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...

[celeste83]

I reckon its because i'm the only one who is a geek enough to post my ta das daily fool

Beautiful children dog

[Stilllivinginazoo]

Awno no zoo,you can't stealmeerkitten and pretend she's one of yours

CelesteI post daily normally,cos keeps me on track as I report in with my chores(or slatterness)been buy depressed last few days and am struggling to motivate.try again tomorrow!!

[FoolandFitz]

What age do kids start to be into technology so that I can keep an eye on it? I thought that babies were born holding an iphone these days The fastest growing users of tablets are 3-4 year olds - I'm not sure that my grammar is correct there but you know what I mean.

DS has unlimited use of ipad but he's pretty good about regulating himself. He is a very active boy who is into a lot of things. The only time I take it off him is when I have asked him to say tidy up and he carries on playing on the device. This happens rarely - I've only had to do this a couple of times. I have more trouble getting him to get dressed, tidy up etc if he is playing with Lego. He is 8.

And remember, if your children use YouTube on a device, there is YouTube Kids app that they can use - much safer with content especially for children and no comments, and hardly any advertising.

[FoolandFitz]

Ugh@my grammar

[celeste83]

I hope you feel better soon Zoo I noticed you also tend to write down daily lists and you normally do more by 8am than i do in a whole day!

[Dogsbumhair]

Thanks Fool she is pretty cute. Don't underestimate tupperware streamlining. I tend to save plastic takeaway tubs and it quickly gets out of hand and so I find a streamlining session makes a big difference. A streamlining session is currently urgently required, even DP has commented on quantity and that means it is bad

3-4 years old and technology addicts is scary! I guess I've got a bit of time as Meerkitten is only 14 months but must keep an eye on it.

Thanks Celeste just 1 meerkitten but she does look quite different in the photos, probably because she is usually goofing about!

Zoo what species do you think the zoolets would be? Would they get on with a Meerkitten? Saw Caglets as well on thread but I don't think I can join in as bumlet sounds all kinds of wrong

[MercuryRising]

Aww lovely pictures Dogsbumhair

I have had another reasonably productive day. I finished dds room and decluttered and cleaned out the car, which was desperate after a few days out.

I even managed a much needed nap with ds2. After tricking me by sleeping for 6 hours two nights in a row he has returned to his usual habit of waking every 2 -3 hours .... it is just lucky he's cute so I can forgive him and actually quite enjoy our nocturnal cuddles.

[Ememem84]

Goals until Wednesday evening:

Clean flat
Change bedding
Change towels
Make sure washing basket is empty
All washing out away/ironed if necessary
Tidy Hoover dust
On Wednesday evening freeze any leftover veggies

We are on holiday for a week on thirsday.

[Stilllivinginazoo]

dogszoolets are crossbreed of wild wildebeest(self explanatory) and locusts(never stop eating) with smattering of wasps(irritating)and a hint of kitten(cute enough to stop me slay them when pushing me to the limit)

Ta dahs
Feed cats
Clean sink and shine
Washing on
Hotspot dining table
Wash hall floor
Feed zoolets
Wash on airer,more in
Swish m swipe bathroom
Bleach lav
Sweep stairs
Wash out n onto airer
Trip to park
Lunch
Put away jigsaw we finished Thursday and was so hard will never do again so shall charity shop it
90mins wrestling with nettles and brambles coming through from next door and taking over

Zoolets now do battle with swing ball whilst I have a well deserved rest?!

[Cagliostro]

gorgeous photos! :)

[MercuryRising]

Today the focus in the Mercury residence has been family fun. We have played basketball, had family games night and watched The Good Dinosaur. Dp and I have decided that now DS1 and DD are older we would like to make family games night a family tradition. I think we are both realising how quickly DC grow up

Flying has been very limited. I washed dcs sheets and changed their beds. Meal planned and did the food shop and DP painted half of the living room after procrastinating for the last 6 weeks.

I hope everybody else has enjoyed the sunshine

[celeste83]

Afternoon,

Dogs I'm stuck between wanting to keep ds at an arms length from digital tech and from wanting him to start doing some educational tools in prep for him going to school in Sept 2017.

Bless the night time cuddles Mercury Sounds like you had a great day yesterday, and yes they do grow sooo quickly make the most of these days!

Yesterday we went into town to get a few bits and bobs, had lunch whilst in town, then popped into a pub garden on the way back and joined some friends for a cheeky glass or two in the sun Today we are just having a lazy day around the home.

Ta da

-fed ds
-washed dishes
-wiped kitchen worktop
-stripped the beds
-put bedding in the wash
-made beds
-wiped toothpaste off bathroom basin proper wrindes me up that does!
-put bedding to dry on the line
-second washing load on

[Stilllivinginazoo]

Tadas
Washing on
Fed cats
Sort thru some paperwork
Fed zoolets
Swish n swipe bathroom-CelesteI feel your pain.zoolets pebbledash tiling splash back and sunk with bloody toothpaste (but st least there evidence they have brush teeth not just ran brushes under the faucet)
Made beds
Washing into airer

Drop them at Sunday school
Pop local allotment for open dayreturned with courgettes
Picked up few books whilst there
Bit stroll shops
Lunch is nearly ready-sweet potato wedges with rosemary and garlic,broccoli, green beans SBD burgers.yum yum yum

[Sequentialchoring]

Helloooooo fledglings! Hope everyone is ok?!

Just dropping by to say - yay!- "guests have left" and I've tidied up not a lot!!

It was genuinely lovely to see them though - and a great time was had by all (phew!). Sort of people you don't mind making an effort for because they are so lovely! Just wish I would not get so wound up in advance. I seem to be getting worse not better - you'd think it would be the reverse with constant visitors ... !

Stilliving Sorry to read down thread that you have been feeling a bit low - hope you are feeling a bit better now [places extra soft bean bags and fluffy quilt and comfy cushions in naughty corner with bottle of gin for later]

Arf at wilderbeest/locust/wasp combination! If anyone of you know the book 'the Zagazoo^ (as recommended on this thread by the lovely Toffee) dd is currently morphing between wailing bat and fiery dragon

Mercury family fun sounds fab! YY to increasing sense of "golden childhood days" passing all too quickly here too! Brings it back home when younger guests were playing this morning with all of dd's old favourites (model cars, model horses, old dolls etc). Time is passing too fast! Hope you can catch up on a bit of sleep soon!

Celeste lazy day sounds lovely!

Emenenem good luck with your pre-holiday organisation!

FoolandFitz and Celeste and others - can't remember exactly when we first allowed dd to be exposed to technology but I know it was pretty late compared to her friends she has made up for it since. Someone bought her an MP3 player as a present for her 8th birthday and we bought her a DS when she was about 9 or 10 yrs I think. Since then it has all gone down hill!

It's a difficult balance with an only child but looking back I would have been much stricter about it all (even though we operate time restrictions on daily use). The Ipod was bad enough but I regret buying her a lap top for Christmas last year. Dh and I disagreed about it - he thought dd would have the self control to handle it - and I doubted that which proved to be true. It has been helpful with some areas of school work though it has to be said. And I must say, it is much easier that she has a computer exclusively to herself which we can monitor and put the tightest of controls on (terrible grammar sorry!). As previously mentioned, it has been confiscated for the moment though because it is too tempting to "play first" before doing study etc. We are working on reversing that position and I need to set a much better example too.

Great that your ds is able to be a bit more balanced about it Foolandfitz! That is really good going at eight yrs old! DD is heavily in to ballet during term time and her school day is quite long plus we insist on reasonable exercise/getting out regularly during holidays but it's all too easy for one's attention to drift for a moment and to find her "plugged in" yet again!! It's the constant monitoring which gets wearing!

Dogsbum so lovely to see all the photos of Meerkitten she is so gorgeous - as bright as a button - and always seems so contented! Still keeping you on your toes I am sure!

Right, going to do not a lot for the rest of the day, except for trying to track down some equestrian events in the Olympic coverage ... . DD insisted on staying up to watch the opening ceremony but I lost the will to live around the K and L part of the alphabet! Held out though and it was great to see the refugee team marching under the Olympic flag. (Good to see something heart-warming after all the drug scandals etc.)

Enjoy the rest of your weekends everyone!

Waves to all the fledglings I've missed!

[Sequentialchoring]

Sorry - correction - I see it was Dogsbum who asked about technology and FoolandFitz who was responding to that question! Apologies!

[FoolandFitz]

mercuryrising that sounds like a fun, happy day

stillliving I'm visiting my friend's allotment later in the week (she is so proud of herself) and I'm quite excited about the visit. Taking DS (Foolet? ) with me, hope he behaves.

sequential sigh of relief that visitors have left. House is always quiet when they leave, but it's nice to have space back to oneself too.

Yesterday was filled by wedding - both the ceremony in the morning and the night do. Lovely wedding. Managed to catch a few hours chill out time at home during the afternoon as it was a local wedding. When DS & I got back at 10.30 pm, I put him to bed and tidied up the downstairs because we had left it in a mess, plus it gave me a chance to wind down. I quite enjoyed the tidying actually, especially as DP had already gone to bed and there was no one to chat with.

DS woke me up really early (pre-6am ugh! - I ordered him back to bed) and then went back to sleep but I didn't. After a couple of hours of zoning out in front of the TV, I managed the following ta-das:

put everything away in bedroom (hair stuff/make up from yesterday, chairdrobe), made the bed, dusted and hoovered - looks lovely now. bliss.
washed wedding outfits, dried and put away
washed, dried another load and is on chair to put away
helped DS tidy up his bedroom

[Stilllivinginazoo]

sc thanks(snuggles down with large bar chocolate in naughty corner)
Not read that book.maybe I should as dragon/bat sounds like dd2
fool maybe a fitzlet?

We had bit drama at chez zoo.zoolets were out playing in garden when next doors granddaughter (who lives there)ask to play.all seem OK she invite them onto her trampoline. 10mins later D's storms in and flops down in tears hold hand,which rapidly swell at knuckle joints to fingers say she had Stamp repeatedly on his hand....
I went round n she try claim accidently step in it-shr a slender 8year old,similar to little zoo in stature and no way she could do that accident tread on him,which o point out.nan then say 3them might be gang up on her accuse something she hadn't done.I add my lot aren't angels,but if there was an incident that upset her she should've told me or her nan,as I would've expevt inevyo do rather than hurt each other and with that j turn on feel n left to ice D's hand
He OK now.I text her nan,as I know she's been suffering depression since made redundant in spring and explained I didn't want us to fall out and that I would've expected her to do the same in my position.I offered have a go at her back garden tomorrow as its waist hi in grass and brambles seriously taken hold at bottom-good 6foot square of blackberry's growing!!(fellow sufferer I know how hard it is to motivate and personally I find pootling in garden quite soothing)
Sorry to hi jack fly thread,I needed air I wasn't go in too heavy handed?(doubts self a lot)
Thanks for listening.as you were

[Sequentialchoring]

Morning all

Stilllivinginazoo having one's hand repeatedly stamped on does not sound like something a child would make up! So I am sure you haven't over-reacted. And even if you did, you have since sent a very nice building-bridge text so I am sure there is no harm done (and lovely of you to offer to help with garden). Hope your ds's hand is OK this morning.

Wedding sounds lovely FoolandFitz (especially with pause in middle!) And congrats on being so on top of things re: post wedding blitz and post-wedding laundry! It is nice to be able to clean without anyone else around isn't it? I get so much more done when I am totally alone!

Speaking of which, yes it was lovely to see guests and catch up, but also lovely that they have now gone . Despite having to make up five beds for a one night stay, it didn't seem too onerous because they came a day earlier than expected when I wasn't quite ready which made me a bit anxious but stopped me going in to pre-guest overdrive!

Determined to stop the lax holiday rot and get a bit more organised this week! Starting with ... bed stripping... meal planning, kitchen cleaning, rabbit room sweep out and laundry!

Have a productive week everyone! Cheery wing flaps to all!

[celeste83]

I think you handled the situation well Zoo its hard sometimes to not let emotions run you into an argument but these things happen though with kids getting into scraps. I'm sure they will all make up and forget about it in no time. Kids normally do. Did your neighbour accept your olive branch?

Fitz i'm the same, once i'm awake thats it i can't get back to sleep which is annoying especially when you get woken up. This morning i got woken up by the seagulls. They seemed to be having a massive barney the other about 6ish that woke me up. I wonder if a hawk made an early morning breakfast out of one of their pack as the seagulls were going crazy.

Sequential I'm glad the visitors went well. Must be nice to get your house back to a home rather than a hotel mind.

Usual Monday morning/post-weekend chores here today for me!

[Stilllivinginazoo]

Hi all.thanks for the reassurance o wasn't Wade in like a harridan/mad fish wife!! D's hands OK todayhe on D's at mo and hasn't mention it today

Another one who once awake game over for sleeping....

Ta dad
Wash on
Fed cats
Hotspot dinner table
Trip shops
Fed zoolets
Swish n swipe bathroom
Empty all bins unto black one ready for collection
Recycling out
Clean bedroom windows
Clean bathroom windows and toothpaste splattered mirror.grrrrr
Bleach lav
Sweep stairs,wipe base boards and clean photo frames(zoolets baby pics down the stairway)

Have a two min breather as wheezy from dust then onto front room!!
(Sorry long itemised ta days,for mu benefit so can see I have made progress and can treat self later for hard flying

[Stilllivinginazoo]

PS is it just me or why witjin5mins if clean loo/bathroom,no matter what time I do it,SOMEONE needs a poo!!

[celeste83]

Tell me about it Zoo its so annoying when you put bleach down the loo and then 2 or 3 minutes later you hear someone flushing it I wouldn't mind but we have two loos and i always make sure one is still in use whilst the other is bleaching but noooo they have to used the one with bleach down. Not sure whats worse, that or the toothpaste marked basins! Talking of which how on earth does someone get toothpaste splat on the mirror?? Happens here too.

Ta da:

fed ds
washed dishes
wiped kitchen worktop
emptied kitchen bin
made beds
domestos'd upstairs loo

Still need to hoover through and sort out the dreaded laundry pile.

[MercuryRising]

Zoo it is not just you - it is so frustrating!!

[Stilllivinginazoo]

Thought was just zoolets habit,pleased its universal

I tidy front room a but after my breather then hit next doors garden.....neither of us own a strimmer so I attack waist hi grass with scissors. Cut around a third if grass down(5binbags full)she came n sat step and chat a bit. She is go try n get app gp-in past 18 months made redundant,split up partner,sons not speak her/refusing see child she cares for that's his,and she having health probs so I said to her I'd be shock if you didn't feel down and if its too much effort do anything youust book an app.she gone see daughter today but was pleased what I manage in time I had available(hour)said try do bit more tom if I have time

Then spent pm with a friend at local park/nature reserve.zoolets and her youngest (10)took bikes and after a play they had a long rude whole we walked abf charted.we all flop home tired but happy. Zoolets fed n watered u feel a veg front TV night coming on

[Stilllivinginazoo]

Rude?ride