Fledglings are Flying into February

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Welcome to the February Fledglings thread. Before we get started we have some important notices?:

1. The Fledglings are a long running thread, some of us have known each other for several years but newcomers are always welcome.

1. We follow the Flylady way (somewhat flexibly) and we adapt it to suit our lives and needs. That also means we chat a lot too, it is a general thread about life, as well as Flylady.

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

1. NO perfectionism - life’s too short.?
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.
4. For newbies to the Flylady site and system everything you need will be posted here in the form of links. The homes is divided into zones where we spend one week each on a monthly basis. Within the zones we do babysteps and decluttering - the babysteps are little daily habits to get into, decluttering speaks for itself. As we progress we start doing missions (a more in depth task in that weeks zone). We may even get to detailed cleaning once we have decluttered. There are also daily tasks, on a weekly basis.

WARNING: Unless you want a very cluttered inbox full of gushing quotes and testimonials DO NOT subscribe to the Flylady emails from the site.

So, welcome on board and lets get Flying in February!

Hi Toffee [big waves to Whoknows]

That's brill about your ds1 visiting his school again!!! Well done him!! (And you!)

Really kind of you about thread running - thank you so much - but once I've established new thread, if you don't mind covering transition and first three days, I would prefer to carry on with March if that's ok as we are away for half of April (Easter hols) and May/beginning June is very busy exam period for dd, plus sorting of secondary schools etc. Then we're off travelling again in July/Aug. New school Sept etc (which could poss involve country change if things don't pan out here!!)

Sorry that was very long-winded way of saying that I hope March is going to be a relatively settled month!! But thanks anyway!!

Having an easier evening than anticipated as dh has kindly volunteered to do ballet run tonight (as he is travelling tomorrow and missing important school meeting). Hope dd ok because she has painful bone in foot which is overgrowing. (Have been referred to osteopath.) Have to keep strapping it up under ballet shoe. Slightly worrying when she seemed delighted with bandage and said "now I match all the older girls"

Heigh ho. Had better get back to my chicken goujons ... .

Big wing flaps to all!

Ok, I'll just cover the transition, SC . Goodness me, you do have a busy time coming up. Bit worrying about possible country change though .

Must also go and deal with dinner. I was just warming up the oven, but it doesn't take 40 minutes really .

the DCs came home from school with the dreaded dress up for World Book Day at just over a week's notice letters. I like doing costumes for them, but I need more notice .

We got notice before half term. World book day next week and ds wants to go as percy jackson again. So that will be normal clothes then love you ds but you lack imagination for fancy dress

Bloody hell SC there is this thing call quiet life? Perhaps in October?

I went training. I am now broken and craving cheese bread. But I am scared of BIWI's big stick. so will settle for cooking the sunflower bread for ds.

SC welcomeback properly

Toffee big salute to ds1

Feetheart respect for sleepover. The last one I did was when dd was about 11 - I think it was so traumatic (for me - they only went to sleep at 3am) I gave up. No staying power and possibly not enough mattresses...

oh yes SC you had a sleepover too for dd recently didn't you and managed brilliantly?

push are you moving nearby or to a completely new area? Quite exciting - I wish dh had inclination to move - I can imagine a wonderful new existence for us in so many different houses and localities..

Meanwhile - life plods on. Still slightly worrying about LA visit (curses) I know I have done loads with ds2 but it is all quite difficult to pin down as I never take photos or structure the day very firmly and ds of course hates writing and drawing. In fact that's why I feel I took him out of school - to stop all that pesky paperwork. A friend says I should just "embrace" the visit and be incredibly enthusiastic and all will be well. Still, I just don't like the idea of someone making judgements when they don't know quite what ds2 is like or has achieved in the past or not achieved in the past as the case may be...

I think we have turned a bit of corner though in one way - ds2 is now ready for a more formal tutoring session at least once a week and I have contacted three dyslexia tutors to build on the phonics and handwriting which I hope I have instilled! Only one actually answered phone and she had a waiting list till next term so we will see if anyone rings back.

Read another chapter of Moby Dick today - and did loads of Maths. Then I tried out the Maths on both dd and dh and both failed to understand the question so maybe I'm overdoing it. The question was a fraction of a quantity. Say 5/35 of 200. No-one could do it without a calculator except me! Yay!

Ds2 also tidied his room rather well folding up clothes and finding drawers for the categories. He mentioned this rather too often today though - he clearly thinks tidying is an amazing effort

done
home ed
washing
dw
made big batch of red pepper pumpkin and tomato chilli soup
tackled clutter in kitchen and sorted all the home ed books/materials out into about 7 categories
also tackled playroom which is terrible - still looks terrible but at least I have decluttered a few things so I know it will look better soon.

Mine both want to do Harry Potter characters, same as about 50% of the rest of the population if last time was anything to go by. Fancy dress manufacturers must rake it in at this time of year.

bitchy ds1 went as Percy Jackson. That was the year dd went as a character from Malory Towers and Ds2 decided to be Fat Controller just because he wanted to wear the top hat and the watch chain.

There used to be a lovely pinky lilac evening dress for Hermione from Goblet of Fire Triwizard's ball I once gave to dd's friend as a present (it was from M & S). I wonder if it still exists on Ebay? There is always Hermione in mufti too. Jeans and hoody.

It would probably help if I had actually seen any of the HP films!

We haven't had the World Book Day letter yet... not sure whether to hope it won't come, or dread that it'll be one day's notice! Last year DS1 went as Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon and DS2 went as Harry and the Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.

Waves to all returning people. Have been slightly AWOL as work is completely mad, at the same time as everyone in the house having a hideous cold/cough/general lurgy. Consequently no flying is happening, and we have the new bath taking up most of the sitting room - the delivery people were only allowed to put it in a downstairs room - and the plumber isn't coming till Wednesday!

Glad DS1 managed the school visit, Toffee and bon courage to swan for the LA visit.

HP images is your friend then. They hardly ever wear robes. Or is that my delusion? The most artful "grunge" costumes imaginable...sad to think grunge how now gone out of fashion - I miss it terribly so convenient..
But presumably the dcs haven't seen the films either then?

Dh and I have just read the Silkworm. Dh hasn't quite finished it. I am longing for the next one not because of the murder bit which is always rather too gruesome for me but for the love interest! And the depiction of London ...all those long journeys on the tube and bus and the grime.

ooh I love the idea of a bath in the sitting room. Very Ayckbourne. Weird to think that a bath in the living room (or the room that people spent most time in - the kitchen/breakfast room) was completely normal 80 years ago.

I wouldn't know where to start with that calculation . I'm so relieved I only have to deal with Year 4 Maths at present. Thanks for the salute for DS1.

SC - just checking: do I need to do links from Friday to Tues inclusive?

Having a bath in the living room sounds interesting, Blue. Are any of you climbing into it with pillows and blankets to watch telly?

Was feeling a bit battered by my DC earlier, but am feeling cheerier now I've had Prosecco and watched a particularly thrilling episode of 'The Walking Dead' (Ellie - if you're lurking - I hope you are keeping up with it).

Whoknows nah, what you do is take the name of the character and google then look at images for said character I have no idea about percy jackson, or half of the books ds whitters on about. Even ds has adopted the phrase 'google is your friend'

The DCs have seen some of the films, but films are largely used as a babysitting device here, I don't tend to watch with them as I am not much of a film watcher, and these don't interest me in the slightest. I haven't read the books either. We have done the google images thing, so we've got some ideas. Just not sure how I'm going to translate them into reality yet.

Anyway, will worry about that tomorrow. Have just got to the end of my OU essay, probably not my best work, but will give it a check over in the next day or two and submit now, I only need a pass on this, not a high score.

Flying wise,didn't get a lot done today, was at work, then school run, then my ballet class and been writing this essay since the DCs went to bed. Am very tired now. Night all, links next.

Tues 24th Feb

Babystep - swish and swipe, one of my favourites.

Mission - attack the clothes pile. I need to do that.

Daily Focus - planning. Yep, need to do that too.

Just checking in before I start work; no Flying to report, but I don't want to fall off the thread.

Reading all about World Book Day, I (as a completely non-creative person) feel quite glad about the lack of creative input expected from parents here. The DC used to wear some fairly creative costumes at kindergarten for carnival, but luckily they made them all at kindergarten too. My main complaint about the lack of creativity required here is the lack of creative writing (it seems to be more about having perfect handwriting ); they don't really do any until the last year of primary and I don't think that DS, at 8, has yet had to write a single sentence of his own.

WhoKnows Thanks for the links; I'm hoping to have time to look at them before too long.

Toffee So pleased to hear that school visit went well. Is this a potential school for DS for September?

SC Welcome back! Sounds like you have a very busy couple of months coming up; I didn't realise you were considering moving countries (are you thinking about moving back to UK?).

Blue Work has gone mad here too; I can't remember the last time it was this busy. Was impressed to see you're still managing to cook, though; we're about to run out of food from the freezer (luckily had quite a few leftover meals in there, which have kept us going for a while).

Quick morning list to keep me on track:

• WORK - invoices sent, VAT returns x 2, emails to go through
• Oat bread in bread machine
• Soup out of freezer
• Washing hung up
• Washing up
• S&S x 2
• Hall floor
• Try and find DJ for school disco in 3 weeks time (mix up over dates with usual DJ)
• Menu plan, shopping list, shopping (whilst DS is at gymnastics tonight)
• Sort fridge before shopping
• Try and do freezer list
• Strain fruit (no time yesterday!)
• Catch up with thread - I managed 2 pages yesterday!

Have a good day everyone one.

Thanks Toffee. I know ds1 is much worse when the house is worse too. Which is a complete catch 22 as I spend my time trying to tidy it so everyone has some space, for ds1 to get angry/upset/demand ing etc and trashes what I've already done. Consequently he gets less attention and I'm frustrated that I can't keep house and give them all the time they need.

I think yesterday afternoon was the best time we've had in weeks. I managed to get the lounge tidy and the dishes in the kitchen done while Dtd napped on the Sofa. So when everyone came home from school I could be in the lounge with them.

Right. Off to tidy again. Alas dts clobbered one of my cupboards in their mission to wreck DVDs again. Must get done before they come home from preschool.

All fun and games here this morning.

ta da
doctors appointment
ds to school
dentist appointment made
car book in for service
software installation
ds' bed stripped and into washer

ta da
clear out of emails
important emails sent
printing of paperwork.
2x films watched

I have the joyous job of paperwork this afternoon. I fecking hate paperwork

Yes, it really is feast or famine with a vengeance! Cooking tends to happen after the boys get home from school once work is pretty much impossible. Besides, I like cooking and I don't like cleaning!

This afternoon will be fuelled. Anyone else want one?

Update - having faffed around online when I should be tackling things the list looks like this:

• WORK - invoices sent - done
• Oat bread in bread machine - done and now in oven
• Soup out of freezer - done
• Washing hung up - done outside but now looking iffy so will bring it in if it hasn't blown away!

Have also:

• Looked up 10k race at Silverstone
• Checked bank accounts
• Worked out where the money will go when I get paid on Friday
• Emailed nice lady who makes funky gymnastics kit to see if she will contemplate making running stuff
• Had lunch and eaten birthday cake :)
• Chatted to meter-reading man
• Sympathised with DH who has just spent £300 getting the car sorted and nagged him to do his b**y expenses to cover it - grrrrr!

Back to the grindstone...

Oooo coffee sounds perfect. I am currently swearing at whoever decided it was a good idea to paint the ceiling rose part of the light fitting and considering the safety implications of whelding a scalpel near electrics

whoknows and Bitchy those books are works of genius I loved reading them And I still remember watching the very first film on video (video!) when dtwins were a baby. My MIL was staying and it was rather awkward because I wanted to just lie on the sofa and watch easy films whilst cuddling baby/s and I think she thought this a bit strange. I think in the end she went off to an art gallery just to show me how lowbrow I was..... My mum is more like me...I remember she went to see Chamber of Secrets in cinema and was thrilled to point of terror!