October Fledgling thread 2016: where we fluff up our feathers and fall back in to autumnal Flying routines

[Strikingclock]

Welcome to the October 2016 Fledgling Flying thread!

Come and park your broomsticks mops and buckets here!

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 , here, 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 bursts of activity (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!

Morning,

SC with these pains au chocolat & slices of hot buttered cramique you really are spoiling us lol

Bless they are only young once hey MrsK [sigh]

We have been to another school visit this morning so not really achieved anything chores wise so far. Will try and get a small ta da list before i give in and have lunch. I'm starving today for some reason.

Hello everyone!
Fell off the thread a bit, but I've been sort of on top of things :)
Massive tidy here today, I need to get on with lots of things!!!

Volunteered thus morning.had give up n come home and lay down at 12getting very frustrated I get so out breath n tired be glad once tests are done Fri n hopefully have some answers!

Tadas
2more loads washing
A nap

To do
Walk/stagger D's n dd2 fun and faith group(and pick them up)
Rest

I may take lil zoo waitrose as its on the way and see anything available at cafe for her tea as other 2get fed at faith group as I really not got the energy for anything more elaborate than s bowl rice krispies and nut milk if she's lucky

Hi all, MrsK. I will happily do a temporary swap of a preschooler for a teenager :) . Maybe just for a day though so I can have a lie in.

SC no not yet started new job. Is only for some extra work on the side of current job. I work in health care so always lots of hoops to jump through before starting anything.

Good evening!

Thanks for all the reassuring words about police etc. I'm just about to watch the local evening news but I'm afraid to say I don't think it was a just a training exercise. DD emerged out of school earlier with two friends and one of the friend's little brother (around whom they very sweetly formed a protective circle) and as they approached the metro stop they could see four police cars parked askew on the pavement, two bomb squad officers walking purposefully away [gulp] and when they got to the tube itself there was an army truck, six armed army personnel on the platform and two or three suspects (one of whom dd though had been tasered) tied up in sitting position on the tube platform itself. DD split from her friends (as they were going on opposite platform) and carried on alone [wibble]. She was questioned by one of the armed officers and her bag was searched. She was allowed to get on to a virtually empty carriage and came home accompanied by two armed police!! She said there was an armed officer on every station they stopped at. I think she will be walking to school tomorrow ... .

Toostressy well good luck with continued study (and you can have my teen too for a day or two if you fancy it - I love messy play with little 'uns!!).

That breathlessness does not sound good at all Zoo [concerned]. I hope you can take things a bit steadier until investigations on Fri x

YY about incense btw - I love it - but definitely an acquired taste!

Whey hey Fencingwire that's great news! V encouraging for us all when fledglings check in with news of positive progress!

Celeste It'll be Ferrero Rocher next just you wait and see .
When do you have to make your final decision re: schools?

Hope the lesson went well Cag and that you can sort out housing situaton without too much stress x Decluttering cannot harm either way I guess!

Foxes [stern look over pince nez] hope you are managing to take it steady although I know that is easier said than done!

MrsK Thanks for taking the trouble to post again about the parent-teen roller-coaster ride! All of that is most reassuring! And you sound as if you have a really lovely relationship with your dd and her friends!

I must be honest and confess that I cannot knit for toffee . DD and I were looking at a You tube "how to" video the other day and failing miserably trying to follow it! I can sew. But of course dd isn't interested in sewing and wants to knit .

I do have that book you recommend - and a few more - I just have to keep calm and follow the advice they offer (the hard bit!!). We have had a bit of a reconciliation session tonight and dd has almost got her sense of humour back although she is very much in the " feeling hard done by" mode atm because everyone else's parents apparently allow a, b and c or do d and we don't . I am trying to remain calm ... and ... breathe ... . Happily an opportunity for dd to escape overnight with two friends has arisen this weekend - the timing could not be better - is just what she needs right now . Thanks again for all the reassurance which is truly appreciated, especially as most of my friends have younger dc.

Encouraging wing flaps to everyone else!

We have lots of paperwork/school stuff/admin to sort tonight while dh is here so I'm going to post the links for tomorrow now and wish you all a very good evening!

G'night all!

**

Today's baby-step no 19 for Wed 19 Oct is: here. [An ignorable one imho about testimonials and purple puddles [vom emoticon].]

Newcomers - here is the launch pad from which you can navigate the site:
www.flylady.net/c/lp.php .

We are in Zone 4 this week, the boudoir: The Master Bedroom, Bath, Closet (October 16-22) here.

Declutter for 15 mins a day in the current zone!
Once decluttered, go on to 15 mins a day of detailed cleaning.

Wednesday's mission can be found: here. Shoe sorting/decluttering - bottom of wardrobe or elsewhere.

The daily focus for Wednesday is: anti-procrastination.

The habit for October is getting rid of paper clutter,
here: www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/october/.
(Scroll down for detailed explanation.)

The daily flight plan here: www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-120 will update itself (hopefully) and if you click on it tomorrow will provide a quick summary of the above.

Small steps one and all! 5 mins is better than nowt [SC wishes she would take her own advice once in a while! ]

*

I got a moment while dd is still in the bath (as tall as me, so she's ok )
So, dusted properly everywhere and everything.
Tidied all rooms.
Changed some furniture around.
Emptied and tidied the bathroom cabinet.
Hoovered (detailed) everywhere. Zoflora-ed every single surface, radiators and hard floors. I bought the 'warm cinnamon' one and it is FAB!
A load of washing in.
Washing machine will start after dinner :)

Eek SC that sounds a bit scary, hope everything is okay.

Ta das
DS had health visitor and his GP check up today
Booked DD flu jab
Booked meal for Sunday
Got my probiotics
Cooked dinner
Dishwasher is on
room rescue living room and bedrooms
Washing put away / more hung up / more on
Books to the charity shop
Clothes to the charity shop

I like writing this stuff down - I've done more than I thought today!

Think that's me done for this evening, dh wants to get some of the furniture sorted in the newly carpeted rooms but I'm trying to convince him it's too late today and we'll do it another day.

Toostressy, it's a deal then😉. How about I suggest a weekend, you'll get as long as you want in bed Sunday. Which will make up for going out at Midnight to collect from a party. Although they will have left & won't answer their phones, eventually they do & have gone to a railway station. In the meantime you recognise two boys from School lost having had their taxi cancelled. You offer them a lift as the station has a taxi rank. They get in your car smelling like a brewery although they are happy drunk & repeatedly tell you how nice you are & they really really appreciate the lift. All of that is true 😏.

In return can I pick a nice Autumn day & take your little'ish ones to a lovely Family farm, with Duck & Pig races & then a nice jolly tractor ride followed by ice cream. I miss going to the Farm (looks back with rose tinted glasses).

Fair swap😃?

I've been lazy, only done the minimum today. Watched an odd Kevin Costner film on Netflix, Mr Brooks.

MrsK fair swap but only if you also get my two up and ready for the day which involves numerous outfit changes for DD2 with associated crying.

SC sorry I missed all the bits about the police - scary stuff

Ta da:-
laundry in progress
Dishwasher on
Bath and bedtime
5 mins study
Exercise DVD

Is our wedding anniversary today so no more flying planned really and is open .

Must do some decluttering at some stage tomorrow though - I never seem to get around to it :(

lol your portrait of parent of teenagers made me laugh MrsK I'll defo not trade my 3 yr old ds for a teenager right now.

Fingers crossed for Friday Zoo

That doesn't sound good at all SC I hope you all are safe.

We don't need to choose the school until December. Got one more visit to do.

Today's ta das

made beds
washed breakfast dishes
cleaned out hamster
hoovered floor after cleaning hamster
fabreezed the house
made tea
washed dishes
zaflora'd the kitchen tops
bathed ds
domestos'd the loo in the bathroom
general tidy up

sc dd was very brave,hope everyone's safe and things calm down now
mrsk had to smile at your teen parent scenarios.gkas list boys didn't disgrace themselves puking in your car!!
PSsc we have your craft situation in reverse-i can knit,not sew and naturally dd2 wants sew.git her sewing machine and she's working in cushions and hair scrunchies...I try teach her yo knit many moons ago and it took my patience to edge despair-sgiuld def done it younger between tiddler tantrums and rwwwnsger ones/everybody's out to ruin my life(sigh)I now understand why I was taught aged 5 to knit so by time I rehit tantrums I well and truly capable I made things often for others in my late teens and twenties.stopped when had last three zoolets at roughly 18mnth intervals,lack time.but u really should get those pins clicking again!!

Ooh and me tadas
Drop at faith group
Fed lil zoo(they get fed pizza there)-she got upgrade from cereal to tuna and cucumber roll,fruit and dairy free yogurt!!
Pick up kids n trail home in dark with wind howling n spit with rain...
Wash up breakfast things
Give up and lay sofa bag midget gems.........

Blimey SC, how awful & frightening for your daughter we are in worrying times. I think I'd be the same as you regarding walking. I hope you're DD is ok. You are very welcome. I am a little 😕 about the knitting though, but, 🙂 about the sewing. I can do neither, my Dad always did the sewing at home. I have another avoiding teenage confrontation book (name escapes me at this late hour) which gives common scenarios & ways to deal with them. Of course translating that into real life is not always so easy. I'd like to hope so about my relationship with DD but as you know it's rather nuanced. It's seems ok you've had a nice day etc with them & then suddenly you're having a barney seemingly out of nowhere. I think from everyone's posts its apparent that it doesn't matter how old your child is parenting is hard.

Toostressy, that's me & my rose tinted glasses, I'd forgotten about certain practicalities. Can we rain check 😉? Happy Anniversary 🍾.

Celeste are you sure😉?

Still take it easy no wonder you are tired after recent events.

Night all,

Yikes SC :(

Successful panic tidy this morning (well if you can call shoving stuff in bags successful!) then after my lessons we had a lovely afternoon at a history workshop.

Yesterday:

-food shop

• one load of washing on

-washing out -cat fed

• washing put away

-washing up done

Today so far:
-fed cat

• emptied cat litter
• cleaned couch (cat peed again but think I've worked out why)
• spag bol in slow cooker for tea

-washing on

• couch cushions to soak in cat pee remover

To do:

• wash couch covers (again)
• clean bathrooms
• empty bins (will do this on way out of house for work)
• Hoover bedroom and living room

Good morning! Suddenly very cold and autumnal here today.

Thanks all - dd insisted on going on the metro again this morning - so I went half way with her (combined with dog walk) and it all seemed totally normal. No mention of last night's incident on national or local news, but there have been arrests in Ghent and other areas of Flanders. I suppose we have to be thankful for high police presence and we are trying to keep everything as calm/low-key here for dd's sake and pretending we are not as worried as we really are. The general atmosphere isn't very nice though, it has to be said.

Well done with your lists Shesgotelectricboobs which seem v organised indeed.

OOohh I'd love dd to go to a history workshop Cag. I am a bit that dd won't be studying the same English history as we all did but I am doing my best to put the odd British slant on things. For eg, she is studying the legend of Horatius Cocles and his stand against the Etruscans on the Pons Sublicius etc etc in Latin atm, so I have introduced her to the Macaulay poem (well, bits of it).

I think I also have that book too MrsK ! Agree about "storms" emerging from nowhere though. A previous wise poster on this thread (Knitting) used to call her teens "tinder box children" and I think that describes it exactly! She also compared parenting with planting bulbs ... you don't see the results immediately, and you have to weather plenty of dark days, but you will see the results "flourish" eventually! I like to hope this will be so. I like the sound of those aimably tipsy teen boys in the back of your car btw and yay to sewing fathers and duck and pig races! .

Still yes you should definitely get back to clacking those needles! It would be a good excuse for you to sit down and rest and have a cuppa once in a while!

Well done re: your list Celeste. Good you have time to mull over school decision.

Toostressy belated happy anniversary! I hope you had a lovely celebration! And yy to "never getting around to decluttering" - I have been utterly crap this month too. Must get on with it.

Hope you are taking it steady Foxes and that the abs are kicking in!

Woo-hoo 8FencingWire sounds like you have made a lot of progress yesterday !

I'm doing my Flying best but bank/admin/accountants taking up huge amounts of time. We informed the bank about the deadline for the property transactions months ago, and the bank keeps saying consistently "we have it all under control" but we've just received an e-mail from them this morning saying deadline is going to be "tight". Yes, well, duh that is why we have been chasing you all the time you ***ers!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr ....And breathe ... .

Have a productive day fledglings. Encouraging wing flaps to one and all!

Oh yes, Flying ...

Yesterday ta da:
animals
dd lunch
shined sink, stove, and generally tidied up kitchen
chucked out old stinky flower arrangement
dog walking x 2
supermarket run
stationery shop run
parcels packed and sent (or was that the day before?)
collected parcels from PO
lots of time spent chasing bank and accountants etc
out for church meeting to try and re-start volunteering rota and hardly anyone turned up except the usual group [same old, same old]
shoe mission
sorted a load of coats and hung them up properly (my equiv of clothes pile mission)
hwk supervision
made veggie burgers and huge salad for supper
15 mins tidying boudoir

Ta da today:
animals
dog walk 1 (partly with dd on way to school)
emptied and filled dw
shined sink, wiped down stove top and kitchen surfaces
s & s
dining room table hot spots
lots more banking and faxing and financial admin and chasing [grrr]
cook dd something decent for lunch (half day today)
meet dd half way with dog (dog walk 2)
hwk supervision
trying on clothes and poss pack parcel to return
triage laundry
put away ironed laundry
wash x 4 loads

Oops sorry, missed out "ta da" today after dining room table hot spots, have not done all of that this morning!!

Also need to prep supper. Menu planning going to pot atm.

Have a good day everyone!

I meant "to do"

Oh gawd

"ta da"

"to do"

I give up

Didn't post yesterday, I managed a day of productivity.

yesterdays tada's
dishwasher unloaded and loaded
load of washing
washed remaining pots
wiped sides
wiped tables
swept floors
steam mopped floors
empty bins
swished and swiped
made bed
got dressed to laces
hoovered upstairs
tidied lounge
got all of the above done by 10.30 for inspection.
rang h/a at 10.45 to find its been cancelled, and new appt made for 4/11
went to town
made 8 week meal plan
walked and fed dogs

Not including pee cleaning, turns out friends dog is scent marking everywhere he can smell puppy pee, so although she's almost house trained there are times that she gets too excited and pees, which means if shes peed on anything its either cleaned to best of ability or put in front of washer, he then pees up the door because he can smell the pee behind it.

todays to do

get up and dressed to laces
get meds

its small at minute, I'll add to it later.

Oh bloody hell Babblehag how frustrating to have the appointment delayed after all the work you have put in [anger]

Afternoon all!

SC I suppose that is positive that nothing was on the news at least but I can understand how worried you must be.

Haven't got long as about to attempt to put dd down for her nap. Antibiotics have stopped the fever and I do feel better but I have lumps in both sides now and they hurt a lot, fed up of being too sore to even cuddle the baby or dd properly

Ta das
Dishwasher on
Kitchen sides wiped
Dd lunch made
Washing on and some hung up
Living room rescue

To do
Have lunch !!
Hang rest of washing up
Put laundry away
Room rescue bedrooms and bathroom

Still nothing sorted in our freshly carpeted rooms, we just haven't had the time yet.

Enjoy your days everyone

Good afternoon fledglings, I've snuck onto MN at work to post quickly.

New job is going well, but lots to learn. Not surprisingly, GreyTowers is a bomb site as I now have very limited time for flying....

I've caught up on the thread though, so have a vague awareness of all that has been going on. I will try to post more often, I miss you all otherwise!!