August Birthdays and the Fledglings are a nattering

[DarkEvilMoon]

Ok so here is the August thread.

Another chat thread.

Going to be completely half arsed with this.

launch pad from here is all the linky poos which few of us look at anyway
But we are following Fly lady principles. sort of 15 mins decluttering, babysteps and all that.

Oh we are a long running thread, we may seem clicky but we have been around the wrong side of half a decade. We do welcome newbies, and some of the flock joined us only recently.

If you have any questions on the fly lady system do ask and we will try to answer them. Hopefully back to normal service and regular linkies in September after the hols.

So nerh...

how are you doing ellie ? A tough few months (year?) from what I'm gathering.

carpe I hope your hospital appt puts your mind at rest.

And I'm guessing there's been a few name changers that I can't quite work out at the moment.....

Oh, carpe, I'm sorry - what a worry that must be. Please let us know how the hospital appointment goes.

ellie - oh goodness, what a week for you. Good luck with the GCSE results and with your DP meeting your DC. You sound so happy with him - I hope they love him too.

NickNacks - you must be exhausted looking after all those children. I'm in awe . Just two wear me out. I did used to look after lots of children when I was a childminder, but don't think I could cope with it now as I'm older and all worn out.

dogsbum - aw, lovely photo of MeerKitten. I know what you mean about inappropriate clothing. MIL's choice of clothing was the bane of my life when DS1 was small. Years later, I found the worst items - the ones that were so awful I really couldn't put my precious firstborn child in - upstairs in the loft . However, it made MIL so happy to buy them all and we never wanted to hurt her feelings, so she just kept throwing her money away on ghastly fluorescent jumpers and acryclic tee shirts.

Who and CantSee - thanks for the tips. I have been through the school lists and am planning to go through everything we have already before I buy duplicates. Have also ordered some Stikit labels, which have made me feel unreasonably happy.

Yesterday evening, I browsed on some parenting websites for tips and have compiled my own personalised 'to do' list, including dates for me to start moving the DC's bedtimes (and my own) back incrementally until they're in a school routine again.

Very pleased with the results of the dietician's appointment today: both boys have put on weight and grown taller during the past two months, which means all DH's and my hard work trying to get them to eat high-calorie, regular meals and snacks is paying off .

DS2 has a friend round this afternoon. I should be doing stuff, but it's so nice to just put my feet up for a change...

Hi everyone,

Hello Carpe, good luck for next week, take it easy.

Hope the meeting of the clans goes well for you Ellie

Yep, I'm the archer WhoKnows. It's a wonderful sport and I can yak on for hours about the history, styles, techniques etc of it, but I restrain myself as best I can. Any questions, feel free to ask!

I'm not getting much done atm, DHs grandmother is in the early stages of dementia as well as being recently widowed. She is acting in increasingly unsafe ways that are causing us all a lot of worries meaning she needs a lot of supervision, hence not much going on.

Has anyone seen lately? Maybe he has migrated for the winter

Now don't get too excited cos I might not manage to stay and read all your ramblings [ahem] I mean to see your fabulous decluttering and sticking to routine.

Gonna take a seat in the naughty corner and hope it all rubs off on me.

Nice to see you all. Hope to catch up with Oldies soon and meet newbies if I can sit still long enough.

Welcome back, Nettie.

Hi Toffee Long time no see. Hope you are good.

Sneaking in as at work. Think ill start tomorrow making bed wasn't it? Ill just have to kick DH out of it first

Yes, we're doing ok, thanks, Nettie. Not sure what was happening last time we 'met'. But things are looking up with DS1 at the moment, so that's a good thing after some tough times.

Hope all is ok with you too?

Thanks for all the well wishing!

Yes, quite worrying at the moment so am slightly self medicating with alcohol but thank the Lord for in-laws. DBIL watched DS while I went to the GP expecting to be told I was being paranoid and then they referred me. Poor man didn't know what had hit him as I snivelled all over him! (He does a lovely line in quiet hugs though.) Now he's childminding on Monday and DMIL is taking me in to the hospital and staying with me. So glad we moved!

Still wading through the thread so hope everyone is doing fine!

That's great Toffee nice to hear things have improved for DS.
All good here just manic.

carpejugulum. Glad to hear pil are both being very supportive. Well done for getting checked. Hope Monday goes well. X

Yay nettie is back as well, proper day for it.

nicknacks, I am super fantastic right now but you are right that it has been a tough 18 months or so. Illness with quite a big op for me (fine now though) and then marriage broke down in May last year..my decision and the best decision i ever made. Tricky in that dd did not take it well at first (she is fine now) and am now living at my mum's (love her but....). However, have now got amazing new DP who, in a soppy teenage fashion, is everything I ever wanted.

toffee et al. It has gone ridiculously well today. He arrived at lunch so we had lunch and then went to local country park for the afternoon. Slight awkward moment when we bumped into DW of one of stbex's best friends but it was cool. Then back here where we cooked and had dinner etc and he has just left. He was brilliant with them and they seem to like him so although there is a long way to go we have got off on a good footing. Phew. Now just GCSE results tomorrow.

Glad you had a good day ellie and good luck for the results tomorrow.

:)

Hope everything goes well on Monday, Carpe and glad you have good RL support too.

The boys are staying with FIL and S-MIL for a few days, so had a lazy day enjoying the peace and quiet yesterday. Today has been more productive - done gardening, cleaned the car and hoovered out all the crumbs while childseat-free, picked loads of blackberries, paperwork, paid work and been out for a curry with DH before coming home for blackberry crumble. :)

Hiya blue lovely to see you. A couple of days without dc is always refreshing to the soul. I always find I manage much better after a rest. Hope they had a fab time.

ellie glad things are on the up and ooo second hand butterflies at introducing new bow to the dc today. Well done glad it went really well.

On a flying aside. Ive hoovered, de cobwebbed and mopped one floor tonight before collapsing in bed.

Carpe - I had a lump checked out a few years ago, it was given the all clear but still tingles occasionally in that area. No change in how it feels over time and I had my first routine mammogram this year which was also clear. It's hard not to worry though.

Yes. I hit Dr Google and it has been known for the type of lump I have to become painful - and they can remove it. I'm going to ask if they can thoroughly check both breasts and then ask for the lump to go. Fed up of always "knowing" my boob is there iyswim? (Like it permanently feels bruised rather than just feeling it's there if you touch it - hard to explain!)

So DMIL is round today and I have already got a Dundee cake in the oven for guests this weekend.

Need to

• empty dishwasher and restock with baking stuff
• lay away washing and iron
• put in washing and hang out
• persuade DS to get dressed prior to her arrival.

The latter may get complicated!

Morning everyone

Today's list

Get up, washed, dressed
Restock dishwasher
Make bed
Swish and swipe bathroom
Clean sink with bartender stuff
Reload washing machine
Take kids to inflatable fun day in the rain booked day off especially. Poxy rain. ????

Hope you all have a good day.

ellie - so happy for you that it went so well yesterday . Good luck with the GCSE results today. Hope you are happy with your class's results.

blue - at your child-free days. So lovely to get things done at your own pace and without interruption, I should think.

Carpe - good luck getting DS to get dressed. I have the same issue here. Both boys are quite happy to stay in pants all day if I let them.

Nettie - sounds like a good balance between Flying and keeping the kids active and happy.

Like Carpe, we have a visit from MIL this morning. This means I have to do a crisis clean first . Wonder if I can persuade her to stay in the sitting room, so I don't have to tackle the kitchen yet? The trouble is that she sometimes wanders into the kitchen, which means she goes through the dining room, and then needs to use the bathroom too, which means she also sees DS2's bedroom and the upstairs landing. Not sure I can tackle that many rooms in the next hour!

DS2 has another friend round this afternoon and I'm using the free time to help DS1 with his homework.

Just catching up on the thread and wanted to say AWWWW at the pic of Meerkitten! Gorgeous squishy baby :o the problem is it has only increased my broodiness.

Still mega dizzy and feeling sick with it, managed work yesterday as it was an easy shift, but saw on Friday's timetable that it's going to be a challenging (ie lots of more physical tasks) shift. Eeeek. Have a flipping impossible absence target, and sorry to report (as I remember some of you were annoyed on my behalf bless you ) that it was indeed implied that home educating is at least partly to blame. :( I can see how the data makes it look that way to be fair, but it really isn't the reason. This is about the time of year I tend to relapse anyway, it's been the same in other years.

Needless to say there is fuck all flying going on! Living room back to its horrendous state already (and so is the DCs' room, as they have Lego everywhere - think we've learned that it should just be in the living room, and may put it away properly for a while until we've sorted more clutter). Just clinging to the fact that our room is still much better and at least lots of things ARE in the correct place now and other stuff has been thrown out. But still very frustrated.

Sorry you're feeling so rough, fuzz, and that you have challenging work coming up. So frustrating that work are blaming home ed for your condition, when actually life is often less stressful when you take school out of the equation. Don't worry about Flying: just focus on resting as much as you can with DC around (not much, I suppose).

Well, I'm still waiting for MIL to turn up, which is very frustrating because we have shopping to do, lunch to eat and DS2's friend coming round at 3. But on a positive note, DH and I did an effective crisis clean downstairs and I have also tidied and hoovered DS2's bedroom.

Unfortunately, DH has just discovered an invasion of ants in the same bedroom and we are now having a discussion with DS2 about why he can't keep them all as pets.

MIL didn't arrive till 1.30, so no time for tea - had to whisk her off home, then rush round Tesco and be back in time for a late lunch and the arrival of DS2's friend.

Just psyching myself up to help DS1 with his English homework. This probably won't end well...

Sympathies, my parents are usually much later than they say too!

And don't worry I have done sod all today :o

MIL was at the hairdressers near us and wanted extra rollers put in her perm apparently, which meant it all took longer. Ah well.

Glad you've done sod all. You should be resting, fuzz*.

Where are you all today?

Have managed to help DS1 make a start on his English homework. Limited our session to an hour. To my astonishment, he easily identified the quotes that demonstrated themes of innocence - wasn't expecting that, I must say. Putting it down on paper proved harder for him, but we can work on that.

Meanwhile, Ds2 and his friend played Lego for a couple of hours, then went on the computer.

Made sausage and chips with a few veg thrown in for good measure. Ice cream for pud.

Friend came round to collect DS2's friend, but instead stayed for a cuppa and a long chat. Lovely.

DS2 has bruised his bottom so there is a lot of moaning going on this evening. Poor boy has an egg-sized bruise, so won't be sitting down for a few days!

Oh, have just realised it's well past wine o'clock .

(Sad: talking to myself)

Evening all ????

Today's list

Get up, washed, dressed - done
Restock dishwasher -done
Make bed-done
Swish and swipe bathroom -done
Clean sink with bartender stuff -done
Reload washing machine-done
Take kids to inflatable fun day in the rain booked day off especially. Poxy rain. ???? -done. Lovely sunshine in the end. ????

Maybe I scared them all off?

Or we are in the spoofed alter universe side of mumsnet left after all that hacking and rabbiting or mole business???

Glad you both had a good day. Having the memory of a fish and posting on the app means I can't remember whose what and when or how. So hope you will forgive me.

Goodnight my alternative mumsnet universe pals. ????????

Still here. Spent most of yesterday running about on errands while still sans garçons. Also met a friend for a quiet coffee, which was lovely.

Boys are coming home this afternoon. Wondering if it's worth hoovering while the house is relatively empty, or whether not to bother because they'll instantly trash it...