It's the clutter shouting "Mayday" as the Fledglings spring into action

[GoingGoingGoth]

Copying last month's thread.

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.

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, we won't be judging you.

[Swanhildapirouetting]

toffee I'm hoping all went well this morning.

Goth well done on your sewing project. [Beats head against wall. I want to do sewing really I do. Just I always end up tidying. Gnash]

done
tidying in advance of cleaner.
3 dcs rooms sheets changed, hoovered and clothes put away
kitchen tidied

numerous loads of washing hung out
a surface on landing decluttered and dusted

cleaner cleaned both bathrooms and decluttered some old bottles
cleaner cleaned kitchen and hoovered stairs

and tomorrow it will be all messy and dirty again [gnash gnash]

Utility room is still a crap heap, full of books papers, dirty saucepans etc. Despite yesterdays attempts Outside in the garden yard is more rubbish. Old burnt chips/old paint pots/straggly pots of old daffs.

I wouldn't care really, just dses fighting again over school so I am worrying about that in the background. Ds1 is so rude to ds2, but he finds it so hard dealing with him in school, as he says ds2 is constantly embarrassing him. We had a strategy but ds1 is refusing to stick to it and keeps reverting to blaming ds2 for everything.

right, pick up time shortly, my mobile is charged. I will go and get rid of those old burnt chips if it kills me!

[ToffeeWhirl]

Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone. DS1 managed the journey and the consultation. Result: Aspergers diagnosis! I'm so relieved. It feels like the final piece of the puzzle.

The doctor we saw is going to prescribe melatonin for his sleep problems and recommend a different medication for his anxiety. She is also going to recommend ongoing therapeutic support and specialist schooling. The latter should help with the statement application. So, she was worth every penny.

Ds1 doesn't seem particularly bothered about any of it. He asked me just now to remind him what it was he'd been diagnosed with, but when I offered to tell him more about it he said he'd rather just play Roblox for now.

Best friend turning up any minute, so looking forward to and chat.

[PeanutPatty]

Thank goodness for diagnosis Toffee. Hope your catch up with your bf is therapeutic.

Have let things slide here a bit. Mini1 didn't even have clean clothes for preschool today. Made me feel like a right slattern.

Not one room is sorted. Childrens rooms look like bombs have gone off. Even the stairs has stuff loitering on various steps.

I've also eaten an Easter egg plus a packet of crisps and a slice of tiger bread toast washed down with coffee as my lunch albeit very late.

Ta Da's
Dogs walked
Minis taken to library to choose new books/make as much noise as possible and achieve scowls from library staff
One laundry load done and on airer
Second laundry load on

To Do
Empty TD
Empty DW
Put secondary laundry load on TD
Find Pooch's vax card
Feed minis
Try not to fall asleep on sofa

[GoingGoingGoth]

Toffee so pleased you've got a diagnosis. Probably talking out of my arse here, but I would think that if his sleep can be sorted, it may help with other issues?

I've done no flying at all today

Done
Beds packed lunch
DD to school
Trip to the city
New walking boots for DH & DD
Few other bits for DD
Visited The project cafe the local food shop/community project we help out with has opened a new pop-up shop.
Had a lovely slice of pear cake and DH had Hummingbird cake (banana & pineapple)
Collected DD from school
Weekly shop
Walked 14,000 steps

To do
Washing up & SS
Laundry for tomorrow

[Swanhildapirouetting]

Toffee you must be feeling just relieved that someone is listening and being proactive in helping ds1. I cannot believe you have been pushed from pillar to post for so long. Yes, sleep is very important, but it is a chicken and egg isn't it

And well done ds for going to the appt too. He must have felt in his bones it was worth it.

done
well the rest of the day has been relaxed and happy. I got rid of the burnt chips in the garden; I planted some courgette seeds and put them in my makeshift greenhouse (made out of shower screen); I did what you might call some messy play in the yard by tipping out various geraniums and replanting them in new compost. It is freeezing outside isn't it?
Dh cooked a very nice M & Supper which his new fancy, spicy calamari rings and spicy prawns with noodles and broccoli, avocado salad and green salad (homemade the last four items
I picked up ds2, who had greatly enjoyed high jump at school
Ds1 insisted on walking home by himself
dd went straight to bed after a shower (her lovely clean room was calling her)

I've gone to bed too, after putting some more clothes away and hanging out another batch of wet sheets. Will have to get up in a moment and help put them all to bed. TGI Bankholiday weekend (although I do have to do catechism class tomorrow and look after some children at Mass on Sunday so it is not total marshmallowland ahead)

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Evening,

Just been testing out my new steam cleaner. Very impressed! I had been thinking about getting one for a while, then a MNer I am friendly with was on the test panel for the Karcher ones that is running at the moment, so I started looking into that and found you can buy recon ones cheap on the Karcher outlet website (this one was £58 vs £99 new). Bargain! I have just been tackling some of the grot spots in the kitchen with it and am very pleased. Bathroom tomorrow!

Other than that, Flying wise, I had a total clear out of the fridge and cleaned all the shelves, which has needed doing for ages. It was overflowing with food, I only actually threw 2 things away but the results of the re-organisation are startlingly good, everything is organised and not just dumped randomly all over the shelves. Oh and stripped our bed, washed, dried and remade it.

Non Flying wise - coffee with friends this morning, then out to browse furniture (we desperately need a computer desk), a quick swim, home for hairwash and a bit of telly, picked DCs up. Then this evening we took them to a funfair that has just set up nearby with a load of friends and had fish and chips after.

Toffee - I'm so pleased you managed to get DS1 to the appointment and that it was so successful, although if you are anything like me the diagnosis is still quite an emotional time even though you know it is important and necessary. It really should help with your statementing. Nothing much happening about mine, I was given a tribunal date but needed to request a change to it, and just waiting for confirmation, it will be early October. By which time the law will have changed. Interesting times.

[dizzyday07]

I seemed to have sat about doing not a lot for the last couple of days but DD is now home (with a pile of wet sweaty clothes) and although she said she missed us, didn't cry at bedtime. Yeah!

Ta Da

• Food shopping bought for weekend
  
• Trip to Post Office to return a swimsuit that is too small for DD
  
• Hoovered through downstairs
  
• Sorted through a pile of DD's outgrown clothes in an effort to sell them
  
• Laundry load in and hung to dry
  
• DD to swim club
  
  I made an effort the last 2 nights to go to bed earlier than I have been (so @1.30/2am) but couldn't get to sleep until gone 3am so I was no better off than normally staying up and falling asleep on the sofa!
  
  Newlark - I am undertaking the C25k running programme (just finished week 3) and am now panicking as I have a 3k race in 2 weeks time
  
  Toffee - Well done on DS1 getting to and through the assessment. I can imagine it is a relief to get a diagnosis and fingers crossed it helps get him some formal support but big hugs too as putting a name to something doesn't make living with it any easier. Have some

[ToffeeWhirl]

Thank you, Patty. Yes, having bf here is very therapeutic. She was the first person who suspected DS1 had AS, so it's very apt that she should be with us on the day of diagnosis.

Goth - not talking out of your arse at all! I think you're absolutely right.

Swan - yes, it was such a relief to have someone take our concerns seriously. What really upsets me about the long and stressful journey we have been on is how it has affected DS1. So much pain and stress could have been avoided for him if he had received a diagnosis and appropriate help earlier. I just hope the resulting damage to his self esteem is redeemable.

WhoKnows - thank you. I feel so relieved. The diagnosis finally makes sense of everything and, as you say, should mean that DS1 gets the help and support he needs. Not that I am naive enough to think everything will run smoothly from now on (have read enough on Mumsnet Special Needs board to know that's unlikely), but it puts us in a stronger position.

So sorry you have such a long wait for the tribunal.

dizzy Thank you.

I pulled up the blinds this morning, looked out at a beautiful, blue-skied, sunny morning, and realised that I feel hopeful for the first time in a long while. It's a good feeling.

We have a good day planned. Going to a local festival with bf. Perfect weather for it.

Minimal Flying today!

[MercuryRising]

Great news about the diagnosis Toffee

I was up at 6 this morning to get some school work done so I can spend the day catching up on flying and spendind time with dp and the dc. My dad is over this afternoon so Im hoping it will be a good day.

Ta da
3 hours of marking and planning.
Bath
Wm emptied and reloaded

Enjoy your day fellow fledglings!

[GoingGoingGoth]

Argh fails at almost 1st hurdle on links, be back in a minute

[GoingGoingGoth]

Links for Saturday 3rd May

Babystep 3 is to explore the Flylady website. The Launch Pad is a useful start DON'T SIGN UP TO THE EMAILS now that's clutter, you'll get hundreds of them*

Daily Focus for Saturday is Family Fun Day. So go and officially enjoy yourself

No missions as it's the weekend!

• possible slight exaggeration of the number of emails, but not by much

[BitchyVstheUFOs]

Nah, i reckon you are probably about right with the no of emails Goth.

I am not quite sure what the plan it but i think the first step will be breakfast and up. Apparently ds has been up since 5 and I have bedding to wash , Also have a bathroom to clean as I dream walked him to the bathroom last night and he didn't aim, just kinda waived it in the general direction. Tbf i don't actually think he was awake so i will forgive him this once. But if i catch him doing that when awake

Suppose i had better go see what kind of mood he is in...

[GoingGoingGoth]

Summary (since the last one)

Mercury has a new moss-free car. Hope you have a good day with your family.

Blue survived her meeting on Thursday, Fx everything goes ok.

Bitchy might be catching up on her sleep (about time!)

jacks & newlark are settling in nicely

Swan has squabbling boys, more ? But has achieved a lot, especially in the garden today.

Toffee has her DS's diagnosis, hope this is the start of things getting easier.

Peanut, no one notices clean clothes at pre-school, they're usually dirty with 5 minutes

WhoKnows has a new steam cleaner!

dizzy has a pile of dirty, sweaty clothes along with her DD -lovely And is doing the C25k with a 3k race coming up soon sooner you than me!

I'm frantically trying to get as much laundry hung out this morning as possible as our weather forecast says the rain will hit us around 4pm and then continue until Tuesday 2 loads of towels already out, and bedding just spinning.

[PeanutPatty]

Morning all,

I would be glad it's the weekend but realistically the weekend may as well be Tu-Thurs here. It doesn't make any difference.

MrPP and I had a rare night out and went to a little pizzeria. Manageress was really bigging up her homemade tiramisu and we LOVE tiramisu and like to think we can spot a good one. Well, it was nice but it was all singing all dancing. I had two large glasses of wine and felt hammered! I either need to drink less or drink more to improve.

Ta Da's
Hounds walked really early and was lovely as nobody else around
Hounds fed
MrPP washed, dressed and fed minis
First laundry load on

To do
Do something with laundry on bed
Change smalls bedding
Nip to shops for milk and food for Miaow
Post card
Empty TD
Do something with wet laundry
Not spend all day on mn/FB blah blah blah

Hope everyone has some lovely weather and is able to kick back and relax for a bit.

[BitchyVstheUFOs]

Hang in there Peanut, it does get better as they get older not the fighting over toys bit sorry but it does get better and feel more weekend like when they hit school age. Then you can join the rest of us with the nightmare of organising afterschool activities, homework monitoring and all the joys that brings.

I realised that in less then 10 years ds will no longer be here, he will be off as an adult doing stuff for himself although probably needing some sort of financial support and ferrying around unless there is some sort of miracle It is nothing, and will fly by

And on that note I am going to prise him off the computer game and force him into clothes so that we can do something together.

[newlark]

Ta da:
lie in until 0820 - this is a record for the last 7.5 yrs
get dcs breakfast
faff around on computer and read old newspapers so I can recycle them
get dcs lunch
er...that's it.

About to take dcs to matinee performance of dance show (I get 2.5 hrs off) then will take them home for a quick tea before the evening show (which I am going to see). Will take recycling and do some grocery shopping while out and pick up a delivery from M&S so a couple more things off my to do list.

Dizzy - good luch with your 3k run - at the end of the 10 week beginners jogging course we all attempt a 5k - I've run that far in the past (and further) but was 10 years younger and considerably lighter :(

[jacks365]

Ta da
Ironed clothes and put away
Beds made
Bathroom given quick clean
Family room tidied and vacuumed
Dw emptied
Washing on

To do

Pack because we are going to my parents for the weekend be nice to walk back into a neat and tidy house on Monday night.
Empty all the bins because it's collection day Tuesday and I'll forget if I leave it till I get back on Monday.

[Swanhildapirouetting]

done
catechism class
homemade beefburgers for lunch (DH did it all)
DH has taken sons to football match (still squabbling) He is at his wits end how to stop them endlessly being mean to each other (I am talking whispered comments like "loser" or "hairy legs" Personally I think he should set them to work digging holes or something instead of taking them out to fun activities but I'm sure he will eventually decide this for himself

Feeling thoughtful today about all my blessings. One of children at catechism has severe asthma, and spring is a nightmare for her, especially any sort of grass. I am so lucky my children despite squabbling do not have that to deal with.

So house is quiet, dd is reading a book for once (albeit on her phone, she downloaded it for 99p I've gone back to bed as it is still freezing despite having heating on, and I now need to order her a new free Oyster card as she is has lost hers and it is very £ paying for 4 bus journeys a day.

My garden faces east and is on a hill, so it is actually too cold to go out there for long at this time of year and I've already done lots of walking this morning.

[BigBirthdayGloom]

Hello! I have loved reading the thread and am going to cautiously post. I've really been avoiding my house the last week or so and procrastinating about starting baby steps. But I've started making a list, which is left in a prominent place and seem to have forgotten less stuff and done more. Even getting children (x3, aged 2-8) dressed and giving them breakfast goes on the list because then I get to cross it off and remind myself that sometimes that is a challenge!

I've also added to the list 4 rooms a day with 15 mins next to them so I spend the time in each of those rooms tidying, cleaning, whatever. I don't beat myself up if I don't do them all but I don't skip a particular room and choose a nicer, tidier one to do. And no more than four a day. Seems okay so far-I'd done virtually no tidying upstairs for weeks and now it looks okay.

Going to shine sink tonight.

Hope you all have nice sunny weekends.

[GoingGoingGoth]

Links for Sunday 4th May

Babystep 4 is to start your Control Journal. I did do one ages ago, but I find I now use this thread instead.

Daily Focus for Sunday is Renew Your Spirit Day. So time to chill out

No missions as it's the still weekend!

[GoingGoingGoth]

Summary (since this morning)

Peanut is recovering from a rare night out. I also have the theory that I need to drink more to up my constitution (it doesn't work) Bitchy is right, routines do get easier once they're at school, but then you miss the flexibility of them being at home!

newlark had a lie in, and will be attending 2 dance shows today.

jacks is going to her DPs this weekend, and has got all organised.

Swan has had a busy day and is contemplation 'hard labour' to deal with her DSs.

Feel free to post whenever and about whatever you like Birthday Getting 3 under-8s dressed deserves being put on a 'Done' list, I put making the beds every day. Remember it's better to do a little every day, than to do a lot one day and then feel overwhelmed. Obviously there are some days that you feel you can do a lot, but don't feel down if there are days when you don't. As Flylady says, the mess forms over weeks/months/years and can't be fixed overnight.

The rain has held off so I managed to get the bedding dried and the towels aren't bad. DD grazed her knee yesterday and only felt up to a walk to the library this morning, so I went for a quick stroll around the park on my own this afternoon, it was lovely.

[BlueEyeshadow]

Had a big ranty tantrum about the state of the house this afternoon - gist being, unless I point it out, nobody ever picks anything up! - which culminated in DH helping me restore some semblance of order to the kitchen and dining room. Will have to deal with more over the weekend as will have TV cameras in the house on Tues morning!!

Tomorrow there is a big May Day rally, at which we have a stall for the campaign. Should hopefully be fun - there's a bouncy castle and other stuff for the kids. Just hope it doesn't rain!

Thanks for round up, Goth

[Swanhildapirouetting]

Dones today
Made quick choc cake (which everyone ate with tinned peaches)
Made tomato spicy pasta with egg and ham |(which everyone ate)
loaded and unloaded dw
hung out three loads of washing
dd had a friend over
put some saucepans and baking tins from a few days ago to soak
put out the food compost
cleaned out some old milkbottles lurking at back of fridge
gave some old mince to the foxes
chatted to London cousin on phone about whether we should all move to Ireland

sons now in goodish mood although they did a lot of heckling (to each other) during BGT.
Dh and I had some warm wine followed by lager in the kitchen relieved to be away from them all!

I cannot tell you what joy I feel knowing I do not have to tackle all ds2's homework tomorrow, as we have Monday off.. He wants to go the Funfair on nearby common so I actually have some bargaining power to get it done asap too..

[MercuryRising]

Good luck with the rally Blue

Ta da
Beds made
Marking
Some planning
Shopping for new kettle and toaster
Ds to birthday party
Dug new flowerbed in garden and plotted climbers
Hanging baskets hung
Hoovering and dusting downstairs
Dcs room tidied

[daddykyller]

Just wanted to share this price glitch I came across today.
What you do is signed up to a free trial of amazon family (link below for this) and get the 3 month free trial.
(HINT- if you have already done this in the past just create a new yahoo email or other free email such as gmail.) .
Order the nappies on a subscribe and save for an additional 20%
Used the code 50FAMILY ... AND... This code is taking 50% off BEFORE the 20% off for the subscribe and save
Summary SIGN UP TO AMAZON FAMILY FREE 3 MONTH TRIAL
ORDER USING S&S
USE CODE 50FAMILY
THEN- if you don't want to keep getting nappies month after month just cancel the subsribe and save before the next due date.
That way these nappies which are just £10 at the moment anyway, and it goes to £5, then a further 20% off that makes it £4: Pampers Baby Dry Size 5+ (Junior +) Mega Box 70 Nappies, £10

Amazon Family 3 month free trial 3 month free trial. Not a bad deal in itself and worth checking out.

This will work for other things too- not just nappies, but that was just an example of somethign which qualifies under the amazon family offers.

Also- Needs to be in this order: If code doesn't work for you- (seems to be working for some and not others depending on what' they've used on amazon in the past) Make a new email ( takes about 1minute 30 seconds through gmail or yahoo etc.) sign up for a new account on amazon, and pop in your new email you just made. Join Amazon Family. Order the nappies and put in the code- when that's done go back to the item and select subscribe and save.