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.

Links for Thursday 29th May

Babystep 29 is to start check out the pamper missions

It's Wednesday is Errands Day

This week we are in Zone 5, the Master Bedroom

Today's mission is to dust the top of door and window frames.

Back soon with the summary

SUMMARY Tuesday & Wednesday

Pushme has been reading a book on insomnia and will only sleep in her bed from now on. Maybe you are an "early bird"

Bitchy is back on off caffiene and overdid the exercise. Get rid of the articles you don't need any more.

Feet is back from her camping trip in Suffolk, but is disappearing under a pile of laundry.

WhoKnows's DF is still improving.

Mercury is back! and has done a huge amount of decluttering, and is cleaning with a vengeance.

Blue had wild goose chase with a cancelled half term event.

SC is running around doing birthday stuff

Swan is starting work on her DD's room. I can't believe she doesn't love the Chalet School and Laura Ingalls Wilder

Toffee woke at 5am! But made the most of her time working on her OU

Carpe is getting the job applications in

Alice is waiting for the garage to ring to tell me the cost for repairing the car

Shampoobaloo has joined us. Don't try to do too much, we start again on 1st June! just start with the Babysteps and then build up from there.

And finally, I've been crocheting (and at Woodcraft)

It hasn't stopped raining here all week, so DD and I have spent the days watching TV/DVDs and making rubber band bracelets!

Ta Da

• Laundry load on and hung to dry
• Dry washing away
• D/W put on and then unloaded
• DD to swim training

We all had the dentist today. I gave in to a request to have my teeth x-rayed and of course they now want to do a couple of fillings! These are just small areas of decay inside 2 (awkwardly placed) teeth which apparently will only get bigger and eventually cause me pain etc and need sorting. When this will happen of course isn't known (she mentioned 12-18mths!) so the treatment would be preventative. Feeling under pressure from the dentist, DH and DD to agree to having the fillings I now have an appointment for a fortnight's time. But I'm now having second thoughts. Why put myself through the pain and extreme distress of having 2 teeth drilled into just to prevent pain some time in the future . I am having palpitations already at the thought and DH suddenly didn't seem to be as supportive as he had been when I mentioned changing me mind! I really don't know what to do :(

shhh, only just got in twas fun though

Spent yesterday travelling to London and back with our petition about the school.

Today, I have done some work. Now need to get the boys up. Contemplating going to the Sainsbury Centre to look at African artefacts for DS1's project. Also need to do shopping.

DMIL still here so only a quick post to dizzy - get it done. I didn't, and ended up with a root canal treatment that has caused me nothing but bother.

Now they can do a tiny filling for you which will take 15 mins if that, or a huge thing later on. And I say this as a woman who loathes the dentist!

I second what Carpe said, dizzy: preventative treatment at the dentist is always better than leaving it and having more invasive treatment later. There is no reason for you to feel any pain when having fillings. I usually take two Ibuprofen before I go and rub tooth gel on my gums, so that even the injection doesn't hurt (you can tell I've had lots of fillings - and root canal. Best avoided.).

Bitchy -

Blue - glad to hear the battle goes on for the school. Crossing my fingers for you.

Goth - thanks for linkies and round up.

ta da

Managed to get DS1 up, dressed and out for an appointment at the local hospital - got there on time, only to discover I'd arrived on the wrong day
Breakfasts
Rounded up missing socks and pants for the boys and put them in the wash
Watched YouTube with DS1 as a reward for him going out

Have to do some paid work now, then meeting a friend for her birthday lunch. And must do some more OU work (deadline looming).

I know toffee I wasn't even drinking and i feel a tad shocking from the lack of sleep this morning. Whoops. But it was a good evening.

Just checking in - ignoring babysteps over half term as I'm just surviving and trying to fill the days :)

Yesterday: Took dcs to see Postman Pat The Movie
Today: McDs for lunch (regular half term treat) and playground. About to return a dvd to the library and do a few bits of shopping.

Some marking is about to arrive so need to make some room on my desk - this evening's job. Have also managed to do a load of washing and run and unload the dishwasher but that will be about it for today...

Afternoon all!

Bank holiday here so have swapped school for home. DH is working very hard outside levelling ground and laying artifical grass. He's nearly finished, just cutting edges down to size. I am ridiculously excited! We should be able to get the tower and slide up this weekend and DS will finally have a place of his own in the garden and stop messing with my veg, flowers and plants

So I have been on DS duty today and pottering around the house

Ta da
Mountain of ironing done
fixed 3 pairs of DS trousers that have been sitting in the ironing pile for 6 weeks
Changed beds
1 load of wash (just needs to be folded and put away
Hoovered lounge and kitchen including u der and behind sofa where I found a million toys
Trimmed back withering plants and watered
Dusted/wiped round cabinets, dresser, windowsills inside in lounge and dining chairs
got rid of dead as a doornail plant and moved empty pot to cellar for storage for the next victim

Left over take away for dinner tonight so no washing up. My plan is to finish the half done photo album which ahs been clogging up the lounge table for weeks. We have watched Frozen, Cars and lots of Scooby Doo today as weather has been miserable. Hoping it brightens up a bit this weekend. Have ordered a sand and water table for DS.

Hope you're allenjoying half term in the UK.

Blue I think I read your letter in the Guardian letters page today about your school

done
taken enthusiastic bursting with energy ds2 for I km run in the gym, 12 lengths of pool, and half an hour tennis lesson. Ds1 had to be dragged to the leisure club, clutching his dsi, eventually he grudgingly did a 30 min tennis and 4 lengths of the pool only because his Dad has promised to take him to Xmen.

Dd has swopped round the drawers in her room, we have made another big bag of rubbish, her bedside cupboard has rather conveniently gone into the bathroom for bathroom stuff. Dh in my absence carrried the drawers up to my room - yes, I suppose I did need to put the washing away at some point

I'm knackered by getting other people to take exercise whilst taking none myself. It is the rain isn't it, that drowsy tropical feeling..

Yes, it was in there, Swan Just hope it'll help raise the profile a bit.

I am hiding from the boys who are bored, hungry and more than a little stir crazy. Sick of the bickering, hitting, arguing, attempts to get each other in trouble etc etc. They declined to go to the gallery, but we have done shopping and been to a friend's café for lunch.

I broke my no new wool rule today

also I haver done fuck all flying today. Did file and sort 2 boxes of paper work yesterday. Have a box and a half to do today but that will wait until tomo. cba today and I want to play with the new wool

DS1 has no concept of dates. Today he said, suddenly, "Oh no - have I missed Mother's Day?" I said yes, it was a couple of months ago and he looked stricken. "I'm so sorry, Mum." How could I mind?

ta da

lunch with friend
shopping for food
Post Office
distributed snacks to family members at home
More paid work
Put wet washing in tumbledryer

more ta das

fell asleep on sofa
made dinners
washing up
tidied kitchen
wiped down counters

, took receipt of 20 balls of wool today.

In other news, my Dad's home .

Back later.

[feebly] well I put 4 balls of wool in a shoebox under my bed

done
dd's friend sorted and tidied her room with her and changed furniture round
pasta salmon bake
ds1 and dh went to cinema
friend had a cup of tea with me
another friend rang up
started reading Game of Thrones a bit too violent for me help!
washed up a bit but not much
food compost

put some clothes away in the tip that is my room
put books away

still needs a lot more work though.

i actually bought 7 balls but 3 of that were for existing projects so that they could be finished off so they don't count

I have spent the evening out. So really have done fuck all today. Nice though.

toffee ds is obsessed with calendars to the point i have had to ban him access his obsession has prevented normal life but he does find it easier with a basic calendar to refer to important days so he doesnt worry about missing things. You may well be lucky and it might not bother ds1 although annoying for everyone else

The only really precocious talent my Ds has shown has been for time, dates etc. He could tell the time pretty well from about the age of 3 on either sort of clock interchangeably and has been aware of what happens on which day of the week, months, seasons, what day it is etc for as long as I can remember. It's good but wearing, any deviation from plan is noted and moaned about.

Anyway, today.

Ta-da!

Lie-in.
Up around 9, huge sort out of clean laundry and putting away with unusually cooperative DCs.
Into town to pick up a parcel and retrieve my wedding and engagement rings from the jewellers where they have enjoyed a long overdue clean, polish and setting check (lost a diamond once, don't want repeats).
DCs to my parents house to stay with mum
Off to hospital, met friend who works there for lunch then up to see Dad.
Sit with Dad for 5 hours while waiting for all his discharge paperwork etc.
Took Dad home and traded him for the DCs
Home to DH and a Chinese takeaway

Considering I spent 5 hours just sitting in a chair chatting and watching the world go by this afternoon I'm very tired. Dad has made really good progress, his speech will need help but the speech and occupational therapists are all lined up for next week, he's got medication and an outpatient appt for further tests and discussions with the stroke team on Weds. The hospital have been great. We feel a bit nervous in case it happens again, but the main thing is he's recovering well.

I'm off to unpack my wool now. I have a huge box of random balls, plus a coordinated set of about 17 which I am using to make a blanket. I keep borrowing bits out of that, so I decided to order a duplicate set plus black, white and brown and get rid of all the random balls so that my projects all coordinate.

Links for Friday 30th May

Babystep 30 is to check your calendar for forthcoming birthdays etc.

It's Friday is Clean Your Bag/Car Day

This week we are in Zone 5, the Master Bedroom

Today's mission is to put something pretty in the Living Room

Just finished a 2 hour Skype session so will do summary tomorrow

Who is the victim Volunteer for June? Do we have one? Also how the fuck is it nearly june already it's only March isn't it?

Can't believe it's nearly June already. I've got so much to get done that I simply could not get done while the DCs are home this week. Next week is going to be a huge huge clean up week, and I'm determined to get ahead of things before they are out of school in July. DCs home today still obviously, but I'm just going to have to power through and get things done, as distracting as it may be.

I'm actually going to go along with today's plan today, as the master bedroom definitely needs work!! And something pretty in the living room? Hmm... I will give that some thought.

ta da
morning routine (breakfast, kids dressed)
checked bank

to do
one more load of laundry (does it NEVER end?!?!)
tidy up kitchen
tidy up living room
vacuum living room
sweep hallway
sweep dining room
sweep kitchen
at least an hour cleaning in the master bedroom (see? following today's plan! that doesn't happen often! )
tidy up both DC's bookcases (tried to get them to do it and it was a total fail as all they did was move the mess around rather than sort books neatly - easier to do it myself at this point)
work on budget for June, July, and August
work on meal plan for next 2 weeks
put together list for grocery shop for next week
possibly inventory cupboards and freezers (mainly because I actually found 2 whole chickens and some steak yesterday in my freezer that I bought last month and forgot about - heaven only knows what's in there at this point!)

oh... and drink lots of coffee....

I think I may alter the "mission" to "Put something pretty in the dining room" instead. It definitely needs it. So that's my goal today. At least 10-15 minutes "dressing up" the dining room to make it a nicer room.

Oh, and I apologise that I do not ever volunteer to do the monthly job here, but sometimes I go for a few days without posting due to circumstances, and I have so much pressure on me as it is that I don't think I'd cope well with the extra pressure. I will look at it as perhaps a goal to work towards this autumn though. So thank you to those who volunteer regularly - I do appreciate how much work it is.

I do not want to be awake. Some one remind me I am human and NEED to go to bed before 2am. Especially when I am getting up at 8am! Bloody babystep no 17!

To do:
drink coffee
sort out stuff to go to dsis
play with new wool? or just sleep. sleep sounds good. I miss sleep.

Alice - laundry never ends. it breeds and multiplies when you turn your back on it. Fact.

Boo hoo. Last day of half term. Weekend doesnt count as it is FHcommunion sessions for most of it. And no doubt there will be horrendous homework sagas.

Dd wants to go to the gym, ds2 wants to go running again in the gym, ds1 is still fast fast asleep. We also need to get her some new PLAIN curtains (she has rejected her old ones with parrots on them)
My bedroom is almost at hoovering stage Yay.

Blue. It is very trying when they bicker. Reduces me to tears of frustration. I've slightly stopped expecting them to get on. That helps We had light in the darkness when dses played a board game together last week and sometimes they play tennis together. Dh said taking them to a football match is a whiteknuckle experience as they are constantly rude to each other. Ds2 calls Ds1 fatty fingers, if that gives you a hint of the low level sniping.. I'm sure they love each other though..ds2 will often hang around his brother's bedroom wanting to engage with him, and ds1 likes reading in ds2 bedroom when he isn't there.