Autumn leaves flutter as October Fledglings Fly!

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Welcome to the October 2015 Fledgling Flying thread!

Park your broomsticks and cauldrons here!! Or is that just me ?

This is where, from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation (and of course) along the way.

More info available here and here and here.

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. (Some of us are still stuck at the decluttering stage after quite a few years ):

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

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

or

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

And those of you who have decluttered and are really enthusiastic can throw some detailed cleaning in to the mix as well!

The idea is that we focus on short, ring-fenced, daily steps and routines that will help our homes run (more or less!) on "automatic pilot" allowing us to do far more interesting things instead!

This is a very long-running thread so we may appear cliquey but we really aren't! All newcomers, long-termers, lurkers and intermittent returnees not only welcome to join in but positively encouraged to do so!

Helpful pointers: No perfectionism allowed! If it took a while to create the current C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) in your home, then it will probably take a while to reverse the situation (you can't clean clutter!). Small steps are the key! And you are never behind: just jump in where you are at!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

Hope you can have a bit of respite tomorrow Knitting if not today!

Sorry about the moth problem, Knitting . Your posts made me smile today, though, especially the line "oh my mum was busy with the moth balls so I never really understood x y z" (but I agree with Cant about this).

Have spent all afternoon ironing, but was greatly cheered by listening to an old 'Divine Comedy' CD. Decided that as I'd looked so awful after two days without wine and I was feeling increasingly anxious about tomorrow, I should have a glass tonight .

Also polished two leather bags with this stuff so whichever one I use tomorrow looks a bit less tatty. It was so satisfying that I then went on to polish my boots and both the boys' school shoes .

Feeling a bit weird about being away from home all day tomorrow, so have packed essential make up, Rescue Remedy, various tablets, an inhaler and plasters in my make up bag to take with me. Oh, and my Smartphone. Think I may have been affected by too many years carrying essentials around for DC; I would never have done this when I worked full time before children .

Bad Mum tonight: DS2 is eating a plateful of chicken nuggets (refused carbohydrates and veg and I couldn't be bothered to cook them and then throw them in the bin when he refused to eat them) and DS1 has refused all the options I've offered him and says he is going to order Dominos Pizza with his birthday money instead.

Am now sorting out the documents I need to take with me tomorrow. Still have to hoover out the leather bag for work, then I'm ready to put DS2 to bed and flake out for the evening. I think I need to watch something good on telly to take my mind off things.

Ds ate something

I appear to be allergic to everything

3 walls done
1 load of washing done
1 square for blanket gate done and another started
5 mins decluttering in my room.

Glad DS is eating again, Cant. Hope this means he's on the mend.

Have pinned a list up on the hall wall so DH can check what DC have to take to school each day (PE kits, lunches, etc).
Outfit sorted for tomorrow.
New shoes in hall, ready to put on as I leave.
Bag polished and packed, complete with notepad and pen to give the illusion of competence
Dishwasher loaded and on; kitchen clean
DS1 reminded that he'll need to get his own breakfast as both his parents will be out at work tomorrow morning

The years of CBT have certainly paid off for DS1: he told me not to get stressed about starting the new job tomorrow because it was no big deal and people did it all the time. "Anyway, they won't expect much of you on your first day," he said.

Right, off to bed now and hoping for another good night's sleep. Night all.

Well done that boy! Good luck tomo toffee

Thanks, Cant. Really am going now... Night.

Good luck tomorrow Toffee.

Glad DS has revived enough to start eating Can't

Blue - hope DS1 makes a speedy recovery

SC - I would find it a strain having as many houseguests as you do, you shouldn't feel bad about it.

Well, a mixed day here, a wasted journey to nearest big town to buy a warerproof coat for DD, found nothing suitable so came home and ordered online. Then some tidying (much needed), ironing and a bit of paid work. Feeling a bit rough myself today so I'm off for an early night.

Good morning all!

Toffee Good luck for today! The collective force of the fledglings is with you!!! xxxxxx

Whoknows hope you are feeling a bit better this morning

And Can'tsee and Blue hope your boys are truly on the mend now!

BBL to catch up!

Have a good start to the week everyone!

Ta da:
school uniform ironed
morning routine inc animals, dw & wm, dd lunch made, s&s
haven't done dining room table hotspots because they are one big hot spot!

To do:
walk dog
meal planning this week and write shopping list
supermarket run
chemist run
prep supper for today and tomorrow
paper decluttering
10 mins boudoir
sort and do more laundry
bit more on Playmobil club house [smile

to do: cont'd/...

chase two on-line deliveries
post office run

WhoKnows - hope you were restored by a good night's sleep.

SC - good luck with the very busy day you have ahead. I hope you're enjoying not having any visitors to cater for, though. And thank you for your good luck wishes. Maybe I should stuff a yellow duster in my pocket to remind me of the fledgling force?

Was woken up at 4.30 by DS1 creeping downstairs. He really was being as quiet as possible, so not his fault. Of course, then I couldn't get back to sleep, but after nearly an hour of my brain whirring, I finally drifted back. So I think I've had nearly seven hours, which is good.

Have fed the cats, refilled their water bowls, cleared out their litter trays and had my breakfast. Now time to wake DS2, do the pre-school routine, wave him and DH off to school/work and then get myself ready. Luckily, I don't have to be in till 10 this morning. Have an 'induction' first, then I suppose I'll meet 'the team' and start the job.

Shedloads to do and zero energy to do it! Story of my life, that is :o

Good luck today toffee

I think I may have a house day today. Usually I try to get the kids out in the afternoon but I think we may have a Disney day with possible a very quick trip to the park.

Already put a washing on and fed kids

To do:

Hoover and declutter dd's room
Sort through too small clothes and list next batch on eBay
Parcel up this week's sales
Brush down stairs and brush porch
Make beds
Structured play with dd1 (no idea what to do yet though lol).
Meal plan for week
Online shopping

Trying to keep busy so I'm not checking my phone constantly for news on house. X

I also meant to say toffee I've got everything crossed for you! :)

Toffee I love your ds1's wise words And he is SOO right.

Hope today goes really well, and remember it is alright to be completely knackered - tis the strain of remembering lots of new things and won't necessarily be so bad when you are used the routine. A friend of mine just started an office job after many years self employed (rather than SAHM) and she said she gradually began to realise she knew far more than anyone else (they were all young and "bendy"), wasn't responsible for the life or death of the company but there to do a specific role, therefore not to worry about things beyond her control, and I think the final one was, it was knackering to be back in an office having to talk to people all day AND go home and sort out children's stuff in eve (she was single mother with teens) BUT it was also a breath of fresh air and dosh to boot. Thank goodness it is half term for ds1 though, a very good time to start.

today
I've had a ParentPartnership meeting re: EHCP and parental views. Long and exhausting but I think she has given me some confidence to fill it in properly
Borrowed some big carpet samples for dd's room
Left ds2 watching Red Dwarf. Now sent him to his room to do some reading.

Crisis in kitchen, and everywhere really and but I'm not going to panic but slowly and calmly do as much as I can before dh gets back. I've just rung him up and started ranting down the phone at him (I don't think he was impressed somehow ) about how he needs to help me sort the house out, burn mattresses, and set aside TWO DAYS to ENGAGE with things like big piles of hedge clippings that he has just left, shirts that are never worn that clog up drawers and wardrobes and mean I cannot put my stuff away, duvets that need to be put in loft...lots of little things that exhaust me and stop anything progressing.

Glad to hear DS has eaten something, Cant.

Hope today is going well, Toffee and great advice from your DS1!

SC - hope you're taking some time out to recover today. Cut yourself some slack!

DS1 is basically fine, but off school today. So far he's done homework, played Pokemon and drawn elaborate comic strips. I've done work and admin...

I'm just catching up on the thread - Toffee I love the Divine Comedy! My favourite line from National Express "But it's hard to get by when your arse is the size of a small country" :o

I don't think I still have the album I had of theirs (Fin de Siecle) - my favourite song on there was Here comes the flood.

Had a nice morning - piano pupil came and they stayed for a while. It was nice to chat to my friend (pupil's mum) but I'm pretty worn out. I nearly cancelled as have been in a lot of pain today. Just trying to finish the quiz now for work. No home ed today!

And if you like Divine Comedy, do you like the Bluetones? I love them.

Ugh, tired. Didn't intend to take time out today - loads to catch up on - but as ever, good intentions thwarted by actual energy levels.

Have done the minimum such as basic routines, walked dog, washed essential sports and ballet kit, tiny minimal supermarket shop and and thrown together a lamb, potato, carrot, garlic, shallot layer dish thing for oven (meal planning all over the place because I couldn't face cooking yesterday). But that is it.

Post school run, dd and I regressed in to a toddler-like state, got in to our pjs and watched "Big Barn Farm"

Let us know how you got on Toffee won't you?

Hope you had a restful day Scatty and took it steady x

You too Fuzzpig

Knitting dh and I have similar phone rants (well I am usually the one ranting) when he goes away. You can see the issues much more clearly when on your own I think.

Glad your boys are on the mend Can'tsee and Blue

Hope you are ok Whoknows

Sorry for lack of further personals, need to help dd with hwk.

I've been AWOL again, too busy having lots of family fun. We spent almost the whole weekend trekking round fields and muddy footpaths geocaching

Have finally caught up on the thread:

Blue - hooray!! So, so pleased things finally fell into place for your move. Now you need to snuggle up to Scatty in the hope some of your good fortune rubs off onto her

Toffee - really hope you had a great first day at work and your new colleagues are decent folk

SC - boo to demanding visitors, what a relief they have gone now. Your DD and furry one sounded like they struggled a bit. Perfect excuse to be stern in the future re visits.

Can't how is your DS now? I remember the last time I had to use poly filler on holes in our walls and then do all the sanding down. Bloody cats ran through the dust and left a trail of dusty paw prints all round the house...

Knitting good luck with the moth invasion.

Big wing flaps to whoKnows, Feetheart, Dogs, Fuzz, Don'tBuy, FishBones, Fizrim, MrsMook, Honu, Ellie, Fingersmith and anyone else I have inevitably forgotten.

My Ta Da list for today:

Lie in as DH got up with DS and tended to the cats
Washload on
Dishwasher stacked and on
Hand washing up done
Stirred my wine cauldron (looks revolting but definitely starting to smell like alcohol)
Leaf vac'ed the back garden and the car park, tipped all the mulch onto flower beds and raked over
Brushed all the lichen off of two of the garden walls, swept up resulting mess
Drove DH to the dentist in case he was too spaced out to drive himself safely back
Took DS to the play park for an hour
Did a top up shop

Still To Do
Order ridiculously expensive specialist cat food and flea treatment online
Order new Organised Mum family planner/calendar online
Make bed
Empty, wash out and refill cat litter trays
Clean the bath after cleaning litter trays
Fold dry laundry
Put away folded laundry
Hang up wet washing
Empty dishwasher
Once DS is in bed DH and I are going to go through all of DSs toys and bag up the ones he never plays with. He has so many toys and with his birthday and Christmas 10 weeks or so away we need to have a sort out.

Crikey SC your 'bare minimum' day is like the most productive day I've ever had! :o

Actually managed to cook dinner which is nearly ready (we had cereal for lunch but it was that or takeaway!) then have Beavers run. DH normally finishes early on a Monday so he does that, but he's short staffed again

That's lovely that you can now just collapse with dd SC. I believe in evenings like that. I just had a nice chat with ds1 (he is so sweet, he said, Thank you for that nice chat Mummy..shows the teenager v surprised at actually communicating with harridan mum)

Dd likes her carpet sample, and has chosen one out of 4, AND successfully returned from tutor

Ds2 has done very little today but appears chipper.

done
cleared out fridge and threw away old food, there was far too much of it, mostly leftovers, no-one seems to eat my food much nowadays, may have to radically change the menus - let me see there was wasted haddock, wasted pasta bake, wasted lasagne, all home cooked, but no-one would touch it again after the first sitting

unblocked the little hole at the back of the fridge which was full of black slime

Felt a bit irritated by a friend's facebook posts of endless pyscho therapeutic thoughts on guilt amongst other things and much tempted to post a Barbra Streisand youtube song to lower the one, but failed to manage link so gave up technology again for the day..

Wiped kitchen worktops
loaded dw
baked potatoes in the oven
bought tomorrow's packed lunch for dd (off to the seaside lucky thing, West Sussex, tho never heard of that particular geological place, must be very special example of something like erosion/landslip)

so feeling a bit better generally, much cheered by wiped kitchen down [sad isn't)

Fuzz ds had cereal for lunch too!!

We've missed Beavers :( bus didn't show up and I was just too shattered to figure out getting there. Feeling awful as he was getting enrolled, not sure what happens now :(

Fuzz it really doesn't matter, they will just enrol him next week. Beavers is much more relaxed than you think!! (having been a helper) Remind him it doesn't matter and text the leader to make sure she knows you were ill and couldn't bring him.