Bitchy takes on the January Fledgling Thread. Buckle in and enjoy the ride...

[BitchyTakesOnManagement]

Ok. Welcome to the January Fledglings thread. Before we get started we have Some important notices

1. The fledglings are a long running thread, We are might seem clicky but that is what happens when some of us have been on the same thread for up to 5 years
2. We are rather partial to new blood Pull up a seat in the naughty corner
3. Don't assume you can march in and impose your way. We follow the fly lady way and we adapt it to suit our lives and needs. You are welcome to come join us for support and chat, don't assume you know best.
4. There is more to us than cleaning. If you want to be obsessive about cleaning you will find us and and our interpretation of fly lady frustrating. You might be happier else where.

Right, as harsh as it might seem, it is important to get that out of the way as we expect this January thread to be busier with newbies and there has been problems in the past.

So the fly lady system there are rules and we have adaptations.

1. NO perfectionism!!!
2. Something is better than nothing and sometimes good enough really is good enough.

3.This is not about the housework, it is about having more time to do fun stuff. Don't ever feel guilty about doing stuff with the kids over doing the housework. The kids are more important.

And the practical adaptations. We have discussed the Marie Kondo book and the approaches within on previous threads. We are all agree two things: the author does not have kids and that the principles are very good for decluttering and that they can be used to in conjunction with the fly lady system (Marie Kondo to get in control, and fly lady to stay in control). As for the fly lady system there are some of the babysteps and things that are advised that are either "huh, why?" or just don't fit in with the household. We advise a pinch of salt and discretion with a dash of reality thrown in. E.g. if you are a no shoes household then clearly the wearing shoes in the house part of babystep 2 is going to make you go This is where adaptations come in and if past threads are to be gone on this will be discussed and there are various takes on it as and when they arise.

Also for the over enthusiastic newbies to the fly lady site and system everything you need will be posted here in the form of links. There are 3 levels:
Newbie: babysteps - get into these habbit
student: Missions and babysteps once the habits are habit the missions are a piece of cake.
Expert: deep cleaning, missions and babysteps - forget this if you have clutter, seriously.
Oh and for the love of all sanity do not subscribe to the email alerts. Seriously. Just don't.

Jump on board, buckle in and lets kick the butt of January.
Bitchy special brew on the naughty corner bar, natch
do we warn the newbies about the special brew or let them find out for themselves?

Well I've no idea what has come over me this morning but I am on fire! As well as the normal morning routine (inc making packed lunches, dealing with animals, etc), while I was waiting for DD2 to get her shoes on I swept the kitchen floor, and after I got home from the school run, while I was waiting for my porridge to cook in the microwave, I mopped the kitchen floor! That doesn't happen very often! I have also filled a charity bag to go on the doorstep tomorrow morning and, while searching for shoes to put in it, have sorted out the shoe rack. Let's hope I can keep up the pace, albeit on my dissertation rather than the housework .

Forgot to say, the counselling on Friday was OK. The counsellor was better than I thought she was going to be. She sounded a bit 'meh' on the phone but in person she was very organised and obviously knows exactly what she is doing. We are going again this Friday and then fortnightly.

Thinking of Saymwa especially today.

Hello,
I have very much appreciated your kind thoughts. Been for second scans and have been booked in for a biopsy tomorrow morning . Then , after , apparently I'll have to wait about a week to know more.
Am going to look for a new mop bucket to try and cheer myself up . ( Did I just say that ?? ! )

yes, yes you really did just say that Saymwa Fingers crossed the biopsy gives you the results you want.

ta da
evict ds to school.
research which stitch pattern to shove into block next
1/4 of the new patch of pattern done
next stitch after picked

Today is a day of rest. unwanted but necessary

So sorry you're going through such a worrying time, Saymwa. I think any distraction whilst you wait for results is worth trying, even if it involves a new mop bucket! Best of luck with your hospital appointment tomorrow.

Bless - really glad to hear that you like the counsellor. Am also impressed that you have achieved so much Flying this morning (maybe the therapy session has given you hope and, therefore, more energy?).

PMPY - am showing my age, but I remember when jeans were meant to be so tight you could only do them up by lying down in them first.

Grey - huge sympathies on the sleep deprivation . And thanks for saying nice things about my home ed. I really enjoy it, mostly, although I do have times when I panic that we're not doing enough or that we're doing the wrong things. But DS2 is very happy and seems to enjoy what we're doing, so I'm hoping that, even if he isn't at the same level as a schooled child when/if he returns to school, he will at least have regained his enjoyment of learning.

Bitchy - glad you are enforcing a day of rest for yourself today. How is DS's head by the way?

Linzer - ooh, snow! Kind of you to shovel up the snow from your neighbours' pathway - and good exercise too!

I think I'm beating the virus. Am swallowing anti-viral cold sore tablets by the bucket load and taking Paracetamol, so that seems to be doing something.

ta da

B/fast for humans and cats
Dressed to slippers
Unloaded and reloaded d/w
Wiped kitchen counters down
Threw clean washing onto DS2's bed for later sorting
Cleared out old food from fridge and wiped down
Ocado order arrived and put away
Home ed: DS2 discovered an old copy of Aquilla magazine which I'd accidentally on purpose left lying on the sofa and started reading about Pompeii
Suggested hairwash to DS1 which prompted shouting and general misery all round
Told him he had to get his own breakfast for a change
Remembered that that meant he wouldn't take his pills and then we'd all suffer
Took up his breakfast and pills
Reminded DS1 to do his online Maths lesson at 1pm
Packed up swimming stuff
Took DS2 for a hair cut
Swimming with DS2 - he's always been scared of water, but he's really enjoying our weekly visits to a local pool
Picked up posh lunch at Caffe Nero on way home
Arrived home to find DS1 had forgotten to do his Maths lesson
But DS1 apologised for his behaviour earlier and agreed to look at the saved video of the lesson this afternoon
Fed ravenous cats
Lunch

Have to make some phone calls I don't want to make now, but, on balance, the nagging feeling of worry I'm getting from not doing them is probably worse than actually doing them. Please kick me up the arse if I don't come back and say I've done them.

Oh, PMPY, thanks - you've reminded me that I need to pay HMRC too...

How stressful for you saymwa. Will be thinking of you tomorrow x

Yeah, that's who I had to phone, Blue. So stressy.

Anyway, have spent the last hour on the phone to HMRC and then remembered to order DS2's prescription, except that apparently the surgery computer is down which means all prescriptions are delayed by a week and he's going to run out of meds by the end of the week and will go doolally if he goes without meds for longer than a couple of days, so now I have to also ring the surgery to beg them to make an exception for him .

Also have to phone MIL, but can't face it at the moment.

Am using the HMRC website now . Have handed DS2 a handwriting book and a sheaf of papers on Roman numerals to complete .

Yes, good luck tomorrow Saymwa we will all be thinking of you x

Glad the counsellor was better than anticipated Bless

Waves to Pushme (don't be tempted to have four pairs of jeans in two sizes like me; needless to say, currently wearing a "fat pair" as opposed to a "relatively fat" pair!!)

Hope you can catch up on sleep tonight Grey

Well done re: mahoosive productivity Toffee - I also love reading about the home edding exploits of yourself and Swan

Haven't done any Flying whatsover today, save for hurried morning routine oh and cleaned out rabbits litter tray and water bowl extra thoroughly. Closed front door on a load of mess/undone tasks and took myself off out for entire six hours of dd's school day. Bit solitary but was ok and got quite a few niggling errands sorted.

One positive thing: it suddenly seems a lot lighter in the afternoon. Still only just starting to get dark now and it is nearly 5pm here. It was only a week or so ago that dd was coming home from school in the dark I think.

Just come back with dd and am about to start Flying and wield hoover but dh has just come home to go to bed because he still has lingering flu virus thing. So will have to wield duster quietly instead!!

To do:
Snack and drink for dd (done)
Dw on (done)
Hwk supervision
Carry laundered clothes upstairs and put away
Sort dining room table hot spot
Take down washing that has dried on racks
Tumble dry hot blue wash
Re-load wm
Iron sports kit for tomorrow
Find white sports top for tomorrow (and wash if needs it!!)
Sort not-a-party order glitch
Supper? Haven't planned!!
Sort ironing for ironing lady who is actually coming tomorrow as well (usually once a fortnight but has been a lot less than that recently) which is terrific news!!
Write mega chore list
Kitchen sink and surfaces

Sorry, forgot to wave to everyone else!!

Btw Linzer I'm sure it is probably the same with you, we are legally obliged by our commune (area of city where we live) to keep our portion of the pavement clean but there are so many expats here that they don't know or don't bother! (Just like they don't realise about local bye-laws regarding no lawn mowing or power tools on a Sunday!!) Partic important when it snows: if member of public injures themselves outside our front door and we haven't cleared it or put salt down or some such, then we are legally liable.

You are very lucky to be able to socialise with your neighbours btw. We have very nice ones and stop to chat in street, but no one ever invites you in to their houses here, and they always decline invitations to come in here too! I have an American friend who finds this particularly wierd/difficult!!

I haven't read most of todays posts but I'm determined to post briefly so I don't drop out again.

Have read Saymwa's though, was thinking of you last day or so and will think of you again tomorrow. Waiting is the just the worst thing....

Haven't read sc today but I was strangely sucked into the homework story yesterday, I hope it got sorted.

I had a great day yesterday and got loads done and felt a real sense of achievement, including replacing two light switches, one that was two way with 3 switches on it, quite a challenge but I felt like pretty proud of myself by the end. I also did quite a lot of hoovering and more work on cleaning and hoovering my car, I discovered some moss growing on one of the seals which can't be a good sign! It's getting there slowly though.

Today DP off so much less achieved. I have done some shopping, 30 mins de-cluttering and cleaning in front room (using my new timer to do two lots of 15 minutes). DP has just suggested going out for a meal as he's off and we've got some Tescos meal vouchers so we're off out for a meal. Due to weather warning we might wait until Thursday morning before deciding whether or not to go away, we'll see what happens.

Will catch up properly on thread tomorrow. Everyone sounds very busy! .

Thanks again for the support. I really appreciate it.
Couldn't find the mop bucket. Instead I found 2 dog baskets. Now ,
my dogs love me sooooo much that I managed to get them to promise(cross their heart type promise ) they'd never , ever, ever - as long as they are on this earth -ever, chew another corner of any dog basket.
That was my fluttering for today.
Sleep well All

Ah, dog baskets sound a good swap for a mop bucket, Saymwa: you are thereby decluttering the dogs instead of dirt. Best of luck tomorrow.

Oh dear, SC, that is quite a 'to do' list you posted there. I hope you managed to get it done. Sorry DH is ill. What a shame about your neighbours being so unwelcoming. We are so lucky in our street: lots of very friendly people, which means NYE parties are usually walking distance only. Mind you, this wasn't the case where we lived previously, so I suppose it's partly down to luck.

Well done on your achievements, dogsbum. Am very amused by the moss growing in your car. I grew up in a house where weeds used to grow in between the floorboards in our sitting room and my grandmother used to pull them up regularly. I never thought it unusual until I left home and discovered it wasn't normal to have weeds growing indoors (light bulb moment: maybe that's why I need Flylady...).

HMRC have sent me an email which means I'm back to square one again. I hate the tax stuff, I really do. I just want it all to go away.

ta da

Home ed: lesson on healthy eating, including food pyramids - what we should eat versus what we do eat; describing fruit using varied adjectives (DS2 described a banana as 'bananary' - hmm, needs some work); Maths based on shopping for fruit - if one pear costs 49p, how much would it cost to buy 12, etc.
Cooked roast chicken for dinner
Dealt with commotion caused by DS1 because he doesn't know when a joke stops being funny and wouldn't stop even when it made DS2 cry. And refused to listen to me when I pointed out that DS2 wasn't enjoying the game because he was in floods of tears.
Cuddled DS2
Resorted to with DH
Dinner
Bedtime routines
More
Attempted to persuade DS1 to do his homework for his lesson tomorrow, but didn't push it

Aiming for bed at a decent time tonight. Night all.

Morning everyone,

I've been awake since 4:40 this morning thanks DS so a few things done already:

Up and dressed, DS milk etc
Cats fed
Unloaded dishwasher
Ironing board cover soaked in vanish solution over night
Washing machine on

To do
Plant up bell pepper grow at home kit with DS
Declutter some stuff for the charity shop
Make beds
Fold dry laundry and put away
Into town for:

• optician appointment
• pay in cheques
• stuff to charity shop Have a go at making some play-doh Pack DSs overnight bag and take him to MILs this evening

Once DS is out of my hair tonight I'm going to try to make another pillow out of an old cot bumper

I'm another one who loves reading about your adventures in HE, Toffee. It sounds like much more fun than school! (And also makes me feel rather selfish about complaining about the DC only being at school in the mornings. ) Glad to see you're making up for your lack of in Dry January! (I didn't manage to get any further than thinking that it sounded like a good idea - maybe next year...)

Hope you enjoyed your meal, Dogsbum.

SC Yes, same here - we're legally obliged to clear the snow from in front of our house as otherwise we'd be liable if anyone had an accident. The pavement isn't too bad as it's just a couple of metres, but there's quite a large area in front of the (shared) garage plus we have a 50 metre path up to our house. It's backbreaking work if there's more than a few centimetres of snow or if you do it several days running. And ditto re lawnmowing (or anything noisy) being banned on Sundays. I recently felt rather guilty when, having just put a lot of bottles rather noisily into the bottle bank at around 2.30pm, I looked up and saw a sign saying it couldn't be used between 12pm and 3pm.
We've been really lucky with our neighbours here, who are all lovely, and our immediate neighbours have three DC more or less the same age as ours, which is ideal. They have also put paid to my misconception that Austrians are very moderate drinkers and women don't drink at all (based entirely on my experience of my ILs )!

Saymwa Good luck with the biopsy this morning.

Bless Glad to hear the counselling went ok.

Bitchy Ah yes, I've just remembered that I can do stocking stitch as well! YouTube tutorials are great, aren't they - I even had to resort to them to remind myself how to cast on and off when I took up knitting again.

To do this morning (rather too much carried over from yesterday):
Morning routine
Decluttering
Washing
e-mail
Letters x2
Thank you card
Plan tomorrow's English lesson
Menu plan
January invoices

Saymwa, hope you're ok, is there anything nice you can do to try to take your mind off your worries for a bit?

Dogsbum, am very impressed with your DIY skills, I'm a wimp when it comes to things like that, I really should learn some basic skills

Toffee, how old are your boys? Sounds like you had a tricky day, did the help?!

x posts before Grey - sympathies on the early start; would help?

Morning all

Not really sure what to put on my list today - lacking inspiration! Just routines for now and some laundry and putting away.

I'm in a bit of a grump today as DD seems to be having trouble with a couple of girls at school. Don't think it's anything major but she's obviously not very happy at the moment

Anyway suppose I'd best get ready for work!

I do believe i forgot the post the links last night. Sorry about that.

launch pad

babystep 28 - take care of yourself.

missions

wednesday is anti procrastination day

Slept last night but feel super rough today. Another couple of good nights sleep needed. However the weather is totally uninspiring and my ears hurt from the hail on the school run. It was evil! Tiny fast moving hail stones. Ouchies.

to do
keep eye on weather as due to go on a long drive later and I ain't going if i am likely to get stuck!

Saymwa - thinking of you today. Hope it all goes ok.

For those who are interested in my home educating, if you're not just being polite , you can read more on my blog here.

ta da

DH did tea and coffee and fed cats
DS2 read about skeletons and played a game on BBC Bitesize
B/fast for DS1
Dressed
Swished and swiped and replaced bathroom towel
Loaded d/w
Changed litter tray
Hoovered downstairs
Wiped dining-room table
Room rescue in dining room, kitchen and hall
Mopped dining-room, kitchen and hall floors
Late b/fast for me and DS2
Phoned DS1's teacher to cancel because he feeling sick (he's never done this with her before, so I think it's genuine)

I tidied madly first thing because I wanted the house to look ok when the teacher came. Oh well, at least it made me do it.

Hi Toffee, I've just been reading your blog and it looks like you have sooooo much fun! And the amount if effort you put it must be knackering!

Just being nosy now, but do you get any assistance from the LEA for resources as a lot if those books and various subscriptions must cost a bit. (Like I said, being nosy, feel free to ignore)

Having a surprisingly productive day.

Ta da
15 mins decluttering my room
1 load washing dried
30 mins filing financial paperwork
15 mins sorting out ds' certificates - need to get a lever arch file for them as the file is pretty full
30 mins going through ds' medical file - not filed anything since 2009 FUCK!
Make nurses appointment for me
Ask how to request some information from ds' medical records.
Sort out a load of paperwork ready for handing over
Sort out birthday tea invites for ds
print the annual photo letters for family (like a round robin but just photos of ds)
Write condolence card
Address 101 envelopes and stuff with photo letters
Check through a stack of files to see what they relate to
Find phone charger
Cancel tonight's meeting
Write out ds' thank you notes for him to copy tonight he will bloody do it himself this year
Write shopping list (not enough thank you notes for a start)
Attempt to write letter for information request. It is harder than it looks
Wrap little bits for ds' present (he mostly wants money but it is nice to have a little something to open whilst he saves for something big he wants)

Anti procrastination day. Bloody hell. And I still have a lot of day left

That is an awful lot of anti-procrastination, Bitchy . Well done.

Grey - thanks for reading. Nope, don't get any financial help from the LEA because we are essentially opting out of the state option, but we are saving on the cost of school uniform, PE kit and school trips. We can't take holidays because of my older son's needs, but if we did we could make the most of cheaper holiday offers in term time (as Swan is doing, I think). I have spent a lot on books, but I use the library a lot too. And a lot of subscriptions offer special deals to home educators, which I've made the most of. For instance, I managed to get a special deal for Twinkl and also for ConquerMaths. Also, we get cheap deals for group visits, just like schools, eg. am taking DS to see the lambs at a local farm in the Spring, which will only cost me a few pounds as I'm going with a group of home edders.

ta da

Home ed: read a true story about two Jewish children fleeing Germany in WWII, then DS2 lit a candle to remember those who died (a day late for National Holocaust Day, but better late than never)
Checked on DS1 who had fallen fast asleep - really is unwell then
Home ed: spelling practice
Visit to osteopath to sort out knotted neck and shoulder and also added stiff knee into the mix (feeling 50 )
Bought croissants for our French studies this afternoon
Made lunch
Various cat antics dealt with
Tidied sitting room
Phoned dr's surgery and sorted prescription

About to do our lesson on France, which will be accompanied by croissants and hot chocolate .

I'm not sure what to say about today. Didn't really achieve anything that I should have done. Spent too long on email/Internet this morning and frittered away all my study time. Then DH said he wanted a conversation with me so sat down, thinking it was going to be about practicalities, and it got long and deep and heavy. Then I had to go and collect the new (to us) horse trailer, then school run and weekly tea-and-cake date with DD2. Then home and chilling on FB and MN. Ah well, tomorrow is another day!

Read some of your blog, Toffee and it was very interesting. Particularly re your DS1 and his anxiety. My DD1 does not have ASD but is highly socially anxious and desperately wants to be HE again. I do worry though that she would become too isolated as I know she would be reluctant to go to any groups or activities.

Re Linzer and SC and your snow-clearing duties, I seem to recall there were rumours in the past year or two in the UK that if you DID clear the path outside your house and someone slipped and fell you could be held liable! I despair of this country sometimes.

I've actually done some anti-procrastination on the right day!

ta da!
Stripped beds
Laundry x2
3 loads of washing away
Cleared utility room
Tip
charity shop dump
Collected tiles
Website

In all that, though, I got muddled about when the plumber was coming and missed him. Also whacked my head on the car boot and now have a thumping headache and can't face going to Zumba.

Toffee can i come and do French studies instead? S'il vous plait?

Have missed too much to catch up properly, so apologies for that :(

I did have a look at your blog though, Toffee, and am even more jealous than I was before of HE. Lots and lots of reasons why we can't (the biggest are that DH would not be supportive at all, he would disagree with it and also DS is one of the most sociable people I've ever met, from being very young he has loved being with lots of other people, I know that HEers go to groups etc, but we would need to do that all day every day to satisfy his craving to be with lots of people). It does look a lovely and free way of life though, that has been the hardest part of DS starting school, I had spent the previous 4+ years being able to choose what we did during the week, and if we fancied going somewhere or not going somewhere, and now all that choice has been taken away :(

Anyway, I've been okish this week, not done too much routine flying beyond the basics, but I did completely sort out DD's tiny room in Tuesday and move everything around which is loads better now :)

Hope everyone's doing ok :)