may not, be able to maintain it.

I really hope things are very different for your ds, (and we are inner city) but when report writing it can be helpful to know where paths can lead:
having successfully taught ds it was unacceptable to not at least aim his eyes in the right direction and thought we were getting somewhere, at secondary school he was then accused of ‘intentionally endangering himself’ by “inappropriately looking at people”!

In other words he couldn’t follow the social rules of not looking at gang members or people who felt it was insulting to have someone with his difficulties not lower their eyes around them, or those quick to accuse or take offence at him “staring them out.” (a large percentage)

We’d swapped one symptom for another (as the teen years usually do) and then it became a battle constantly reinforcing to school that this was simply ASD, not “Intentionally challenging behaviour” him “wanting their attention”, or a “form of self harm” and we were moving into different boxes about end results over the same central difficulties. The difficulties hadn’t changed, just the symptoms.

Peanut “How do you treat a skull fracture?” Carefully! Sorry, warped sense of humour, but couldn’t resist.

Ellie hope you’re looking after yourself and staying still.

SC I invested in a really good iron (a Bosch, nicknamed Darth because it’s black and makes throaty noises) and was shocked at how much time is saved, even when doing it lying down.

Goth well done. Sounds fun once you get past the nerves.

Blue well done on speaking on radio, and at the rally!

Swan forest school playgroup sounds brilliantly barmy for small children!

Toffee Book sounds brilliant. But I actually have to air my bed for longer than that to get it dry in this modern era. It’s an inflatable mattress and you can see the damp every morning from body heat hitting a cold surface. It was quite a shock discovering mildew on the mattress and realising.

Who Knows well done on OU. (must try and catch up lower cources)

Mercury there’s a lot behind a lot of those ‘to do’s,’ not surprised you’re shattered.

I’ve put my shoulder out thoroughly unloading yesterday’s delivery, so not sure how today’s going to go, as was supposed to be tiling, and lots of other physical stuff, but may have to rethink. BBLwith list.

Morning all, humongous pile of ironing to do today so main decision is what to watch while I do it, leaning towards Gary Oldman in either Rosencrantz and Guildenstein are Dead. or Dracula

Boy the days are loooooong! Well, of course, when your day starts at 430am its no wonder!

Hope everyone is ok and looking forward to the weekend. It's almost here Flyers.

Ta Da's
Walked dogs at 6am - I was awake anyway so figured it better to use the time wisely
Minis washed, dressed and fed
One laundry load on
TD load from yday put on again for 10mins as not sure if damp or cold
Minis having a tv morning whilst I do stuff
Upstairs hoovered!!! Am so proud of myself as its been weeks
Skirting boards upstairs wiped down
Everywhere upstairs except bathroom dusted/wiped down (not done venetians - I'm not embarking on that thankless challenge today)
Wiped down landing windowsill, removed cobwebs and dead spiders
Wiped down the billion photo frames that were, on closer inspection, MINGING
Folded and put away dry airer laundry
Tidied kitchen after breakfast whirlwind
S&S kitchen
Cat box back in loft
Cat litter tray away
Swept floors downstairs
Bedroom floor clear of crap treasures
Excess clutter on our windowsill away
Mini1 floor clear of bloody duplo his creative genius attempts
Mini2 wiped change table thoroughly

To do
Call per insurance TODAY
Go and buy stamp - probably walk to
get the minis out the house
Steam mop downstairs
Find tv remote that went walkies last night
Clean bathroom including steam mop floor

I'm having a and a couple of hundred cookies whilst the washing finishes and I get cracking again.

Wing flaps to all!

Thanks for your input Just
We have taught him from an early age to look at foreheads and ears so he appears to be looking at the person. Normally he is fairly good at this and most people don't spot he is doing this unless they know to look for it. His ability to do this decreases the more stressed he gets. Can't even look in the person who is talking's direction when very stressed. I suspect this 'trick' will only cover up when he is a little bit stessed. Thus meaning we have more complete and utter meltdowns rather then being able to catch and defuse earlier. iyswim. It is frustrating as I am still fighting the diagnosis process and the more he covers up the less likely he will get the diagnosis he needs. Which means yet again i am fighting red tape without out the key to unravelling the first stage.

But based on that I thought fuck it and have spent the first hour and half after the school run having a coffee and a natter with a good friend. I have a ta da list but it is one that exists a bit because i am procrastinating on the report bit. Have loads of other paper work to do too. So I am about to brew up and get cracking. Just finishing boiling up the handwarmers as they will get forgotten and then destroyed otherwise.

ta da
breakfast, hair and contacts in before school run
Check emails
Sort out meeting
Coffee and natter
find paperwork for dealing with
make up 2 batches of jelly
dry load of washing
put another on to wash
peal and cut up sour apples setting them to gently cook in prep for an apple crumble later
create to do list for tomo.
physio (two bits)
Steal self for making a phone need to make but will be horribly stressy
find half a cup of coffee from first thing and ping it to an inch of its life and then promptly for get about it and the intention to warm it just enough to drink
find recipe book with recipe in that i promised someone nearly a year ago but have forgotten to sort
Check file for paperwork - don't have it will have to go into work an hour earlier then meeting to ensure that have prepped.

I think i have fired my brain with homeschool prep

Aw well successfully put off making that horrible phone call though

Never mind done a load of adminy paperworky type things but have tons and tons and tons of things left to do...

As per normal.

Do we ever get to properly get the to do list tamed and cleared? of is this what being is an adult is about? Endless to do list sucking the life and soul out of you?

Hello. Had to resort to darkened room for most of day and am now dosed up (school run + tennis). So bloody frustrating to lose almost an entire day to pointless headache.

Diet gone out of window (again) because carbs are keeping me from puking! well that's my excuse

In addition being driven mad by:
-new phone (demands different pin codes to achieve virtually anything and all transferred numbers don't work) and well, I don't like it much [stamps foot/has ungrateful tantrum]

• new banking arrangements made by dh and I myself supposedly to increase efficiency but also requiring different pin codes at every juncture, none of which I can remember or find
• dd in middle of stressful end-of-term exam revision (she has eight one hour exams, that we know of, up to including the 1st April with more to follow) [sob]

Life didn't used to be so complicated?

As for Flying: still doing the ironing!!! and have kept up with basic routines. Except cooking. that is all.

Just and Bitchy amazed by how creatively you accommodate your dss' needs, and how the system consistently stuffs up

Just arf at Darth and throaty roar - will investigate!

Bitchy congrats on all the prep

Goth so glad woodcraft leadership went well!

congrats on your very impressive list Peanut

Congrats on your speech and list Blue!

Hope you are feeling less shattered todya Whoknows

Swan god I would love to sit in a nest of leaves right now

Not rude at all Mercury this thread is here to use in the way that helps most. Congrats on your lists.

Arf at your housewife's bk Toffee!

Big waves to Ellie Engels Honu Castle Feetheart Eustacia Thinking and everyrone else I have forgotten.

Nothing prepped for supper because of this blasted headache. Must go and stand in front of the fridge and look baffled ...

I have this image of you in front of the fridge with a top knot bun and glasses perched on your nose with a confuzzled look on your face expecting a prepped meal to appear ala disney sleeping beauty style... Wings and all

has clearly lost the plot a long long time ago

I ran myself a bath. Bubble bar and everything. And ds is decided it looked nice and stolen it. Which is perfect as he is all yelling and shouting having gained a black eye in school today due to not paying attention in pe no sense of self preservation that one . I am hoping he will calm down a bit whilst the water cools. I expect the bathroom to be under bubbles as we have been blowing the bubbles at each other And mother's day weekend = TV BAN. news not gone down well but he will live. And we will actually get to do something this weekend... It is all just one giant cunning plan.

sans chocolat for your headache

I have an upset tum so not much going on here today either

I am not being told that I know nothing by a fucking twat who didn't want to know their child because they couldn't cope with their behaviour. But has now decided that they want full custody and are an expert!

I am probably being very unreasonable by blocking phone contact but right now i don't give a shit!!!!

I'd kill to dive into a bubble bath now Bitchy. Those days are far behind me and, I fear, not in my immediate future.

Sans - concoct something for our dinner too will ya? Sorry about the head.

Eusta - hope your Tum settles soon.

Ta Da's
Downstairs hoovered and mopped
Bin emptied and new bin bag in
Recycling out
Bathroom cleaned and floor mopped
Coffee and chocolate consumed
Lunch eaten

I'll do my best Peanut although you may change your mind when you know I am trying to do something creative with broccoli, frozen cod and an onion