Fledglings polish their pumpkins and do their best, it's time for a Fling Boogie Octoberfest!

[Stewedcoot]

Heartfelt thanks to Engels (and Bitchy!) for leading the thread throughout September (Sept always being a busy one) despite feeling a bit poorly and despite being pregnant. Hope beneficial effects of injections kick in soon!

If you are strugging with C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) and S.T.U.F.F. (something that undermines family fun) then this is the thread where we (loosely) follow the step-by-step Flylady housekeeping system (in our own, unique, relaxed style) with lots of chat, support and and along the way.

Flylady link here.

This little-and-often system is designed so that you can follow a series of steps and routines each day (which gradually become second nature) in zones of the house which are designated weekly; defining and minimising housework, which in theory should leave you with loads more time to do something more interesting instead!

At the same time it is intended to reduce that panicky "rabbit in headlights" feeling when you are overwhelmed and everything needs doing all at once. No problem if you miss a day or two; just jump right back in and it will all come around next month again!

It's up to you, but we advise not signing up to receive the Flylady e-mails as you will be inundated! All the information you need will be linked here on a daily basis.

From the first of the month, we will be following Flylady's steps and routines using a three-pronged approach (dependent on the stage everyone is at):

1. start or repeat baby steps

1. repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

1. reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

[And if you are really enthusiastic and have finished decluttering - you can go on to detailed deep cleaning in each zone.]

More info here on getting started and Flying lessons . Here's the launch pad for more experienced fledglings.

Don't be put off by the barf-tastic language of the site - the underlying system is sound!

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 daily and doing the babysteps is a good way to start. Some of us (mentioning no names!) can have scary looking lists but don't let that worry you! Do what you can, anything is better then nothing, and don't judge yourself against others.

If all else fails, a brew + the power of three technique + a bit of support on here can work wonders!

Oh and don’t let it put you off if we appear a bit cliquey – some of us have been on here for years – but all lurkers, intermittent returnees, oldies and newcomers very, very welcome!

Quick post before bed (good job we're not up to Babystep 17 yet)
Had friends round this afternoon, so baked a very large gluten-free chocolate brownie as an 'extra' birthday cake for DD. She'd mentioned that she'd not blown candles out as she had sparklers on her actual birthday cake (not actually complaining)

So we had a fun afternoon game playing Lots of laughs.

Done
Dry laundry away
Laundry hung out x 2
Popped to shops for eggs
Baked large chocolate brownie
Washing up
Litter tray
Rubbish/recycling out
Paid Council tax
Dinner
Washing up

Sweet dreams to everyone

Bloody good job indeed goth

Late night meeting tonight so just eaten tea, had a chat and resettled ds and trying to get myself sorted for tomo.

fuzzpig CFS is a bit of a bugger like that isn't it. Fibro gives me a vague idea of what you are saying. Hope you have a good day rather than a flare day tomo.

Slept a bit, did a bit, had a late meeting. Stuff to do tomo but right now it is hot water bottle and sleep time. night night

Good morning fledglings! Hope everyone is feeling a bit more rested today despite late or broken nights.

[Puts out strong for Bitchy and Goth]

Good luck with your tasks for today Bitchy

Sounds like a great afternoon Goth! Arf at 'stab your buddy'

Sorry about the academy logo Blue which must be hard to look at after all of your campaigning.

Yes, hope you can get some time out for yourself today Fuzzpig

What a poo Castle about the floorboards; so frustrating and exactly the sort of thing- we would do. Hope you can get it all sorted without too much further expense.

Feeling reasonably energetic (for me!) this morning and as yesterday turned out to be errand day; I am going to be spending the day putting the house to rights (which seems to have gone downhill since Mon) and cooking for tomorrow and the weekend. And a bit of supermarket shopping might be involved. List as long as my arm but think I shall post once it's done as I don't want to freeze at the sight of it!

Have a good day everyone! We can do it!

[Sorry, didn't mean to sound like American cheerleader there, must watch my caffeine intake ... .]

No offence against Americans intended Alice [SC digs herself further in to hole]

Fell asleep on the sofa last night (just as DH was lining up a film for us to watch on NetFlix ). Managed to fall into bed and slept through till 8am this morning. DH was left to manage the DC's bedtimes for a change. I did wake up around 1am when DH came to bed, having dealt with DS1 insisting that he slept downstairs with the cats (DH dragged a mattress and duvet down for him).

Taking DS1 to the doctor for a medical this morning, following his blood-test results and rash. He still has funny marks on his skin - very odd. I have explained the test results to him and told him how important it is that he takes his vitamin pills and drinks his prescribed high-calorie drink. In spite of that, he refuses to drink any of the drinks unless they're strawberry flavoured (we've run out of that flavour and can't get any more till Monday), still won't do more than nibble at broccoli and often refuses his daily vitamin tablet. What do you do with that level of non-compliance ? It's his rigid thinking striking again. Maybe the doctor will talk some sense into him.

Bitchy - not sure what kind of melatonin DS1 had. Probably the one-off dose, I suspect.

I think I'll ask the dr this morning if she can prescribe it for us. It can't be helping DS1's health to be going to bed so late all the time. Also, the paediatrician said he would have better quality sleep on the melatonin, so he needs that again, especially if he's not well.

SC - good luck with putting your house to rights today. By the way, it was me who had the flu jab, not DS1. So that isn't the reason for his low white blood cell count. It's probably a virus , but I struggle to see where he would catch it, as he so rarely goes out and meets anyone. Mind you, he has had a couple of trips to the doctor's recently, so might have caught something there, especially if his immune system is low.

Castle - that is so frustrating about the floor boards .

Goth - how lovely of you to do an extra cake with candles for your DD. And that game looks like fun.

fuzz - I hope you are feeling better today. I often use 'power of three' for difficult days.

Blue - sorry about the new logo. It's one thing after another with that school, isn't it? Such a shame about the Academy issue .

Oops - have just noticed the time. Am meant to be getting DS1 ready for the appointment and he's still asleep .

Hands SC a shovel.

No offence taken. Really. And I was a cheerleader in high school, even.

ta da
Made breakfast
Got DCs to school on time despite getting up late

to do
Make various appointments
Update calendar
Dry clothes away
2 washes
Hang out wet clothes
Put stuff in bathroom cabinet (which I cleaned out the other day :o)
Clean bathroom shelf and put products back properly
5 mins decluttering DCs bedroom

Not sure I'll go out today as feeling rough - I might save that for tomorrow.

Thanks Alice [shakes pom poms]

Sorry things are so worrying & stressful Toffee (and sorry I got the wrong end of the stick over flu jab). Hope doc can get to bottom of skin marks and that appt is productive.

Just remembered I have to pop to school for meeting this morning. It appears I really do need lessons in how to use a calendar.

x post

good luck with your list Fuzzpig!

[lures Swan back over with large piece of and a ]

Oh, that's ok, SC. It's just more of the same really.

Anyway, managed to get DS1 to the appointment, in spite of his last-minute panics which weren't helped by my use of the words 'doctor's surgery'. Had to spend several minutes explaining that the dr wasn't going to perform surgery on him and, luckily, DS1 saw the funny side, which helped relieve his anxiety.

Dr was lovely. She's still concerned about the odd marks on DS's skin and is going to seek a second opinion. He might need to see a paediatrician about them. In the meantime, she's prescribed high-dose Vitamin D, iron tablets and (fantastic woman!) enough melatonin to tide us over until the other batch comes through . I also managed to get her to explain to DS how important it was to take these tablets (as he won't listen to me).

Incidentally, Bitchy, turns out we get Ramatonin at 3mg, if that means anything to you.

Home now. DS2 had a playdate booked, but it's been cancelled, so we have a free day ahead of us. We're going to watch 'Ten Pieces' online in a minute (the BBC film about music, written for schools).

Ooh, Toffee, I didn't know you could watch that online! What site please? :) My SIL mentioned that just the other day and my DCs would love it.

Updated to do list:
Make various appointments - panicking about this so not done yet :( m
Update calendar
Dry clothes away started
2 washes first one on now
Hang out wet clothes
Put stuff in bathroom cabinet (which I cleaned out the other day)
Clean bathroom shelf and put products back properly
5 mins decluttering DCs bedroom

By the way castle, I really sympathise about the floorboards. That is exactly the kind of thing that happens in our house. It's a big wake up call!

fuzz - Ten Pieces. Available online until 2nd November.

Excellent, thank you! I'll watch that with them at the weekend. Sounds right up their street :)

today has been a bit bleugh.
felt so tired I couldn't do anything except think about my afternoon nap..now having had it, I feel woozy and like a couch potato..

then checked on home education website to find that there was a meet-up yesterday AND a meetup today, and I've missed both [grrr] That's what happens if you have to keep hiding your computer from your home edded child..

However done
phonics and spelling recap with ds2
read story of Samson to him. Another very strange story
sent him off for a long walk before lunch
more planes research (automomous
nap
wash in
laundry upstairs

dd has come home and there's been some upset over stolen money in her friendship group (horrid phrase) at school. Too much like an Enid Blyton school story now Just been arguing with her that she needs more local friends and this is the proof of it.

ds1 has also come home but retired to his bedroom; no problems with biology teacher after all as she wasn't in (no doubt defeated by her erratic pupils)

Toffee could it be a v mild fungal infection? I sometimes get patches on the area which never see the sun; cured by Selsun or sunshine. Also suffer from Vit D deficiency so could be linked.

Right I am beginning to wake up now. I need to cook

potatoes
fish fingers
broccoli

I need to deal with the food compost which is so depressingly lingering in heaps (yuk)
I need to unload the dw

Sorry you're feeling bleugh, Swan, and that you missed the meet-up. Annoying about the nap: I hate it when a nap makes you feel worse, not better. Re: DS1 - I don't think it's a fungal infection. He had weird red marks - like lots of dashes - on his chest and hands to start with. Now he has funny red dots under his chin and his skin has gone very red where he's been scratching on his back and thighs. Why has he been scratching himself so hard, for one thing? I asked him if it was his OCD, but he said not. And the dr said, even if he had been scratching for whatever reason, his skin shouldn't react like that. I'm confused and so is the dr.

ta da

dr's appointment
changed cat litter trays (and then they rushed in to soil them immediately)
lunch
Watched 'Ten Pieces' with DS2
English comprehension and writing with DS2
Space topic - looked at websites and played some games
Hoovered throughout house
Cleared and wiped down DS1's table/desk surfaces
Binned loads of rubbish in various bedrooms
Room rescue in sitting room

About to make a beef casserole now and DS2 wants to help, so this may take some time. But at least I can add it to my mental 'home ed' list for today.

Managed more of to do list. Made a few appointments so I'm pleased with myself. Second wash is on. Only thing I haven't really done is putting dry clothes away. Had a nice afternoon with DCs too - park, then managed reading, maths and a memory game. They are really overexcited now rampaging very noisily and I'm trying to get up the courage to get them to bed

I am not surprised toffee sensory issue might be behind it. Ds will always scratch until he draws blood when he gets a rash. He can't tollerate the sensation of the itch and the sensation of pain is more tollerable to him. Mind you this is also the child who also likes to run a pumic stone up the inside of his arm when he is stressed to. To me it would be unbareable, to him it is the pain of it is more tollerable than the stress. But I am not sure that your ds is as sensory unbalanced as ds. Worth a thought though.

To has been a write off. That is all

Thanks everyone. Yes, it is hard to look at SC. Partly because it's bloody ugly doesn't look a bit like what it's supposed to, and partly because of the symbolism of the whole thing. Nearly cried when DS1 got all cross about how he wanted to wear his new jumper too.

Toffee, yes, there are still a lot of frustrations with the school. Now it's mostly about getting on with the new reality, giving them the benefit of the doubt where we can, and keeping an eye on them! I have unexpectedly found myself on the governors - cause of all the soul searching a few weeks back - which is promising in that they let me on, and gives me a way to try and make this work...

As for flying, not much has happened today. But, Ta Da!
Laundry sorted
Errands and grocery shopping
Meeting re scary thing on Monday
Cooked very fast curry
Work
Planned theatre trip for me and DH next week :)

Saw a thing about vit D on TV last night, Toffee, which said that eating oily fish was really good for it. Is that any use? Perhaps not given food sensitivities. Hope dr can get to the bottom of the skin issue.

Blue - funnily enough, I have just ordered more salmon , so yes, DS1 will eat oily fish. Well done on getting onto the governors. As you say, that way you can keep a close eye on the school.

Bitchy - no, I don't think DS1 is as troubled by sensory issues as your son, but it's worth considering, so thank you for that suggestion. He has a strong reaction to temperatures and smells, but is not particularly fussed about rough clothing or anything like that. I don't know - I'm baffled. If it's an OCD thing he's often quite secretive about it, but he usually admits it under questioning and at the moment he's flatly denying that he knows anything about the strange marks. It has just occurred to me that it might be the cats jumping on him and scratching him, but then you'd think he'd remember that - and it still wouldn't explain why his skin has flared up so much .

I have two kittens leaping around the sitting room. They were in the dining room, but started crying for company, so I brought them in here with me. It is a bit disruptive having them trotting across the keyboard, but they seem much happier now.

Cooked a very nice beef stew with mashed sweet potato. It took 2 1/2 hours to cook. Then DH said, "It's a bit cold." He has a thing about his food not being hot enough, but it was actually so hot I had to blow on mine before I could eat it. I pointed out that a thank you might be nice and he said, "Oh, yes, it's lovely." Too late .

Flying pitstop!

Just wondering whether Bitchy, Sc or any other sewing maestros out there would like some free seeing patterns? I'm decluttering. I bought a year subscription to SEW magazine when it first came out in 2009/ 2010 and each issue came with a free pattern. Each pattern has multiple options. I have 12 pattern envelopes here, all untouched and uncut from Issue 1-12. I would love to find somebody who would actually use them or pass them on to a seeing club/group/circle or something....

Please let me know if any of you want them or some of them. I'll cover postage. I just don't want to dump them!

sewing, obviously - not seeing

Good evening.

Good to hear the doctor was helpful Toffee, even if rash remains a mystery. I wonder if it could be an allergic reaction to something? Some sort of contact dermatitis like this? (Although obviously poison ivy isn't particularly prevalent in your part of the world!) Hate to suggest it, but has he been stroking kittens? (Desperately, desperately hoping it is not that though.) Congrats on your productive day.

Sympathies Bitchy some days just don't go to plan. Here's to tomorrow !

Almost snap Swan we had mash, fish fingers and peas. DD, having come home from school in a bit of a feak and weeble state (complaining of headache, dizziness) turned her nose up at my veggie offerings. You've done/coped with loads today. No wonder nap is required!

Fuzzpig it's great to hear you had such a good day!

Weary but feathery waves to everyone else!

Ta da:
morning routine inc dw, wm, rabbits, s&s and dining room table hot spot
hot white wash
washed dh's socks
searched for and found two important bits of paper
school meeting
carried a load of stuff upstairs
carried a load of stuff downstairs
put away various bags, coats, jumpers
ironed four school shirts + 3 of my tops+ plus ballet kit for Sat
spoke to friend
contacted cousin about parcel
cleaned out ruddy hamster and oiled his wheel
put more dates on calendar
tidied up playroom
made vegetable soup
made veggie tray bake
picked up dd from hwk club
tested dd on des planisphères differents
helped dd swap school bags/cleaned them out etc
cooked supper
cleared up supper
collapsed in front of telly

G'night!