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

Morning all, so much for the positive start this month as I've gone down with the lurgy but got a few morning missions done and am now settled making a ruffle scarf. I'm not buying any more wool/fabric until I've got my stash down.

Done
Beds made
Pack lunch for DD
Laundry on
5 min tidy in lounge
Dry laundry away
Litter tray

It'd raining today so laundry will have to dry in house [grumpy]

PS Um, it's me btw, SC. Bit of a crap nickname I know but feeling frazzled!

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Yes, welcome back Alice

There you are Bitchy!

That's the one sc. Still no flying this morning, on episode 3 of the morning. Season 1 done in 3 days.

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Poor you Goth

Swan I meant 15 things here of course!!!!

What exactly is slack cabbage? Cabbage that can't be arsed to grow? I suspect most of us knew it was you.

SC Yes slack cabbage threw me initially. But then, I am not horribly knowledgeable about cabbage.

Goth hope you're feeling better soon.

It's looking quite positive that DC will be going to school tomorrow - yesterday he wouldn't eat anything, today he is eating constantly. Hooray!

Ellie slack cabbage = variety that wilts at the first sign of trouble ]

Glad your ds is feeling better Alice

A bit brighter this morning

Find odd rugby sock. Beat mud off dried rugby shoes. Put ds1 rugby kit in bag, make him take it to school.
Have made a list.
Thrown away about 12 things (okay mostly juice cartons and sweet wrappers)
Put a wash on
Put loo seat to soak
driven ds2 to school in mist (romantic [sigh] blossomy trees floating through]
recycled some newspapers
put three sets of clothes away in a hurry (squished willy nilly into drawers)
taken bin out

list
library cheque
ring tutors and pay more
take rubbish to dump
new cat litter

make casserole
ingredients for casserole from corner shop (in addition to meat which I have)
buy marine ply sheet from B & Q for garden installation
exterior tile adhesive
hoover my bedroom which is otherwise tidyish
get dressed in more becoming clothes as I look like a bag lady!!!

Deal with BT engineer

Dh has gone to the V & A. The perks of researching for a living.

Big to Bitchy, for leading us through March, and more to Ellie for volunteering for April.

Hello to themoneyone very impressed by your decluttering.

Welcome back Alice hope dc recovers for you.

Goth wow, the blanket borders on modern art. Hope you recover soon.

Pushmepullyou good luck! Lots of de-cluttering in April for me too, though I doubt I can be that organised.

Mercury I also try and do the ‘small stuff as I see it, but have discovered it leads to everyone else leaving more and more of it to me.

Swan and Toffee your describing exactly where ds was at 13. That massive difference between verbally abilities and nonverbal is IMO the symptom of why standard teaching and levelling for them, is a cruelty and causes failure, stress, and so often MH/self-esteem problems rather than educating efficiently.
Our ‘garden’ still resembles an open sewer here.

Dizzy Roald Dahl's Snow White sounds like fun.

Ellie do they not give additional time off for skull fractures now?

SC crossed fingers for your FIL. Slack cabbage is surely one that can’t be bothered to maintain it’s cabbage shape and flops happily enjoying the breeze between its leaves?

ta da
Emergency terrified disassembling of laptop and cleaning out of dust after terrible strtaining noise, and emergency shut down and send to service now, overheating message.
Fingers crossed, I've been at it all morning, but it is now quiet happy and back in one piece, and I found broken bits inside, and glued them back together. I can do this, but can't work out the flylady launchpad! cross emoticon!

_ still to do_
Hand washing
Ironing
Library books
Build chair ramp
Strip high up wallpaper
Jemmy way into destroyed wardrobe
Deal with contents, mainly bag, box, and prepare for tip probably
Try and chop up destroyed wardrobe
If works, start on revealed wall behind it, and floor under it
Plan next renovation stage
Pick up food
Plan reading material for next part of English HE
English HE - oversee finishing of coursework
Witter about maths and HE diary!
Try and catch up latter
Get exam forms completed
Send off for assessment
probably deal with subsequent meltdown!
Dinner
realise what's been forgotton today and plan tommorow
Listen to friend
sleep

Swan just spotted your blossoming trees through mist, how beautiful!

Glad you're starting to feel better ellie. Have you swapped for yet?

My list for today:
Paid work
Hairdressers
House rescue prior to cleaner coming
27 thing fling - I think I will tackle the paperwork drawers of doom.
Cook delicious tea
Governors meeting (wtaf was I thinking?)

I knew it was you SC

Hi everyone.

Interesting new nickname SC

Have been productive and booked a weekend away for me and DH. :) Have cleaned kids bathroom and also my kitchen. Other than that, not much. My week ahead is full of work, assemblies and Easter bonnet parade (which dd has thankfully made already).

Hope you are on the mend ELLIE

I have just realised that I am no longer thread leader so I can name change

Likey?

I have been giving the thought of a blog a consideration. Does memory serve me right in that we have some bloggers amongst us? Any one fancy summarising who hosts and top tips?

Done a load of computer stuff and fallen out with Dm. I am eteranlly grateful for such understanding neighbours.

I should either be tackling my room or that worksheet or the report on ds yes i know i have been procrastinating I am thinking that i might just play around with various bits and bobs or something. The mess isn't going to go away. So ignoring it will make little difference.

Don't post for a day or so and then write a couple of letters. perhaps i should declutter by no of lines rather then by no of posts? Would certainly shift the mess...

Woo hoo - to do list is done!

hmm loads to do but what do i fancy doing?

Truthfully? None of it. I want to go for a stomp in the hills but ds is not convinced. He is off losing yet more boy colour to mud colour in the garden doing what every moving masses of noise and dirt do

If it makes you feel better bitchy DD is also currently ensconced in the garden covering herself in mud as well under the guise of washing the playhouse.

I will however admit to loving the fact that the nights are lighter and a little warmer and she is playing out instead of watching tv.

DS has come home from school today in tears because he didn't do as well in his mock Sats as he wanted to. Speaking as a teacher myself remember, the amount of pressure put on these kids for Sats is ridiculous. Especially when ds is such a stresshead anyway. I have told him over and over that i don't care about sats but he desperately wants level 5's. The truth is he is unlikely to achieve level 5 in his literacy as he just isn't quite there and it is a fine line between encouraging him to aim high and managing expectations. I hate seeing him so upset.

Bloody Sats. Grrrrrrrr.

I'm back from school so thought I would post an afternoon / evening to do list to keep me motivated:
Maths reading (aaargghh!!)
Clear dining table a la mission
Fold dry washing
Reboot wm
Empty dw
Face the scales at ww - this will be the month I start losing weight.
Hoover downstairs
Catch up with the thread.

Best get on with it as I have to collect the dc in half an hour.

BBL

Hello!
My still to do:-
Tidy living room
Tidy dining room
Hoover downstairs
Polish downstairs
Clean mirror and tv
Move light back into living room
Water plants
Shampoo carpets downstairs
Make list for packing (piano course tomorrow)

Will have to consider any zone malarkey when I come back on friday

well, I've done nowt off my list.

However, I've

picked up fluey dd from school at lunchtime so lots of driving but as she was obviously ill I can keep her at home tomorrow, Yay, no early start...
talked to acquaintance about what is happening in her son's school (he is in Year 7 with a statement) It doesnt appear that statements solve homework problems, alas...
made a cake
made pork cajun meatballs
went through Tyger Tyger with a fine toothcomb with ds2, rather enjoyable, he had good ideas..he even typed a quotation
made an appt with SALT for ds2 assessment and possibly ds1! May be fools gold but at least I am trying every therapeutic intervention...

went to B & Q for compost but was so enraged by the self service tills that I gave up and came home. What's wrong with that stupid place??? All those things to buy and no-one to buy them from..And loud blaring musak too.

I've retired to bed now. Dh is watching football with boys, so I am gracefully retreating. I think there is clean PE kit for tomorrow.

Ellie sorry ds was upset about the mocks. I think I said nothing about SATs to the twins, and made no attempt at all with revision etc with any of them. Ds1 who now has no inference skills got a 5 but a 4 in Maths, Dd proceeded to get 5s in everything and ds2 scraped 4s and only a 3 in SPAG.. Tbh it really means nothing except to the school, as they re Cat test them don't they when they go into year 7? They practice them so much at school that it seemed pointless to even mention them at home. Looking back I feel really quite aggressive about the SATs. They spent a lot of time and energy on the level 6 class and from what I can see, very little helping people like ds who were not even getting 4's in Spag. All for school glory.

In theory around here the sats in yr 6 is practise for the 11 plus and entrance exams. But most of the entrance exams happen in the sept - nov so it is rather pointless to that end. I agree about the pressure put on the kids about them. It is horrible and un-necessary.

Ellie you have my sympathy about taming expectations to realistic levels. It is really hard to do. To get the right balance between encouraging and realistic is such a fine line. but you are a teacher. Wear your teacher's hat and you will be fine. although your mum's hat will want you to be all over protective and emotional, which is completely natural.

I am currently finishing off a craft project. But i am a bit tired so who knows if i will actually finish it. 2 rows and a finishing off row left so it is entirely possible.

Done bugger all today (that's not gloating)

On the plus side I have had a cat foot warmer all day (he hogs the blanket), made a silver ruffle scarf in between naps and supervised homework.

DH collected DD from school, out the recycling out and cooked dinner (curry) and provided a reasonable amount of

He's just gone out to the shop for milk, so I think I may exert myself and do the washing up. I'm hoping this lazy day will get me better and than I'll be full of beans for tomorrow

Ellie SATS sound a nightmare.

A couple of things have happened this evening which have shown I really need to get on with flying and keep on top of things.

First, ds has a school disco tomorrow and the money was supposed to be in by today. I completed the form and put the money in an envelope and I thought put it in his bag last night. This afternoon when I asked him if he had a ticket he told me he hadn't been able to find the envelope. I then proceeded to give him a talk about being responsible and looking after things ( in my defence he does often lose things). Then this evening when clearing the dining table I found said envelope felt extremely guilty and had to apologise profusely to ds. His teacher had said he could bring the money in tomorrow but I felt awful.

Then I spent over an hour reading for Maths subject knowledge, saved my notes and then realised I had already done the reading and saved them back in January This all clearly shows that I need routine and this thread far more than I had realised.

Goth your cat foot warmer sounds purrfect sorry I couldn't resist!

Ellie so sorry to hear all the stress the SATs are causing.

Ta da

Maths reading (aaargghh!!) done x2
Clear dining table a la mission done
Fold dry washing done
Reboot wm done
Empty dw done
Face the scales at ww - this will be the month I start losing weight. Done gained a pound but I am now determined - I want to be slim by the Summer
Hoover downstairs - to do in the morning
Catch up with the thread. done

I'm off for a bath and then an early night. I will be back in the morning.