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,

ds's body clock miraculously seemed to change in sync with the clocks going back. He only woke up 20 mins ago Last night we took him trick or treating to my Mum's, my brothers, and my sister's. His first time. He's now asking to eat all his goodies for breakie strict Mummy comes to fore again yesterday we done our food shopping so thats already done thank gawd. dh is going to the pub this lunchtime to watch the big football game so i'm gonna take ds swimming.

to do

wash dishes
strip beds
put bed linen in wash
do some more laundry
general tidy up

That's interesting to read babble Mine are 7 and nearly 9. The elder is definitely getting more sly and spiteful towards the younger. Nice to know I have possibly 5 more years of it

afreshD's here is near 11 and king of words to hurt,more recently join the sly kick punch in retaliation to dd2(12).last week it was lil zoo got punch in breadbasket n gasp as winded her(wasn't even her was mad at,dd2 set him off n lil zoo nearest to vent at)he goes into mad rages at bloody Ds games too and launch's Ds x floor-bysted one n dp stupidly git another evil mum wouldn't have done and shout dp for be soft on h as also a gamer
Girls def do the drama llama thing in my experience, boys rages n "pissing contests"-aka who top dog(sigh)
I really see no positive purpose if hormones!!!

Tadas
Wash in dryer,more on
Quick tidy front room bout wash live room floor....

Oh dear

Why can't they stay toddlers forever !

Ta Da

DC all fed
Dryer emptied and folded
Dryer reloaded
Washer reloaded
Breakfast pots washed
2/3 worktops clean
Steriliser filled

To Do

Wash bottles and put in steriliser
Empty kitchen bins
Clean pets
Sweep and mop kitchen
Third worktop
Dejunk and clean table
Clean Hob

I'm only going by experience of me and my close group of friends, there are only 3 girls born into the massive group of boys (16) that we've raised, which range between 4 and 17 years, they're pretty much growing up with each other which is nice, and we do day trips etc together, but we also notice a pattern with behaviors around certain ages.

And we've come to believe that 8-12 is worse than terrible twos. In fact we now remember the terrible twos fondly, and feel a little sad that we will never experience the worry of breaking the little ones ankles, as he protests about being in his buggy, and tries to stop the buggy by scraping his feet along the floor.

Oh yay love that you have Haglets Babble :o I keep wanting to call mine Caglets in real life

Only DS is awake, we've been cuddled up all morning trying not to wake DD. I fell asleep on the sofa last night and I woke up to find DS just merrily walking round in a circle slapping his knee with every step?! He's such a weird kid. 😍😍😍

I am so annoyed as I've woken up really wheezy :( just hoping I can have an easy day but DH is working later.

It was either bablets, which made them sound quite young. Haglets, which sort of suits them at the minute, or brats, but that's not always true all of the time, sometimes they're good kids when other people look after them.

I don't do too badly with terrible twos. I can take that in my stride! TBH though maybe that's because none of mine so far have been that terrible.

The eldest is at his worst now at nearly nine.
Seven year old was a horrendous four year old but has got so much better, hopefully he will escape the 8-12 curse.
Three year old dd is at her worst right now, she didn't do terrible twos but now spends 50% of her time in full on threenager mode.

And baby ds is, well he's 12 days old. He can do no wrong.

Morning all! I've got a way to go before age 8 - 12 , you are making me a little nervous!!

I have been in bed all morning. Dh has brought me breakfast and coffee once again. Feel a bit bad that he hasn't had a lie in all weekend but I really really needed this rest! Ds slept much better last night he was only up at 2am and 6am. He is asleep on me again and I'm going to do some online xmas shopping I think.

Off to the pub for lunch later so not even any cooking to do!

Loving the haglets and caglets!

I definitely don't wish they would stay toddlers forever!! 5 years old, maybe. That's a nice age.

Ta das:-
More unpacking
DD2 half dressed (a daily battle)
More laundry
Food in slow cooker for later
Decluttered a drawer as no room to put laundry away. Found a load of jumpers I never wear but might wear one day. To keep or not???!!! Put back in drawer for now.
Decluttered floor of airing cupboard as part of laundry extravaganza

To do:-
Finish getting DD2 ready - she can do it herself mostly but requires constant outfit changes as changes her mind all the time.
Take DD2 with me to collect cat from cattery
More laundry
Bit more unpacking
Try not to all argue as we sort stuff out for tomorrow. Luckily is INSET day here.
And if course the swimming party . Think less of a renew your spirit day and more of a crushing it day today. Who in their right mind organises a swimming party. The mum invited all the kids then told us it was swimming . And said she was surprised how few people could make it . Ugh.

Oh and my dd is nearly 3 and so far she has not been particularly terrible so I guess she is saving it all up!she has her moments but usually can put it down to tiredness . As long as she gets a decent amount of sleep she is pretty well behaved (obviously normal toddler stuff but not many full on tantrums). And ds is only 8 weeks so can also do no wrong apart from keeping me up all night but that's kind of a given

Swimming parties should be illegal until the guests are old enough to go in without their parent :o

Agree with cag re swimming parties!
toostressy yy to 5 where they're just starting school and excited about everything but old enough to discuss there problems and dress themselves, and still come out with the cutest mispronounciations. Remembering ds3 asking daddy to hump his tyres up, with that humper.

I have only caught up with todays posts but am definitely in the same boat as so many of you. Dd is 8 and Ds1 10 and they are ridiculously argumentative and sometimes nasty with each other. It drives dp and I insane!!

Ta da
Ironing done and hung up
Tumble dryer emptied and refilled

Dc fed and washing up done
Veg peeled for dinner

Dp will be largely out of action today as he is in agony with his back but I need to get the house clean and sparkly as we are hosting a halloween tea tomorrow. In addition I need to take dd to her swimming lesson and have planned a walk with my mum.

Yes my DD1 is just about to turn 6 and this is the first time I have felt a little like she is growing up too soon. Only a bit though, on the whole I love them getting older.

Ta da:-
Picked up cat
DH has taken DD1 out to shop

To do:-
Lunch for me and DD2
Some kind of house rescue as it is such a mess post-holiday
Continue with mount washmore
Wrap present and card
Get swim stuff ready
Swimming party
Calendar check
Sit down!

I like them little! I am already sad that DC4 is nearing two weeks old I want him to be tiny forever

Goodness, lots of nattering going on here since I last looked

Also loving Caglets/Haglets/Zoolets!

I'm with Afreshstartplease on this and wish they could stay toddlers forever (although am hardly qualified to comment with just one!!).
DD was a very easy baby/infant - always smiley and happy - and didn't go through the terrible twos at all but she was fairly challenging at four! A total delight at 5/6/7/8 yrs, but another blip at 9yrs. Fine again at 10 and 11yrs but don't get me started on pre-teen and teenagehood! Funny how it goes isn't it?

Dd has no siblings to argue with sadly, so she reserves that particular delight for her parents . She is a model child when one-to-one, but is quite argumentative when we are altogether (interrupting etc) even at the age of 13 yrs which drives us nuts sometimes. But three is a difficult number and the situation is exacerbated with dh travelling so much and him being far too- soft-- and teenage hormones; she is desperate for his exclusive attention when he is here. And to be fair to her, when he is here he is often on his phone, or dashing out to meeting, or dashing back to office or watching the news obsessively, etc etc, so not at all easy to get his full attention!

Gloriously beautiful, sunny, autumnal day here, so we are all off to walk the dog in the country!

Ta da:
animals
empty dw
filled dw
shined sink
shined stove top
cleared and wiped down kitchen surfaces
gathered in dirty laundry from around the house (thank you dh for throwing your dirty laundry on the bit of floor where the laundry basket normally stands when it was actually downstairs in on this occasion [anger] [anger]
hung up overnight washing and fed machines again
gave laundry room itself good clear and clean: recycled empty powder boxes and detergent bottles, brushed away cobwebs, wiped down manky sink area, cleaned top of machines, hovered floor etc.
delivered loo rolls to lavs around the house
dining room table hot spots
made white pipe cleaner mummies with dd
s & s bathroom

Feel guilty now because I cleaned instead of going to church. [Catholic guilt.]

To do:
family bed change
boudoir
play/tv room (dreading it)

Dh says he is cooking tonight so I'm leaving that to him! Yay!

Lots of energetic Flying going on this morning I see:

Lovely to see you Mercury! Sorry to hear your dh is suffering with his back though!

Babblehag arf at humper So happy to hear that your back feels better and you got some sleep! You've done loads this morning too!

Good list there Stressy I have lots of similar dilemmas about clothing!
Also agree with Cag about swimming parties.! Hope it is not too awful! (The sight of me in a swim suit would deeply traumatise poor dc.) Here's your for when you get back!

Foxes whey hey to a few more hrs sleep and breakfast in bed! Enjoy the pub lunch! You deserve a bit of relaxation!

Hats off to a very good list there Afreshstartplease continually amazed/in awe that you get all that done with 3 + baby!!

Sorry you are wheezy Cag hope it clears soon and at knee slapping!

YY to girls and llama drama Stillivinginazoo! Wow to your early morning ta da list!!

Clever lad you have there Celeste he obviously knew you would enjoy a Sunday lie-in!

Must go as dh, dd and furry waiting for me ... .

Enthusiastic wing flaps to anyone I have missed!

Enjoy your Sundays and well done re: magnificent Flying one and all!

2 year old dd has been having tantrums all night, I had a break between 3 and five but other than that it was pretty constant.
I'm exhausted and hope she didn't keep the neighbours up too ( semi detached house).
Dp has taken her out so that I can have a sleep / do some course work.
Today's ta-das:
Post breakfast clean up, shine sink
Living room vacuum
Living room dust
Toy tidy

Btw, very briefly, love the way this thread gives one inspiration/motivation!

E.g. purely because Foxes reported how she had managed, with small baby and young 'un, to get to the bottom of Mt Washmore, did I feel sufficiently ashamed inspired to tackle laundry today!

And just found myself being reminded by Babblehag mentioning lounge table that I desperately need to sort surface of square pouffe thing that lies sits between sofas and telly, as it is teetering with crapola

....so ...THANKS all

Choring can be such a lonely/unacknowledgedbusiness, it is nice to be doing it in much more of a collective way!

Oh no qazxc that sounds exhausting. Hope you can fit in a good nap before having to tackle course work!

Really must go, I am being called rude names now

I am clearing out some bags! Couple of days late but ah well I just felt like it and I can do it sitting down. I have also chucked a few DVDs and some kitchen stuff, and DD has agreed we can try to sell some of the old play figures (Disney characters etc).

I agree SC it is so good to have a supportive space in which to share our triumphs and encourage each other!

SC it's funny isn't it, you wouldn't think chatting about housework (amongst lots of other things obviously!) would be interesting / inspiring / relaxing / funny but it is! This thread has made me realise how much having a bit of control over my living space makes me feel generally calmer and more relaxed. I do more housework but only in small bursts and I love the bit of routine it gives me and that if I miss a day or two or more I can easily jump back in! I think dh thinks I'm a bit mad. Not that he doesn't do housework because he does but I said to him that sometimes I like doing a bit of housework when he has the kids because it clears my mind! He looked at me funny but then I pointed out that he was having a great time this morning cutting down branches in the garden and I think that's a bit mad!

Anyway I'm waffling. Maybe I am a bit pathetic but I do think with me tidy house equals tidy mind!