April's Fledgling Fliers: there's no fooling the Fat Fairy this month.

[elliepac]

In a blatant steal from last month's thread:

So here we are, April 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

Note to Bitchy: replace your fire alarm battery! (Or buy a new one).

Trying to get the DC out of the front door for fresh air and exercise this afternoon. Both are perfectly happy staying indoors permanently. But I especially want DS1 to build on his achievement at getting away with us recently.

I also really like that statement whoknows and will be using it when ds in particular complains about being asked to contribute to cleaning the house

whoknows I'm pinching that statement when I get the resistance with cleaning hour tonight.

ds2 has a party to go to this afternoon, car cleaning is in cleaning hour so I just have to do my bag and sink... lurvly

Whoknows its similar here. I always position it as the PP team. We are a team, parenting is a team sport as is running and looking after the house. If the minis make a mess then they refuse to help tidy I make a point of saying that if I have to tidy up on my own we won't be doing XYZ because we won't have time because it will take me far too long to tidy up in my own. Usually works.

Got an unexpected visitor arriving in under an hour! Once I've had my lunch I will be a woman possessed in an attempt to de-sty this pigsty k own as home.

Ta Da's
Dogs walked
MrPP got minis ready
Quick supermarket trip for essentials
Emptied kitchen bin
Took out recycling
Degunked Miaow's eyes
Cleared up Miaow's poo by side entrance
Brief once over of bathroom and kitchen
Some laundry away
Created new ironing pile
Dress up outfits gifted to us - decide whether to keep or charity

To do
Sweep floors
Make entire house vaguely presentable and acceptable
DON'T PANIC
STOP STUFFING FACE WITH CHOCOLATE AND GET OFF MN

Why does having visitors over make me so nervous?!?!

Ta da
Take battery out of the fire alarm
fall asleep around 5am when quiet was achieved
play walkie talkies with ds whilst being asleep
deal with meal juggling for lunch
praise ds for sorting lego off his own bat
Tescos
halfords
wash car
clear out car (but haven't hoovered)
sort out massive load for the tip
clear patio with help of ds
deweed patio
ds' trimmed the winter jasmine that tries to break into the house
wash the widows over looking patio
wash patio the old fashioned-ish way with hose pipe and scrubbing brush
soak ds because he asked me too but then cried because he was wet

Tea is currently cooking and then once the patio is a little drier we will be having a move about of the garden furniture. Surprisingly cleaning the patio has eased my sore shoulder but i am sure i will regret it later and there is a hot deep bath planned for when ds is in bed.

Wrt battery, one of the people did that first thing this morning once i found the battery so fire alarm is fully operational. The same people bought new tv remote so now we can use the tv properly again. bet the old one now shows up

Ta Da
Took dcs to swimming lesson
Cooked lunch (mil visiting)
Decluttered handbag (I have a large satchel type one which is big enough for a 10 inch tablet and it is scary what ends up at the bottom after a few weeks)
Scrubbed round taps

To do
Pack for me and the dcs to visit my parents tomorrow
Make origami easter baskets to fill with chocolate eggs for friends we are seeing tomorrow.
Cook tea for dcs and then separately for me and dh when he gets back from driving mil home (an hour each way)

If it wasn't for this thread I wouldn't have done the bag and taps and would have forgotten the easter baskets until we were trying to leave the house - progress

I took DCs to local art and history museum today (which included an easter egg hunt through the displays ), then ordered and picked up DC2's new glasses, took the DCs out to a lovely lunch in a restaurant, went to poundshop and let them each pick out a book and a new money box, then came home and relaxed, having a easy supper tonight.

Now I'm being good and have done the washing up and a load of laundry is in the washing machine.

I got THIS:

www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/easter-eggs/rocky-road-to-caramel-extra-thick-easter-egg

for Easter. Let's just say the diet is on hold for the moment.

Alice that looks amazing!!

It IS amazing. Hence the diet on hold. I'll have to work extra hard once it's all gone!

It would appear this nice weather is bad for me. My shoulders have gone OMG sunshine lets burn, my legs have gone look, look bruises and my arms have gone wtf do you have no sense of self preservation? Let's look like you have been beaten up

On a plus note, I have pjs, ds has already declared himself to be tired and there are only 6 pages left of our book.

Unfortunately I too have also fallen off of the healthy eating wagon. Oh well will climb back on after Easter.

Mercury four words "give it to me now!" That egg is a gift from the chocolate Gods. Wow.

Actually it's five words. My excuse is that your egg has me completely giddy.

Alice. I meant Alice! I've totally lost the plot.

lol... I let the DCs have some of the little ones in the middle. But the egg itself? Mine, my precious.

Today has been more than usually like an episode of Outnumbered in this house, but we all survived! House is a little tidier and I have dusted. Did some cooking with DS1 which was nice and helped defuse tension for a while.

Tomorrow's to do list looks like :
Shopping
Hoovering
Cooking / baking
Get boys' hair cut

Parents arrive late afternoon...

Big waves to everyone. Better get to bed. Night all!

Had a lovely day out with the DCs at a local NT place with stunning bluebell woods, we go there most years, but have missed the last couple, it was good to go back. Then home and I went off to the allotment for an hour, love it up there, but there's a lot of work needs doing and it's easy to overdo it.

Off to the ILs tomorrow for a couple of days.

Hope you have a good trip, WhoKnows. You have reminded me that we must make an effort to see the bluebells this year - we miss them every time.

Amazing Easter egg, Alice.

Blue - well done on surviving your real-life episode of Outnumbered .

Mercury - I have also well and truly fallen off the healthy eating wagon .

PP - at your muddle with Alice. Did you manage to crisis clean your house in time for your visitor?

Bitchy - am relieved to hear the smoke alarm is functioning again. Your spoon vs Nutella jar incident made me laugh.

hotcross - have just caught up with the thread and found out who you are! Welcome back!

newlark - glad to see this thread is having a positive effect already .

Engels - sorry your holiday is starting with a cold. Hopefully, it will be over soon though and you can start to enjoy yourself.

Managed to get both boys outside for sunshine and fresh air this afternoon, though DS1 turned round and went home again pretty fast. However, DS2 and I enjoyed some time in the sun.

Am trying to do a bit of everything (very Flylady), so spent time with both boys (together and separately), did various bits of housework and tidying, cooked, did some work, then spent some time watching telly with DH.

Didn't manage to do the bedroom tidying I'd hoped for and still haven't caught up with my OU work, but I should be focusing on the positives, not the negatives.

Off to bed now. Night all.

We are back from the IofW. We all loved it and plan on going back. DH and I decided perhaps we will retire there!! . The hotel was full of pensioners on a coach tour and we embarrassed DD totally by singing along to "Sweet Caroline" and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" when the cabaret was on! We spent Thursday at the Needles Park and even went on the scary chairlift. Today we mostly spent on the beach at Ryde and DD even braved the sea to go for a swim!

Ta Da's since we got home

• Unpacked multiple bags
• Watered seedlings
• Put on D/W
• Supervised DD's shower
• Cooked DD supper
• Laundry load on and hung to dry
• Organised swim bags (DD has a gala tomorrow)

DH emptied the car of the bags, poured himself a drink and watched recordings of Masterchef! I think I need to try and work your magic on him Who

DD gave chocolate/sweets up for Lent (although we are not religious) so she is looking forward to some mini eggs after her races tomorrow

Sounds like a lovely trip dizzy.

I am planning on doing very little today. Hoping I feel better enough later to go to birthday party and if not dh will be going without me with ds.

DH and I shared the easter egg my mum brought over. Reminds me, I want to make a quiche and some chocolate cornflake nests later.

Ta da
Swish and swipe
Hoover upstairs
Beds made
Dw on -dp
Cooked breakfast - dp

To do
Ds to hairdressers
Appendix for assignment
Artwork for assignment
Clean car
Meal plan
Food shop
Make chocolate cake for lunch tomorrow
Hoover downstairs
Dad over for dinner?

Bbl

omg, not even out of bed!!!

Hi,

back from Ireland.Midlands. Tulips had were just beginning to colour when I left so it is a season behind London. We all spent a lot of time outside, but it was very cold and damp INDOORS so we've come back sunburnt but sniffly. Alas not a holiday in true sense of word as there seemed to be an enormous amount of housework and shopping involved. Nice to see some family members briefly though. My sister took this occasion to go on holiday in St Tropez!

Children screamed and shouted a lot though! Problems don't tend to go away on holiday ime...Dd is pining for company I think, and views don't cut it!

London feels v luxurious in comparison and convenient, like the 21st Century despite lacking green fields and views...

I am luxuriating in central heating, hot showers, groceries and my own comfortable bed now..

Dreading school and homework deadlines though. Ds2 has to make a heraldic shield; only fun element I can forsee.

SC hope you are surviving. It all sounds v demoralising. Did you know you can get broadband free audio downloads of classic children's books. I found What Katy Did recently read by lovely American lady. All free.
Toffee I am so glad you had a nice break. I too find it difficult to get the children to help in a general way, but the only thing that does work for me is to get a few habituated responses going which they don't even think about, but just do without questioning..in our house that means, putting some of your own clothes in washing machine and turning it on, and hanging clothes out afterwards (this is only sometimes, but I'm working on it!) dishwasher loading after meals and carrying bags in from front door at least. Making salad dressing, making salad. Watering plants. Sweeping up crumbs with dustpan. Mopping up spills. Also table laying is ongoing crusade. Ds1 still will not put his clothes in the laundry if that is any consolation. It seems to be a blind spot. dd will but puts too many in, and ds2 just peels ALL his clothes off including coats/jumpers and puts everything in the laundry pile. Only dd puts her clothes out for tomorrow but that is because we have harangued her about this due to 6.40 start and she is so frightened of having wrong uniform

No crafty preps for Easter here, I am just glad to have survived the last few days and possibly/definitely get them to Mass tomorrow. Dh has gone off to buy some small easter eggs for easter egg hunt in our back garden.