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 feeling hideously stressed out at the moment, but seeing Bitchy's post puts it into some kind of perspective. - and and hugs!

I have work that I can't do with the boys' noise so it'll have to wait.
I need to finish tidying the spare room and make up the bed. FIL and SMIL are coming to help with the gardening and babysit. DH and I are going out two nights in a row! They're the least judgy of our parents about messy houses, but still want to make an effort...

To do
Order turf
clean entire house
make spare bed
get rid of bag that I forgot to take to charity shop
Not kill boys
Not get too down on myself.
Get started on work later
Have another go at chasing up hall booking

SC - do you have means to turn that into some kind of gratin? Tomato/white sauce, breadcrumbs and cheese?

Don't have any cheese to hand Blue unfortunately (dieting)

Going for tomato sauce option but dd is not impressed. Thanks for breadcrumbs idea though! Hadn't thought of that!

Sorry you are feeling so stressed but glad in-laws on hand to lend support

Had a phone call from the LEA today: they have agreed to assess DS1! Almost dropped the phone, I was so shocked. Still a bit stunned, to be honest. The next decision I have to make is whether to go for a statement or the new thing. Am leaning towards a statement.

Fantastic news Toffee!

Bitchy - grrrr!

Thanks, WhoKnows. Wish you didn't have to go through the whole tribunal process. Of course, I might still have to face that at a later date.

It's such a relief for now. More hurdles to come, of course, but at least we've cleared this one.

That is brilliant new toffee

Ds is bed. We have started reading truckers. Quite enjoyed chapter 1. Was nice thing to do. Fingers crossed ds settles quickly. Kid is so tired he needs a good night sleep. Plus he rarely transistions well between the new times when the clocks change.

right whilst I remember here are the links for tomo. It is friday, you know that day that some of us look forward to. Yeah you know the one? The one where we do that thing....

Friday is clean out your car and purse sorry you were expecting me to say what?

missions

Babystep 28

I have just cleaned out my car only because it's being serviced tomorrow and I couldn't face the shame of the garage seeing it how it was.

Very annoyingly someone has scratched two doors of it.

Toffee - it's fine, I really do think your DS's needs are more pressing than mine.

oh and I did my handbag yesterday . House is like a shitheap though.

ah but as you are never behind you are actually ahead whoknows

I am embarise to admit that ds caught the whole of the thing and watched me deliberately turn off the phone. We had fun this evening and I used it as an opportunity to model behaviour. People will always say things we don't like but how we deal with them is proportional to the effect it can have kinda thing. He is going to ring said twat tomo, and i am staying out of it. Normal time limits will apply. But this is not about contact this is about control being taken when it is not deserved so the child will have control but twat will have no input and will not be informed of what is going on.

I am suitably chilled after a relaxing evening with ds (although never got my bubble bath ) and some gentle flicking through pinterest. I am actually ready for bed already.

Wishing you all lovely rest of evenings, not too early start to the day and good days tomo!

Sleep well bitchy and thanks for links. Sorry ex being a twonk.

[And sorry, managed to somehow miss topknot and glasses peering in to fridge comment down thread (nothing so glamorous I'm afraid - have a mousey Balding - and glasses have lost one "arm" conveying a 'somewhat deranged' or even more deranged than normal look ). Oh to have seen a ready meal fly through kitchen window!! . Supper was just edible. Must brave supermarket tomorrow. Dh will be back at some point and dd needs feeding up during exam season.

Eustacia hope upset tum only a 24 hr thing and that you feel better very soon

Brilliant news Toffee!!

Waves to Whoknows - well done re shiny car.

Spent evening watching lambing live with one eye; rest of head buried in cushion, while testing dd on the workings of the digestive and respiratory systems and converting fractions in to decimals and back again. Headache still persisting. Is it just me, or does anyone else want to throw things at Kate Humble who seems to be spend an awful lot of time over-enunciating and stating the ruddy obvious, v e r y,
v e r y, s l o w l y ... .

Grumble, harrumph, g'night!

Quiet around here, aint it?

Isn't it Bitchy ... you don't think people might be busy actually, er, Flying or something do you?

Still have metaphorical spear through right eye, which should have gone away after three days, but hasn't.

Bit of a heart-expanding moment this morning. I was looking at dd from car at drop off time, as she ascended school steps, mahoosive school bag on her back, and she turned back and waved so happily and gave me such a beautiful smile (she's normally a bit of a grump in the morning, like her ma ), even though I knew she was dreading the start of exams. She hasn't had an easy time at school of late and she just went in so cheerily - it just got to me! [Blows nose loudly in to handkerchief.]

Back to the mundane: ta da
morning routine inc rabbits, dw, wm, s&s
school run
quick supermarket shop and bank stop on way back
faddled around with phone (again)
some on-line banking
some e-mails

To do:
finish prepping fish pie for supper
finish making soup for weekend
clear path ahead of cleaner on first floor
more laundry
more boudoir
boring, boring, same old, same old

Big waves to one and all! I will be spending 1/4 of the w/e in the countryside, and the rest of it buried in revision, so may not be back on here until next week. Hope you all have a good one!

NOISE NOISE NOISE jumps up and down shouting me me me!

no, sorry, nothing to report... Ds1 wants to go to school quiz night tonight. Dd has gone to Liverpool on a school trip (home of Beatles, so it's music trip

Cleaning lady is here, so I am cleaning frantically...the more she does the more mess I notice. The airing cupboard [sigh], the childrens' rooms [sigh] the fridge [sigh]the dustbunnies on the ceiling I am giving up and going back to bed..

Bitchy I cannot believe you are going through that he wants custody?????***??? he is obviously going through a midlife identity crisis. Why on earth would tthat benefit ds?

Going back to diagnosis, the school can sometimes flag up more things that wouldn't appear on one meeting with a professional. You have to get them to fill in a form to say how ds is behaving in worst case scenario. Ds2 used to make eye contact all the time with adults.

I'm so glad I spent most of yesterday flying ESP cleaning the hideous floors. It pleased me further when every Tom, Dick and Harry then trashed the floor covering it in bloody mud within hours of me doing it. Bastard footprints everywhere. Mud also up the stairs. I've already swept one load up and there's even more now. Another ton of mud and bloody footprints have since appeared. Why don't people use the door mat?? This has made me particularly grumpy more than I usually am.

Ta Da's
Dogs walked x2
Unload and reload DW
One load of laundry on
Ironed laundry put away
Minis fed (dressed and washed by MrPP)
Lunch administered and one mini now napping
Floors swept - I'm NOT doing it again
Four chocolate biscuits eaten and two coffees downed - nothing pleases me more than coffee and chocolate
Returned library books - discovered I owe fines for late books, three days late
Bought birthday card
Fuel in car - per hate

To do
Ring pet insurance
Put away dry airer stuff
Take up ironed shirts
Hang out wet clean washing when finished
Play date

SC Dd gave us a lovely hug before she went on her school trip, I think she was nervous of staying away with all these new people, despite having being on many trips with primary lot. We had a little contretemps though over the fact that her clothes were not covering enough of her! We insisted she put a skirt on over her leggings shades of my mother telling me that trousers did NOT suit me
She seems very grownup always, but it is when she gives these wistful little gestures of reliance on us (the hug I mean) that I feel she is really growing up.
Hope your headache improves further this weekend.

House very tidy now. BT engineer back again as our broadband keeps dropping. I am spending rest of afternoon in bed, as I feel so tired and ill.

Thankfully no at the moment custody is not under discussion. But i do like the word twonk.

Things are not quite going to plan and I am not quite sure in which direction to go as I seem to need to be heading in 6 different ones at once.

Thank goodness for that Bitchy re:custody.

Dd has just rung up to say her hostel is horrible and has cockroaches, and there is no hot water She'll survive.

Ds1 is determined to make me go with him to the school Quiz Night. I hate quizzes, as they never ask the right sort of question (I suppose those questions are too easy to google)

I should be doing a whole heap of work, I really really cba. I am about ready for bed already. Which kinda sucks because I have a whole heap of stuff that needs doing. And I will be setting the alarm clock to it's last bit earlier time in prep for the hideous post clock change monday morning.

In whilst i am considering what i am going to do I am going to sit with some crochet and post the links for you.

As it is saturday it is family fun day (psst Swan if you go tonight with DS1 it will count as being ahead )

NO missions it is the weekend

And it is babystep 29 nearly at the end, nearly at the end. then we get to start all over again next month

Just one last thing to say Don't forget mother's day

Spent all morning making vanilla cupcakes and icing them, then took DS2 up to his old school to say his goodbyes. His classmates were lovely to him, hugging him and giving him little hand-drawn cards and notes. They were so sweet.

The kitchen and dining room are a complete mess. DS2 and his friend had to eat their meals on the sofa this evening because there was no room at the table (although eating chicken nuggets and chips whilst watching 'Minecraft' on YouTube seemed to make them both very happy ).

Swan - poor DD. That sounds horrible. I hope she has a good time regardless.

Bitchy - thanks for all your excellent linkies and reminders.

Peanut - sympathies on the floor-wiping saga. We have the same issue in our hallway.

SC - that's a lovely memory of your DD. She sounds very brave. Hope your head feels better soon.

Out with friends tonight. But first, have to tackle the kitchen and dining-room...

Waves to all.

DH and FIL have spent the day doing all the hard work in the garden. I have done some of my paid work, and been out for lunch and shopping with SMIL. :) And DH and I have been out to the theatre this evening. :) And tomorrow is lined up to be pretty much the same, except with added boys.

I've been putting my blanket together, will be back when it's done.

Zero Flying today, just got in having been out since 8.30am.

Will make a quick list anyway to justify my existence.

School run including post Mother's Day cards and deposit sports kit and booster seat at DS's friend's house en route
Check that DS and DD can both go to friend's houses after school
Take car to garage for service
Go to work
Get car at lunchtime
Back to work till 4.30
Back to home town to meet DH and watch DS in a basketball tournament (DS taken there by friend's mum). More on this later.
Back in car and to work town to meet colleagues for a very pleasant night out while DH rounds up DCs and takes them home.

Proud mum alert!

DS has been representing his school in a basketball team competition for the last 6 weeks. As well as AS and dyspraxia he is extremely short compared to most boys his age (half the players were the school year above him as well and even bigger), not ideal for basketball. He played really well tonight (it was the final). At the end he was awarded a trophy for best player in his team! Wow! He has won trophies for Most Improved or Fair Play before but never, ever a Best Player. So chuffed for him.

Swan - yuck! Your poor DD. I'm sure she will be fine though.

SC - lovely tale of your DD today.

Toffee - lovely that DS2's friends were so sweet too.

Blue - haven't "spoken" to you for a while, glad you have had a nice day, all this school/academy/campaigning work must have been quite an extra load for you.

Bitchy - hope you are asleep.

Goth - well done on your blanket.

Patty - I had a brainwave last year and bought a much bigger doormat, you have to put both feet on it at least once before your feet touch real floor, it has made a big difference to the state of the floor. Everyone used to somehow just step over the old one including me . It's one of those turtle ones that are super absorbent. Only problem is it needs washing itself quite frequently and takes ages to dry.