January Fledglings - Resolve to Fly!

[WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes]

So, here we are at the start of 2016, poised with our control journals and ready to Fly for another year. New and old, all are welcome here, we loosely follow the principles of Flylady to manage our homes and lives, we also chat and lend an ear to whatever life throws at us.

We post links to the Flylady site each day throughout the month, with daily babysteps and missions inside that weeks zone. We also declutter. No links in this post, I'm on my phone and will do some separately, but it's time to get ready for 2016. A big thank you to everyone who has run the thread in 2015 and everyone who has contributed .

It's good to hear you're feeling so optimistic about the new year, fuzz . Lovely that your DC are so happy now - I saw the same difference with my two when I took them out of schools they were unhappy in. I'm really glad home ed is working out for you all.

Thanks for asking after work. It's been fine and I've enjoyed the challenge, but I suspect I will get restless after a while, once the novelty has worn off. Although, having said that, I have some major challenges coming up later this year which will keep me busy. And I didn't mind working up till Xmas Eve, but it has been wonderful to have so much time off at last.

DS1 is still in a tricky mood and is being very disruptive. I managed to get some time alone with DS2 and he tried to teach me to knit. I was hopeless, but he was a very patient and encourging teacher. It was touching to experience that role reversal.

Offered to help DS1 with his homework or spend some time with him, but he sent me away. He is bored, I think, but has no friends to spend any time with .

Have managed a few chores: washed up, cleared up the kitchen, put a load of washing on... Am about to do some ironing and start cooking dinner. DH has done some hoovering and mopping. House isn't looking too bad overall unless you go in our bedroom.

Right, time to cook - and drink more water. Am only too aware that it's wine o'clock, but I'm not having any. Elderflower seems a poor substitute, but will have to do.

Happy New Year everyone! I'm not going to claim any dramatic resolutions about flying as I honestly don't know what feels possible or even what I want at the moment but I would like to try and post more often.

I also feel like I'm trying to invent a mini version of flying to suit my current situation so that I don't drown in baby crap! Mostly it consist of cleaning up as you go, e.g. you don't leave the bathroom after baby bath until everything is cleared away which DP is a nightmare for doing and training is underway and applying this to every situation DP currently a nightmare for all baby situations, doesn't seem to understand that Meerkitten can't tidy up after herself yet

To be fair though I think he is starting to get it, I realised suddenly that I wasn't helping because when I saw a mess, e.g. after bath I just cleaned it up on auto pilot.

Then one day I saw bath aftermath and breakfast aftermath and just literally stopped myself from cleaning up (it wasn't a lot but he just wasn't getting that we don't have a maid!) and I said right me and Meerkitten are off out for a walk and can you tidy post bath and breakfast mess and it is literally like he finally saw for the first time how much mess is created by baby related stuff x times a day.

I'm not saying he has changed over night and he is generally a very neat and tidy person but he just isn't used to being responsible for tidying up after another person yet and appears to need more help to 'get it' than I do.

Has anyone else found that it took their partner (if they weren't the primary carer, if that is the correct term) longer to adjust to the fact that life is now totally different and you have to work around the baby and not expect the baby to adjust/work around what you want to do! He doesn't seem to get like I do that you have to work around Meerkitten's eating and sleeping not the other way round, you are an adult and can understand waiting and being hungry, etc, she can't!

Thanks to WhoKnows for doing this month's thread and to Can't and Fuzzpig for doing the last couple of months. I'm hoping that at some point in the next few months my life will feel manageable enough to be able to lead again as my only stint was back in April. Fingers crossed that Meerkitten is on board with this aspiration!

Ah some Flyladies!!!! So delighted to have stumbled across this. So many Americans in the FB pages which is great but no use for me as time differences cause a pain when your looking to do your housework in the morning and they are mostly sound asleep

Does anyone play fly bingo?

Ok, I'll bite. What the hell is fly bingo?

Oh and I am in the mood for a new name so that will happen at some point and would appreciate the usual no linking post with has the connect between this one and the new one. Ta muchly [santa]

Fly bingo is my saving grace. It's not entirely advice from fly lady but definitely helps with daily routines and home blessings.
There is a FB page handily called FLY BINGO. There is a variety of 'bingo games' but mostly I do a 6x15 which means 6 tasks for 15 minutes at a time, sometimes with and sometimes without a break half way through. The idea is you number 6 things you need to do and someone calls the numbers 1-6 at 15 minute intervals. You then have 15 minutes to complete your task and report back. It's great to get motivated and get things done! But as the page is mostly Americans it can be difficult to get a game going until the afternoon. Sounds a bit silly but really works for me!

You might struggle a little here from my knowledge stalking of the posters and their routines. Also unless you are flying around 3am I will be unable to join.

Games at all times really if anyone wanted to check it out on FB - would be great to get some more UK players.

But aside from that, im glad to have found some more fly babies! My friends think I'm nuts.

Noted Can't!!

Evening all [hic] ; so lovely to come back on here and see lots of familiar names!

And new ones too of course: a very warm welcome to Georgeofthejungle, yes, what isFly bingo?

Yay PA really lovely to see you!! (I think I owe you a pm response - apologies - ) Hope you have a relaxing weekend! Um, can't resist asking... I don't suppose pigeon figured at all on the menu over the festive fortnight?

Toffee me old mucker, how's life?!! Simply cannot believe that your ds1 is 16 yrs!! I think you did say but it hadn't really sunk in. How on earth did that happen? And congrats on getting a head start on the home chore front! Hope you have benefitted from a bit of r&r over the Christmas period though.

Lovely to see you too Dogsbum honestly I think you are heroic to even contemplate Flying with Meerkitten to look after and broken nights etc. Remember that "good enough" is "good enough" and glad your dp is realising that life just doesn't carry on the same post dc and that you are pretty much confined to the eat/sleep/play cycle for a couple of years with lots of clearing up in between! And, v kind of you to think of it (in your typically conscientious way) but don't even consider thread leading atm; you have enough to do as it is!

Fuzz great that you are feeling optimistic about the forthcoming year (partic in regard to dcs home edding which is fantastic) and congrats on taking first few steps towards self employment! Good that you are having a relaxing day today though btw!

[Thought of you the other day when I read something about board games being fantastic education tools ie number and shape recognition, grouping, and counting, letter recognition and reading, visual perception and colour recognition, eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity and all of that is in addition to learning social interaction skills such as taking turns and understanding issues from another person's pov etc etc]

Blue thought of you today too - you didn't happen to listen to Henning Wehn: (German comedian exploring British English) on R4 titled "This is me totally sausage"? Nothing hugely ground-breaking but worth a listen on the English "too polite to be honest" and "Germans too honest to be polite" themes!

Had better go as my bubble bath is ready ..just fitting in a quick splash between supper and Sherlock! Feel very lazy because usually cook huge ham on NY's day (all that simmering in cider, scoring fat, adding cloves, rubbing in molasses/mustard mix etc and roasting palava) but because dh is ill, and there are only 3 of us as opposed to the intended 8, I cheated and bought a semi-prepared gammon roast from M&S and it took all of 1 hr to cook! Just did a bit of mash and parsley and dill sauce and a few frozen peas and hey presto! I honestly don't think it tasted that much different and no mess or endless baking trays to scrub out afterwards!

Dh has already started dry January and so I have taken on the onerous task of finishing all the quarter bottles of red that have been left over after the festivities ...

[Pouring out some for anyone else who fancies a glass or three...]

Have a good evening everyone!

[Sorry, that bit about the gammon was hideously boring wasn't it We lead a quiet life ]

Thanks for explanation George!! Anything that helps to motivate is good if you ask me! I'm not a great one for Facebook though being technologically challenged I'm afraid but hope you find some takers!

A warm welcome to YesEinsteinsMumDid

could you please post a link to the fly bingo page - I'm not sure I've for the right one

Waves to new people, and familiar faces alike. Nice to see you all!

Very slumped after humongous NY dinner, although we did have a walk this morning too.

SC no, I didn't catch the Henning Wehn thing although others have mentioned it too. I don't find him very funny as a rule though...

Evening all, it's lovely to see so many Fledglings returning to the nest and a few new ones too. I'm still on my phone (also trying to watch the darts on it ) so keeping things brief for tonight. It's been a nice day, went for a bracing country walk with DS while DD and DH had a lie-in and then met up with a friend later.

Tomorrow is Saturday, so no missions but it is Family Fun Day

and our babystep is Dress to lace-up shoes.

Quick list dump then I'm off to bed

Ta da
Lie in
Visit to PIL
Family 'trip' out - just a walk in the country side but was lovely
one load of washing done and hung up
one load of washing folded (Kondo style) and put away
Dishwasher unload and reload
Vague meal plan and Online shopping done
Fitbit set up to get me into cleaner living, spent some time getting the hang of it.

big waves to newbies and returnees Yes, George, Stinch, PA and PMPY

Here you are Stinch.

www.facebook.com/groups/FlyBingo/

It's a private group so posting won't appear on your friends feeds - good as I suppose they don't care too much about your shiny sink!

Oooh, did I just spy PA further back? Welcome back. This is turning into quite a reunion.

And welcome to the newbies too. (George - I keep Flylady quiet too, as my friends would also think I'm bonkers. Am intrigued by the Fly Bingo.)

SC - I agree, it's shocking that DS1 is now 16. He's quite young for his age, so not a tall, gangly teenager, but definitely showing the characteristics of teens in terms of argumentativeness (with his AS traits thrown into the mix to liven things up).

And yes, I have made the most of R&R since we arrived home from my mum's on 29th. Before then, it was all go with family, plus a friend's wedding. I was so tired that I slept for 10 hours the first night we arrived home.

Nothing planned for this weekend, so I am inviting some of DS2's friends to a play. Feel a bit sad that I can't do the same for DS1; he is really very solitary these days, so it will be good for him to be back at school next week.

Didn't get round to ironing today after all, but have kept up with the washing up and cooked a very nice, spontaneous meal of sausages, roast onions and roast potatoes, served with broccoli. Have also drunk lots of elderflower ( of SC finishing off the bottles of red).

I miss flybingo! Used to play it a lot on the AIM chatrooms.
Friends know I'm bonkers anyway. It's nearly 15 years since I found flylady, and still in lots of chaos. However, the few minutes and rest setup works well with chronic illness.

Good morning all. I have been awake for 2 hours (I know I will regret this later). Yesterday was reasonably productive - the tree and most of the decs are down and dp and I sorted and tidied the living room. I love Christmas but it is nice to reclaim the living room.

I am meeting a friend for coffee and shopping for a present for my nephew who is 1 next weekend today. Hopefully the shops won't be too manic. I also plan to do some washing, ironing and food shopping in preparation for returning to work next week - I cannot believe how quickly the last two weeks have flown. I have 6 weeks until I begin my maternity leave so I am hoping they will fly past just as quickly!!

Happy new year y'all.
Back from lurking :)
Need gentle nudges and reminders, so I'll join ranks if that's ok.
I bleached the life out of my sink last night, I'm doing the mindfulness course so I chose that as an exercise, if you want. Just as deeply satisfying as always. Changed the sponges and the microfiber cloth too. Went to bed grinning :))))
I'll pretend today is friday and clean and declutter the car (we went for a very muddy walk yesterday).

Massive waves to everyone who recognises me after my years of absence! and thank you for the welcome back.

Toffee DS1 is 16?????? Good grief that makes me feel old!!! Sympathies for the teenage tantrums/grunts/attitude mixed in with SN. You WILL survive!! although surviving with sanity would be a bonus

SC - pigeon has not been on the menu, unfortunately. I think I could do a re-run of feeding the 5000 and do an upgrade to pigeon rather than bread and fish! In the summer I persuaded DH to buy a set of anti pigeon spokes to get rid once and for all! Well, DH has not realised despite relentless nagging that the spikes sitting in their box in my dining room are not actually going to be that successful at their intended job!

I am going to have a click on that fly bingo link. It sounds good if I had a few spare hours to join in - unfortunately my flying is squeezed in between "life".

Opticians this morning. Quite excited to choose some new glasses although will need to lie down in a darkened room to come to terms with the price of the old gimmers variafocals that are needed

Today is not going to include much housework. I really have to get some study done, after not doing any for the past 3 weeks.

Have a good day everyone.

Good morning everyone - welcome Allguns and TheEx great to have new thread members.

< hands strong to Mercury > I have been sort of up since 4:30 as DS decided that he'd had enough sleep by then

To Do Today:
Reclaim the dining room - it looked lovely for Christmas but now is in danger of becoming a junk room again, which makes me twitchy.
Put all the Christmas decorations back in the loft
More laundry
Pick up Click and Collect order from tesco
And loads of other odds and ends i can't think of right now.

Happy flying

Thanks for the Grey I actually went back to sleep until 10 so Im very refreshed. Dp had started boxing up bits we won't use between now and moving (hopefully at the end of the month) and done some washing up, which is a lot more proactive than he has been for the last week. Im just getting ready then im going to brave the shops with dd and a friend to buy birthday presents for my nephews birthdays next weekend.