Fledglings flutter vaguely into August - summer mode continues

[BlueEyeshadow]

Ok, so stealing Einstein's OP from last month, summer mode hereby continues.

This means:

1. You are still welcome to join and post
2. If you want there to be links and no one has posted them, feel free to post them.
3. As technical thread leader I shall be hanging out in the naughty corner bar when I am around, and there'll be other people in and out too, I'm sure.
4. We'll still answer questions for anyone wanting information on the fly lady system and support each other. It's just a little more relaxed.

And with that, bring on August and yet more crazy pants school holiday stuff...

Not enough happening here - we did make the Fair and the food shopping, but still not sent the emails or paid the bill!

Weather not helping with laundry, but today looks good so I'll hang some out for more than a few minutes . Also planning to be out today so probably won't get much done then either. DD very clingy, she does have a few days out next week so will get stuff done then!

Fool how did the appointment go yesterday? I hope they could come up with some helpful and pain-easing strategies for you.

Thanks for the support Cag

I've capitulated to one lot or rather dh has (and they will be coming for lunch on Sun and staying overnight) and compromised with the other lot so we will be meeting them for a meal/country fair elsewhere and they will continue to stay elsewhere. I will enjoy it in the end I'm sure and hopefully dd will enjoy seeing old friends. Just got a bit fed up with all the guests passing through these past summers (have a large family too who also visit frequently) and this house is hard work when it comes to people staying. [Whinge over ] It's one of the worst/best bits of expat life tbh depending on how energetic one is feeling

Sequential you're not a hotel and are entitled to have the summer largely to yourself. No guilt needed in the slightest!

Morning,

I know what you mean about guest Sequential I hate it when we have people staying over. Always feel on edge and judged. I also hate staying over at other people's houses just as much.

Its always sad when clearing out dc stuff Caglio. Its like an actual end of a chapter i feel.

Yesterday we went cinema, ds did well but we did have to go back to the refreshment area and get him a refill on his drink, which then resulted in three toilet breaks. He managed to keep concentrated on the film better than i thought he would though.

Today i have taken ds toi nursury so i am gonna blitz the bathrooms before lunch and then have some me time this afternoon.

I gave up on the washing yesterday Cotswold as the rain was coming down in stair rods! Hope weather is better today so you can enjoy your trip out!

Did manage to tidy half of boudoir yesterday and make a start on home office desk and did some batch cooking for freezer and then dd and I spent 3.5 hours (on and off) in office stuffing brochures in to envelopes while attending to air con engineers.

Off to visit old family friends across the border later today and picking up office equipment on way there. In meantime, need to cook some sort of veggie casserole before contents of fridge box get too old.

Happy Flying everyone!

That sounds like a good compromise SC well done!

Celeste hurrah that sounds like a successful cinema introduction :) was the film good? I really want to see it, but am also nervous that it won't be as good as the original, which I watched constantly growing up.

Speaking of films, we finally watched the Imitation Game last night. We both cried! We went to Bletchley Park a few years ago, it was incredible, but very moving, particularly the notice about the royal pardon. :(

Celeste you always sound really organised! Glad the cinema trip went well and good luck with your bathroom blitzing!

Caglio I don't particularly like films with overly too much 3D/Special effects. I didn't enjoy it as much as the original of course because of that reason but i think anyone seeing it for the first time would enjoy it however. I've not heard of Imitation Game however.

Sequential I would say my house is clean but not tidy. I try and get the kitchen deep cleaned on Tuesday whilst ds is at nursury and the bathrooms on Thursday when ds is at nursury. Then its just a hoover round Friday and Monday. I like to make sure the lounge is clutter free and the kitchen sink is empty at the end of the day too. Its a routine that seems to work.

Oh dear, dh has finally cracked and taken away dd's lap-top and Ipod to his office. [She has been given warning after warning after warning and hasn't stuck to the agreed time limits or done much if any revision] [sigh] We are officially evil parents ... .

Celeste you sound as though you have a really good system going (not easy with a little one in tow)! I do like a clean bathroom and kitchen (although my kitchen is a bit cluttery despite keeping equipment to minimum). Also try and keep ground floor presentable but everything very old/tatty and in need of renovation/decoration! Rest of house a bit of a tip tbh Flylady basic routines have definitely helped though!

I have done sod all today!

Sequential That seems like a good form of punishment though. Has it had any positive effect on dd? and when will she get back her things?

ta das

fed ds
took ds to nursury
washed dishes
made beds
cleaned bath
cleaned shower screen
cleaned loo in bathroom
cleaned basin in bathroom
changed towels in bathroom
cleaned downstairs loo
cleaned basin downstairs
mopped both bathroom floors
general tidy up
went into town for a coffee and carrot cake
picked up ds
made tea
bathed ds

Sorry to list every bit of the bathroom instead of just saying cleaned bathroom but it makes me feel better when i see it in text love a clean bathroom though. Am currently pearched on the loo watching over ds in bath and the room looks so shiney

Cagliostro I watched Imitation Game when it was on at the weekend and thought it was fantastic. I live close to Bletchley Park and have visited in the past. It is amazing to think such important historical events took place so close by.

Celeste I can completely relate to the joy of a clean bathroom, clean sheets also make me feel very happy.

Today I decluttered dds room and removed 6 bin bags of stuff. This is ridiculous as we did a big declutter 6 months ago when we moved in to this house! I am now looking at storage solutions for her room. Unfortunately the room is not completely finished so I will be spending tomorrow morning tidying.

I also took ds2 to baby group, got him weighed at clinic and met a colleague in the park with her dds. I feel exhausted now and am planning an early night.

Sloping back in shamefaced as I don't think I posted for the whole of July. Feeling strangely motivated though in last couple of days so I want to try and get back to posting and flying

DP is now putting Meerkitten to bed at night which is finally giving me a bit more time to tidy in the evening now that I'm not breastfeeding her to sleep every night for hours

Feeling pretty tired this evening but I figured if I didn't post tonight and state my intention to get back on the wagon that a few more days might slip by without me even noticing it

To be fair though I had a friend and her kids coming to visit today and I couldn't help thinking to myself that considering I have a baby/toddler that my house isn't too bad.

Investing in a few plastic tubs in the last week and putting them in each room with baby toys has made a big difference as I have somewhere definite to tidy toys to at the end of each day.

I've also managed a couple of blitzs of the bathroom, kitchen and dining room table in the last week which has made a big difference.

Meerkitten has had d&v for the last week and we are only just back on an even keel but somehow that seems to have focussed me as well to have more of a system back in place.

Feeling very tired so will slope off to bed now but I aim to back shortly and to start following the system a bit more

Yay! Lovely to see you back Dogsbum! Sorry to hear Meerkitten has been unwell but congrats on mega-blitzing! Hope you enjoy your friend's visit today and please don't be shame-faced, the beauty of this thread is that we can all drop in and out of it as we please!

Mercury wow to 6 bags of clutter!

Celeste agree it is very satisfying to see achievements written down! Congrats on mega-list achieved!

Removal of technology (after a very rocky start) has been hugely successful so far I have to say! Dd is transformed in to almost a different child! She even looks physically better for it and is certainly less moody, engaging more, replying to questions first time(!) etc . It has been lovely to have her "back" and is a salutory lesson - as parents I think we dithered about this far too long about this and have been far too slack - we are tightening up on all fronts.

Shouldn't be offering parental advice - because half of the time I frankly don't know what I am doing! - but I would say to those of you with young 'uns - to get a grip of the technology situation early on - because it can so oh so subtley and insidiously get out of hand if you turn your back on it for an instant! (And I thought I was being fairly vigilant to be honest with rules in place.)

DD won't be getting her lap-top back for a while yet I'm afraid (long story) but we will be letting her use her Ipod for 30 mins at a time (in the evenings when other fun/study things have been achieved) as and when we think it appropriate [continuing to be evil mother emoticon]

Happily there are loads of things going on atm so I don't think she will have lots of time on her hands to mourn the lack of gadgets. Visited distant relatives of dh yesterday who wanted to show us their newly transformed garden which is totally white (well there aren't many white flowers in it atm but totally amazing what you can do with just different shades of green to be honest ) and it was lovely! And they spoilt dd rotten and she made Flemish pancakes with her hosts which she loved! And then we all went for a walk by the sea with dogs and paddled which blew more cobwebs away!

Cag eveyrone deserves a "sod all" day from time to time! It's the holidays!

Cotswold sorry, missed your supportive comment about 'hotel' yesterday - thank you - I do find it hard to shed the Catholic guilt Hope you have managed to have a bit of 'me' time with your dd being at clingy stage.

Feeling much more positive now the technology issue has been contained a bit and despite everything, dd seems happier too. So off to do a big summer clean of parish vestiare this afternoon (which is fairly ordered thank heavens thanks to earlier decluttering efforts) while no one else is there and dd is off to office to man the reception at the office over lunch time which she loves (she takes in courier packages, transfers calls, does sandwich run, sorts and delivers post and does a spot of filing etc) while being fed cake by colleagues

House on its way to being visitor ready but need to sort bedding and do big hoover. And sort fridge and do bit chuck out/clean.

Cheery wing flaps to everyone else!

Ah that's great news SC re: technology! I agree, it does get out of hand really easily. Very sweet to hear of DD working at the office too :)

I agree everyone needs 'sod all' days, it's just that I have far too many...

Hey Dogs sorry about Meerkitten being poorly.

Mercury Its amazing how quickly kids collect all sorts of clutter

Dogs I hope merekitten gets better soon. Is merekitten a cat or a codeword for a child?

Sequetial Interesting to see how the removal of ipod and laptop has worked with dd. I'll have to remember that ploy! Good luck with the visitors!

Hi Zoo

Been a beautfil day here looking forward to the weekend.

Todays ta das

fed ds
washed dishes
made beds
tidied ds room
washed dishes
wiped kitchen worktop
made lunch
hoovered all rooms
dusted and polished lounge
general tidy up
made tea

Hope everyone has a nice weekend

Thanks SC it is good to be back. Had a great visit with uni friend, we haven't seen each other in the flesh for about eight years and now have three kids between us which changed our meet up but was great and we plan to meet up again in next few months.

Congratulations on impact of technology on DD, astonishing that it can make that much difference, it's a bit scary isn't it really.

Meerkitten is a bit young for technology yet but I did accidentally put on a channel with a cartoon on and she stood up and raised her hands towards it like she was seeing something utterly mesmerising, it was astonishing and I quickly turned over.

What age do kids start to be into technology so that I can keep an eye on it?

Thanks Caglio she is finally back to normal now poor thing

Celeste that did make me laugh, I had the same confusion over zoolets.

Whilst there is a lot of the cheeky monkey and meerkitten in her I think she is technically human

I've attached a few photos to perhaps clarify the matter any excuse

I'll attach a rare photo that is less cheeky monkey and more human!

Ugh@myself. I can't seem to get motivated to do anything. Did manage to streamline my tupperware - that's about it, and DP helped me change the bedding - I can't do it myself. DP is working overtime on the laundry and pretty much everything else.

Well done, everyone else though, especially celeste

Awwww@meerkitten . [melts]

Anyway, on a more flylady note today I have done:

3 loads of washing and made the most of weather to get them dried on line
Washed up
Food shopped for the weekend
Tidied toys away
Done a little bit of hotspot clearing as and when Meerkitten would allow

Now that DP is upstairs with Meerkitten I will attempt to hoover front room and dining/kitchen and wash dining/kitchen floor. Which is what I should be doing rather than sitting here.

Reluctantly drags bottom off sofa......