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

just visited for the day, from Rutland so it was a 2 and half hour journey but it took 3 and a half hours due to my shocking map reading skills getting lost!

Morning one and all. I hope we all have had a lovely Easter break and congratulations to engels, I will keep everything crossed for you.

Back to work for me today after only having worked for 2 weeks in the last 12, think it may be a shock to the system!

Your babystep for today is control journal related.

Your mission for today is here.

This week we are in The Master Bedroom.

Today is Plan and PLay Day.

Have a good day everyone! Back later if I survive work!

Thanks for all the congratukations. Yes, very egg-citing

Holidays here. Today though I am dropping DS at nursery and going over to work with 2 colleagues on the new English curriculum for next year as we have a new syllabus and everything needs to be re-jigged.

Off to Blighty tomorrow though for shopping, eating, drinking and lots of family fun. Looking for soemthing to do Friday with SIL, BIL, DS (2) and DH and I. Were thinking maybe Bedgebury for a walk (apparently they have a Gruffalo trail, though statues won't be there till June), a wander round Rye, along the beach at Camber then fish and chips, but all depends on the weather. Anyone have any ideas for Kent/East east Sussex with a 2 and a half year old?

Have a good day everyone!

Engels - I don't know that area very well, but my parents took the DCs to Drusillas PArk a few years ago (mum won tickets in a competition) and they really enjoyed, it's Eastbourne way.

Yes, Drusillas is a great day out, but it costs a fortune. So it depends on how much you want to spend. You really need to spend at least half a day there to get your money's worth.

Ellie - best of luck today. Glad the mission is in the master bedroom: ours needs work.

ta da

Woken up by DS2
Find his clothes
Switch heating on (playing up and can't get a plumber to look at it)
Make tea
Put rubbish out
Mop hall, dining room and kitchen floor (drips from rubbish bags all over them as we have to carry them through the house)

First day of home ed for DS2 today. DS1 gets a day off because it's an INSET day, so no online lessons. Am feeling so happy that I'm not taking DS2 back to school today. I feel so glad that we've made this choice for him. Have printed out a timetable for work/home ed/chores, so that everything gets some attention.

Thanks for the ideas. Will have a look at Drusillas (I have a distant memory of going there as a child!).

DH and I are heading to Canterbury on the Saturday while my parents take DS to the zoo. Have justs seen that Drusillas have Thomas the Tank Engine train! DS would be b in heaven!

We have a Thomas the Tank Engine event every year at our local steam railway, it was a huge hit with the DCs when they were younger.

Engels Dymchurch beach is sand for miles at low tide. Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway is fun. Hythe also has a nice park. My Granny lived in Hythe but we basically just went to the beach or the park!

Hope today goes well Toffee.

Inset day here too but raining so planning to go To the Castle, which the boys are very excited about.

Good morning all! Hope everyone had a lovely Easter break! Great to hear about all the Easter egg hunts!

Engels Congratulations!!! That is quite the best news to come back to . Really happy for you and your dh! Take it steady!

Ellie thanks for links and good luck for your first day back (go steady too!)

Swan thanks for tip about audio downloads of children's classics - much appreciated! Sorry your "holiday" was more of a change than a rest.

Castle Happy Easter! Great to 'see' you!

Whoknows Like the sound of your modules - both really interesting.

So glad you were able to have a lovely Easter Mercury on top of finishing your assignment - congratulations on its completion!!

Toffeethat recipe looks delicious but yurrgh to edible insects! Your ds1 is extremely brave!

I'm allergic to bees and wasps too Alice but have loads of bee friendly plants/shrubs so have to remember to take the epi-pen with me when gardening nowadays and not walk barefoot on the lawn any more!

Bitchy it's sod's law that someone gives you a box of something you have just culled! [Shudders at sight of yr mega-list down-thread.) Hope you are feeling a bit better this morning.

Dizzy IoW sounds lovely!

Back to work/school for dd and me! DD, school bag, music bag, guitar and school goldfish (which survived the holidays - phew!) safely delivered. Dh still in France and is feeling the strain - don't think I have ever seen him so worn down - felt badly that he is alone with all that responsibility but dd has school - and dh has extra nurses with him to help (although still v. anxiety-provoking situation).

Dd totally better now but didn't have the best of Easter holidays with everyone ill (except me) and ongoing health situation with fil/sil but we managed a few nice Easter touches for her nonetheless.

One rabbit didn't 'report in for duty' last night so slept rather fitfully but happily she turned up for breakfast this morning, the blighter.

Feel like I need a holiday (!) but had better get to it; house in need of attention and of course loads of 'work' work with dh away. Loads of seedlings to pot up too (although I doubt that I'll have time for gardening today).

BBL to catch up with thread in a bit more detail once I've tackled outstanding admin, shopped and stocked empty fridge, stacked dishwasher and made a start on the piles and piles of holiday washing! (Goth my washing load is unexpectedly huge too!)

Glad we are in the master bedroom this week - ours is a tip - but should have a better chance of straightening it out with dh away!

In the meantime, big feathery waves to Feetheart Blue Just Blueandwhite Honu Hotcrossbabblehag Newlark Peanut daddykyller Lily Eustacia Wurstwitch Sillyy and everyone else I have missed!

Toffee good luck with ds2's first day of home edding!!

Engels was going to suggest Romney, Hythe and Dimchurch railway and see you already have the zoo covered! Have a great trip tomorrow! [Trying not to sound too jealous!!! ]

Toffee home ed? You are so much braver than me!! Good luck!!

SC the GP and I went back and forth about an epi pen. The nurse insisted I needed it, GP said he wasn't sure. So I don't have one. So I tend to be very careful. At some point, I will go to a different GP and just demand one. It makes me quite uncomfortable, tbh.

ta da
usual morning routines
school runs
grocery shop
petrol in car
money put on electric meter
50 gazillion appointments made (okay, maybe only 20 gazillion)
phone calls returned

to do
washing up
one load of laundry
check bank
double check this week's schedule

Afternoon all, no flying done yet today, but DH & I walked into the city and back this morning (about 7.5 miles in total) and I got one of these from Hotel Chocolate. Now I just have to hide it so I can make it last.

BBL (when I've done something productive)

Alice - I can't believe the GP wouldn't give you an epi pen . Yes, definitely go back and demand ask again.

Home ed not as scary as you'd think . Did it before with DS1, so it feels quite easy this time round.

Have had a productive morning so far. Managed to cover handwriting practice, reading out loud and comprehension with DS1 this morning. Went out for a walk with both boys and we bought microwave popcorn on the way back to cook in our new microwave (actually, it's an old one DH had at work, but it's new to us). Had great fun listening to all the popping .

Was going to do some Science with DS2 this afternoon, but he has been diverted by a small woodlice invasion in his bedroom and is now busy building a Lego defence wall, complete with guards, and a small cardboard house for the woodlice to live in outside.

Must watch out that DS1 doesn't try eating any of them...

Have managed to fit in some laundry and washing up.

Goth Yum!! they have lovely easter eggs Enjoy!

Toffee Yes, I was as well. Apparently me telling him from previously medical problem in states wasn't enough. He wanted to reserve judgement until I had it happen over here. Charming, eh? So I guess if I get stung here and live through it, then I get an epi-pen? (or maybe not if I live through it, it can't be that bad, right?) pfffft... ridiculous.

Actually I am not surprised that the Doc was hesitant. When Ds was anaphalatic to cows milk protein (even a small amount of skin contact) they refused to give him one. There reason being that generally there are more complications from wrongly used epi-pens then there were from the shock itself. I do believe this risk reduces the older the patient. But I think they are reluctant as a result to issue for things like bees and wasps which you are less likely to encounter than accidental poisoning by peanuts.

Taken a lazy day to recover from all the gardening.

Please forgive the woeful misuse of there instead of their I had forgotten to get lunch until 5mins ago and low blood sugar does funny things to my brain

I'd like to think that me being trained as a nurse would alleviate any concerns about using it wrongly. But as I said, I'll just be as careful as possible. If he really thinks I'm less likely to encounter bees, he should see the hive/nest/swarm that is in the garden behind ours. There are always bees in our garden. I smile nice and try not to piss them off.

Oh i didn't say I agreed. Tbf I ignored the peadiactric doctor that suggested testing to see if ds was still allergic to CMP by taking him home and giving him a glass of cows milk to see if he reacted Ime second opinions are often worth seeking, and other times it is about funding and you will always get the same answer because the drugs liscencing and recommendations board's computer says No Don't get me wrong I have encountered some fabulous doctors and nurses but there are some decisions that really want to make you give them an almighty shake and scream ffs get some bloody common sense.

LOL Bitchy Yep. Have worked with doctors - they are definitely not perfect. Some are seriously lacking in common sense. (although obviously, yes some are quite good) If it's a funding thing, I'd much rather just be told that, rather than saying "oh well, let's see if the next sting knocks it out of the park and actually kills you - then we can agree you're allergic - that's medical proof that is."

But if they admit it is a funding issue then someone with sue claiming human right access to meds or some such they couldn't possibly allow that to happen now could they? it's all a load of bollocks and we all know it shame that common sense can be rather rare in a climate of sue first apply reason after

I am currently introducing ds to the idea that there is such a thing as too much licks wrt cake mix it feels a bit mean but hopefully is a lesson once learnt won't soon have to be repeated. Although in fairness I am also subjecting myself to the same thing foolish

Rain was kind to us and the break in the storm seems to have ended with enough of a lag to allow most people to get home from the school fairly dry. Hammering it down currently though. Which is a good thing as the garden can do with it. Not sure what the plan is for this afternoon. There are fairy cakes in the oven that will be iced after tea, ds' dad is supposed to call , the kit list for the school trip has arrived. Regretting decluttering all the old pairs of trainers now just generally being and chilling out after first day back to school is the plan i think.

DD equally cream-crackered after first day back here Bitchy. Had to contend with that glazed-eyed giddiness she gets when over-tired, her outrage at being seated next to a boy (they move seats each half term) combined with rather complex French hwk exercise on 'courage' (her school's equiv of contemporary ethics I guess (although far -from contemporary in their case--) which borders on the philosophical. Followed by another 45 mins spent trying to learn a 22 -line poem with very difficult vocab. Just what a 10-yr old needs after a heavy first day back .

at glass of cow's milk "test" madness!!

Alice Sympathies re: mad doctors - I am also very wary when gardening now. I was given an epi-pen after suffering a bad reaction a couple of years back. Had had no problems at all until my mid-forties and then got stung three times in a row. My entire leg swelled up and it was all a bit scary. Wierdly though, doc has given me an epi-pen even though I have a heart rhythm prob controlled by drugs which would make the administering of adrenalin very dangerous. When I questioned the doc about this she just shrugged and said "dare eez more shance of eu dying from zee bee I zink ... after eu can breeethe, zen we revive your art" (not very reassuring! ) If it's any help, I think not wearing scent in the garden is a good precaution, alongside being permanently booted and gloved!

Ta da:
rabbit husbandry
school run
home bleugh downstairs
laundry
more laundry
yet more laundry
office admin - lots
35 mins boudoir sort (should/could have done more but didn't)
Mnsetting
more Mnsetting
long phone conversation with dsis1
various short phone conversations with dh
various e-mails
short phone conversation with friend
made sandwich for regular homeless visitor who was a little worse for wear but very happy
spoke to lovely neighbour who brought choc hen around for dd!
supermarket shop
bank run
school run
hwk supervision

To do:
simple supper
rabbits
crash in front of telly
early night for dd and me

Ta Da:
dcs to school on time with book bags, PE kit and packed lunches :)
Some marking done (but not enough)
Food shopping

Not a very productive day - must do better. WhoKnows I'm doing TM190 (The Story of Maths) starting this week then hoping to do ME620 (Mathematical Thinking in Schools) in Oct.

A disadvantage of putting ds in shorts this term is that his legs are so muddy I can see he is going to need a bath every night instead of every 2-3 days :( (bath time not very relaxing for anyone here)

Newlark, could you not just run a baby wipe over them to remove the worst of it? works a treat on ds who avoids baths until he is in them when he won't get out

I have gotta love the twat ex atm. He really is providing me with so much angry energy, really helps in the being productive thing.

Quick Ta da
Beds made
Dw loaded, unloaded, reloaded
Kitchen sides cleaned
Sink shined
Downstairs hoovered
Assignment handed in
Coffee with friends
Clothes shopping with dd
Walk and collect ds from school
Clothes out for tomorrow

To do
Dry dds hair
Listen to dd read
Finish application form
Reflect on science
Try to snap out of back to school blues
Catch up with thread

Bbl