February Flying for Fledglings, No More CHAOS here

[ExpletiveDelighted]

Welcome to February! This is a friendly ongoing thread where we follow (n some cases, very loosely) the Flylady method for sorting out our homes and lives!

Newbies are always welcome here! It’s a long running thread so please don’t worry if we appear cliquey. There’s a lot of chatter and support for all sorts of things, alongside the housework stuff.

Every day I will post a link to the Flylady launch pad, which is where you can access the information for that day - babysteps, missions, daily focus etc. But if you’re confused about anything, please ask!

Check out the website too - but we suggest not signing up for the millions of emails.

The great thing about Flylady is that you jump in where you are. Everything you do is progress. Don’t worry about not “keeping up”. Any achievement, however small, means progress.

More info to follow.

SC she's getting married at a golf club/spa resort and gets 12 rooms for overnight after.shes already negotiated one be ready from first thing on the day as D's designated bolt hole,bless her.ds will be visiting soon and aim is plenty of pics to look at and remind him of where we going etc
Thank you so much for clothes advice.i bloody love this thread❤️
And will deffo start drag zoolets to cafes etc.you are a

And as for DH leading revolt over soup I am so MAD.tell him he wants elaborate he needs get off his arse and do it.DO NOT RUN YOURSELF INTO THE GROUND ON OTHERS EXPECTATIONS

What a busy weekend you have all had fledglings!!
I'm doing the 3am can't bloody sleep routine.i may get up and recipe sort shortly.....

Dd2 had great time at theatre/London.visited a huge lush/primark.got few major bargains(fearne cotton relax kit worth £50 for £13.50)and adored the show.wibbled try eat.survived 12 hours out on few MC d fries and a sip water😖

Rest my day was lovely.coloured D's,lil zoo n I baked cupcakes.she decorated said cakes.played game of life.a rare time spent just chilling with them nothing urgent /pressing interrupted us!!

Need start ECHP revolt today.putting him in mainstream as recommended is NOT an option

Right I'm offcheck news etc and if brain still won't switch down I shall get up...

We have snow. Like actual lying on the ground must have been snowing for a couple of hours snow! Why couldn't it have snowed last week when the kids were off so we could have played in it and I didn't have to drive in it? Oh well it was easy to get the kids up one bellow if 'it's snowing!' And they all jumped up.

No snow here
Just rain

I have a really sore lower back and lower stomach. No idea why

Up just before 6 with dc4 and 5, 5 is now napping. Have to pull my finger out shortly

Morning! SC, your DH has entered proper Cheeky Fucker territory there. Can / does he cook? Actually, properly, and clears up after? If not, you get to decide the menu and he lives with it. If so, he does it. Wins all round. Hope you were able to disappear for some time of your own. Are your guests close enough to you for you to be able to say, this is a mucking in visit? Help, or go home?

Zoo, brilliant ideas from SC about the wedding there, although it looks like you're on top of it. Don't forget, your DD1 wants you there, not a facsimile of her new MIL!

Well done Stressy and foxes on surviving parties and ending the day with cake and wine. We always had someone crying at parties, usually the birthday child. The pressure.for it to be lovely for them for usually too much.

KT, actual healthy vegetables, in a meal? Could I borrow your DH for a bit?

Expletive I too find laundry makes all the difference. Our shortest proper wash is 85 mins tho - unless it's the 30 min quick wash, which doesn't really clean things - so I have to plan quite carefully.

Bower sorry your legs are aching. I used to get leg pain, and restless legs if I'd eaten cheese or had alcohol (odd, but there you are) and cured it entirely (and accidentally) by taking a magnesium supplement. It's been miraculous! I can't eat a lot of natural sources of magnesium and had clearly been deficient for a long while, but taking it daily has really helped.

The holidays are clearly properly over now. Willowhound got up to go yarp at nothing in the garden at 5.35 and I gave up and got up at 5.50. I'm having a quiet coffee before DS3 gets going!

To Dos:
🔳 DW
🔳 LOL
🔳 S&S - not sure about Flylady's "just use any kind of soap, no chemicals" here. Soap does not deal with epic limescale.
🔳 packed lunches
🔳 DS3 back to homeschool for 9am. He is very nervous again.
🔳 DD back to homeschool for 9.40.
🔳 DS2 is back at rock bottom and not going into school today. Meeting with him at 9am to sort out a to do list for the day to help him feel more grounded. DH will keep him on task this morning while I...
🔳 Visit my brother with his birthday present. Will lie through my teeth about sport if necessary!
🔳 Phone call with Connections In Mind about Executive Function Coaching. It's based on Peg Dawson's Smart But Scattered theory, but I fear the cost is going to be insane. I've also started reading the founder's book on the teenage brain, and it's a bit facile if you're anywhere other than at the beginning of the process, and very much aimed at the neurotypical. I'm not certain it will fly even with DS2's "simple" diagnosis of dyslexia and ADHD, never mind the 4 different things each of the others are dealing with.
🔳 Finally get the bloody printing done, now the new magenta cartridge has arrived
🔳 Maths / homework for DS3 this afternoon
🔳 Post parcels back to Amazon
🔳 Latin lesson for DD
🔳 Kung Fu for Ds3 and DD.

Snow We3 ?! It's just warmish and damp here, there's standing water in the garden and on the playing field.

Sorry you're in pain That. (Send hot cup of and painkillers).

Snow...we only get rain every bloody day lately and high winds

Tada
2 bags recipes sorted
Kfed cars
Wash on
Harpic lav

Kitchen
Clean windows
Wipe sills and return items that were on them
Wipe tiling i can get at
Wipe surfaces
Wipe cupboard fronts
Wipe toaster and kettle
Sweep floor
Sweep living room floor
Clear dining table of crap and return to homes
Wake zoolets
Attempt toast berry hit X bins
Fuses all blew
Try again
Toaster blew up
Served up cold cross buns to cold cross zoolets.yep,deffo a Monday morning...

*fed CATS

And I do have a grill,but it currently has all baking tins/trays residing in it due to lack space and CBA unearth it

Bathroom
Windows wiped
Sill,radiator and bath skirt wiped
All tiling wiped
S+s
Hoover hall stairs and landing>
Clean bannister
Hoover cobwebs off stairwell
Wipe frames of stairway rogues gallery

DS boy dungeon
Wipe windows
Wipe surfaces I can see
Empty bin
Sweep floor

Girls room off doom
Empty bins
Wipe windows
Lil zoo side wiped over
She made bed
Dd2 freaking hasn't printed Spanish homework.her sides an absolute crapfest
Gave up try deal with that
She's screaming state her DMs.took them with me
Polished DMs

Oh and recycling to kerb
3loads laundry completed,dry and put away

Extremely windy here. Friends in the NE have posted snow pictures this morning. Brrr.

Morning all. Very wet here again and a little cold.

That hope your pain eases soon. We3, how annoying about snow timing . Hope your kids get to enjoy it anyway. Very impressive to do list Willow - good luck! zoo, amazing list already!

Waves to Bower, Expletive and everyone else.

Ta da:-
Girls at school
Did a few admin type things
Post office

To do:-
Make phone call
Tidy living room which has birthday stuff all over it

More bread acquired/walk stressed DD to school

Living room
Windows wiped
Sill and radiator wiped
Free cat toys from under sofa
Wipe TV unit,put dvds etc away
Wipe mantlepiece and declutter
Sweep floor

Internet banking

Rang IASS for advice,rang LEA.as always no help whatsoever

Wow zoo that list was amazing!

Today has been a complete waste of time. DH tried to go to work at 6.30 but had to come back as the roads were so bad. Changed plans about 100 times with my DGM about wether DS4 was going to her or she was coming here or how anybody was getting anywhere with the roads the way they were. Ended up putting big 3 in breakfast club and then she walked along anyway. DH left again at 7.55 and eventually got to work just after 10. I set off for college at 8.45 and spent 20 mins just getting to the end of the road but luckily after that traffic was clear. Got to college to find the car park was full so parked at the one a 15 min walk away. Walked along getting absolutely soaked and ending up freezing to discover teacher hadn't made it in. Stuck around and worked on my assignment and just heading to my next lesson after lunch to be told that teacher wasn't on either and teacher for last lesson was refusing to teach as only half the students were in. Why they couldn't have just sent an email telling us to stay at home I do not know. Completely wasted half my day.

Came home and gave DGM a lift into town. Snow has completely gone from the roads now as if the chaos this morning never happened.

Came home and did the jobs I missed yesterday so
✔️ hoovered whole house
✔️ polishes while house
✔️ mopped downstairs
✔️ windows and glass downstairs only as tan out of kitchen roll. Attempted the chamois cloth and then remembered its crap and that's why I don't use it so gave in.

I'm now off to change the bedding and empty the bins before the school run.

I had snow just a smattering. Gone now BUT you can't see the Pennines so guessing it is snowing there now and might come this way. Can't see village as the crow flies and we normally can see it quite clearly. Have been busy stacking logs and get coal bucket filled. Vacuumed sitting room after. Fed birds. I fed them Sat/Sun and it has nearly all gone so two feeders with seed and one with nearly eaten fat balls plus two more to keep them going.
Made bed
folded dried washing.
Phone call.

I wasn't very motivated this morning because I was tired but I got up because I was expecting builder and joiner but neither turned up. I bet they come tomorrow and I am out to two appointments then. Arrrgh!
Tidied one basket of craft and almost a second.
Going to watch short film with tea and biscuits from choir.
Be back later.

Sc I did read yours and thought very good advice to zoo. Who also thought so

Evening all.

We3 that is sooo crappy about college! What a frustrating day. Getting cold and snow-soaked for no reason would make me rage. Somebody should have emailed. I wonder if they have a snow policy 🧐

Fantastic advice for wedding prep. Have a look at social stories/comic strip conversations etc too, to go through the order of the day, could even make a small visual timetable to keep as a prompt but you’d have to be flexible on times in case they run late if that would cause meltdown.

Well done everyone for great achievements today! Huge lists! I meant to get on with some phone calls this morning as I’m now out three mornings in a row (I can try tomorrow afternoon, I’d just rather not as I’ll be tired!) but I was on a bit of a go slow. I hadn’t printed out DS’ work last night so I had to focus on that first and then needed to get ready to go out.

ta da
✅asked DH to switch on the LOL as he was up before me
✅printed out person/country of the week sheets
✅found another English workbook as I couldn’t find the other one he’s started
✅printed a load of maths - realised, duuuuh, it is more efficient to print whole sets of particular sheets in one go, rather than having to remember what point I got up to last week etc. Sadly the Internet was being stupid so I had to stop, will carry on later
✅double checked what was in DS’ folder, so he already had leftover maths to do
✅worked on division with him
✅shower/used new moisturiser and hair serum in vague attempt to be less dishevelled
✅moved on laundry sharpish as I needed my hoodie!
✅new LOL
✅sorted Caglets’ laundry that had ended up in our room - DS’ downstairs for him to wash, DD’s into her room for later
✅finished reading journal in advance of therapy
✅gratefully accepted lift and company for lunch before therapy with friend
✅bought some necessary things in Wilko
✅really good therapy session! Lots to think about, she loved my writing too
✅wrote a load of notes from the session in my phone, so I can write it up properly later
✅started food diary

I’ve pretty much been a useless sofa dwelling lump since getting home a few hours ago. It’s so, so obvious the higher dose is working in terms of managing to get stuff done, but I’m having the weird cardio symptoms again. It could possibly be caffeine related though, hence the food diary. I will try and do that until I see the psychiatrist in 8 days as I will be gutted if I have to permanently drop the dose.

Just waiting for DH to get back from his meeting and then at some point I’ll hide upstairs, do the printing and the laundry and then relax.

lanetake it steady
We3 I'm enraged on your behalf! don't tutors communicate?!

In attpt rejig my menu mojo I've forced myself into action...
Tonight's supper-baked cod with ginger,spring onion,garlic and parsley,cauliflower(little butter and black pepper)and pasta
Reduced fresh pineapple slices for pud and remnants lil zoo baking yesterday,freshly frosted and adorned various Xmas sprinkles leftovers

What's everyone doing for pancake Day??
I tend do mine at brekkie.think we doing chocolate oat American style with pear and chop hazelnuts adornment

Dd2 getting bbq roasted chickpeas,garlicky sprouting broccoli,sweet potato chunks with smoky paprika and cumin,red pepper and onion chunks all on bed of shredded lettuce.tahini drizzle if I can be arsed

Oh and slice naice bread

Its been a busy weekend for me - Friday night I was supposed to start (or make completely) 2 different cheesecakes - 1 keto, 1 regular. Was too tired, so didn't even start! Had to wake up early Saturday to make them, got roast in slow cooker as well. Went swimming later than we planned - pool warmed by the hot springs. Came home and started on rest of dinner. DS actually helped by peeling carrots and parsnips. Yorkshire puddings didn't really rise very much but everyone enjoyed them so I guess success all round! So birthday dinner went well, although didn't get decorations done or anything.

Sunday was productive. Cleaned out fridge, lots of containers with uneaten leftovers. I actually have room in my fridge now! Went to work and went grocery shopping on my way home. Got ironing done after dinner. Got clothes out for today.

Today is a full day of work, tomorrow is my day off. Have lots to do tomorrow, including sorting out retirement stuff and getting passports done (or at least starting on passports). DH keeps adding more and more things to do to my list!

Ooh Zoo that sounds so good! DH forgot to take anything out of the freezer so we are having a takeaway . I’ve gone for a reasonably healthy choice though. We rarely do pancake day. It used to be a
Teatime thing when we were kids. Will probably have to start doing them as DD gets older and asks.

We3 your snow trauma sounds even more frustrating than mine! My usual hour commute took me nearly 3. It was fine until I got to just outside Newcastle and then it was gridlock. I was starting to think my winter tyres were a waste of money, but I was very glad of them when I got up a slope strewn with stranded cars. Thankfully we’d had lots of cancellations so it wasn’t an issue with work.

Lane glad the therapy session went well. Shame about the medication, is there not an inbetween dose you can try? Or something different?

Willow you can have him, he’s failed miserably in the healthy food front today, as above . Hope your busy day went to plan.

Hope the back and stomach are feeling better That

Waves to Bower, Chic, Too, Expletive, Lisette, Foxes, SC, Hazel and apologies to anyone I’ve missed.

Ta da list is short:
✅ Survived snowy journey to work
✅ LOL washed and dried
✅ little bit of tidying

zoo, that all sounds delicious, can I come to yours ? Mondays are my nightmare evening with Latin for DD and Kung Fu twice, so it was ready made pasta / cottage pie tonight here (bad Mum. No cooking).

Lane I'm pleased your day went well, hope you can maintain your dose. DS2 has had to stop the ADHD meds because the side effects far outweighed the benefits - he wasn't focussing any better but was appallingly anxious, moody and unable to sleep. We talked to the executive function people today as well, who were very good and talked a lot about equipping DS with enough skills to succeed at life, but the bottom lines are a) the initial 6 week course is £800 and then £115 an hour thereafter and it takes as long as it takes with a minimum of 1 hour long session a week and daily 10 minute checkins for at least 12 weeks after the 6 week course; and b) he doesn't want to do it. He's fed up with flogging from pillar to post to talk to people about stuff and see no improvement. We are looking instead at cognitive training via computer programmes on a platform called AttenGo.

We3 shocking that the college couldn't organise themselves to invoke a snow chain and cancel the day! Sorry you got cold and wet.

Bower enjoy your film with tea and biscuits!

It's been a wobbly day for DD today - she had a lovely time at the gig yesterday, but she blistered her feet terribly. She has SPD around both pain and feet, so she's spent all day sobbing and I had to cancel Latin in the end because she couldn't concentrate on anything. It took me by surprise because she's been so even of temperament since we started home schooling, I'd sort of forgotten she wasn't NT, if you see what I mean.

Ta Das
☑️ DW
☑️ 3 x LOL (must put the last lot in the dryer!)
☑️ S&S
☑️ Planning with DS2
☑️ Lunches
☑️ Birthday present taken to DBro
☑️ Printing of appendices finally complete!
☑️ Long talk with DS2. He is very unhappy.
☑️ School rang requiring us and him to meet with them tomorrow at 8.30.
☑️ Hour long nap. Oops.
☑️ DS3 to Kung Fu, where he had a lovely time. I walked the dog at the same time (go me, multi-tasking). DS3 has now voluntarily put himself to bed to read Harry Potter IV.

Ta Didn't
🔳 Get to post office
🔳 Get to print shop
🔳 Do any actual FLYing beyond the basics.

Blimey Willow that is extremely expensive.

I have also had a frustrating day although not as bad as yours We3. Was feeling pleased with myself as had been to post office, booked a dental appointment and made a phone call to book another appointment. Turns out I forgot to take something to the post office so will have to go back tomorrow. Booked dental appointment for wrong time so will have to phone tomorrow. The other appointment is fine but I should have booked an additional appointment so will need to phone them back tomorrow. Aaaagghhh. Does anyone else ever feel like a complete failure at adulting sometimes ? So I effectively achieved nothing.

Toostressyadulting fails are DAILY here in fact,if I didn't have one these days I think I'd worry something was wrong with me!!
Willow not a mum fail when you are busy as that says "all fed no one dead" best parenting phrase I've learnt here❤️
And I am a born feeder,happily feed anyone me,pity I can't post it thru my phone screen for you

Hazel sounds like a good weekend

All fed,although dd2 only ate few chickpeas and a slice of bread and dairy free spread.shes now anxious tictok dancing try calm self down.shes got a test tom.mock start again next week,tough times ahead..

Washed up
Wiped dining table
DS had melatonin and biscuits/milk
Just about go turn off soundscapes and stop the colouring so he can lay in bed listening to podcast/sounds to settle.fingers X he stays asleep bit longer SOON...

Thanks zoo . So annoyed with myself.

In all honesty stressy I’m not entirely sure what successful adulting looks like 😳😂

Having said that I’ve managed to get a bit done upstairs, I’m powering through then I’ll do my next ta da list before bed, after I’ve sat and written out my therapy session.

DH had today’s adulting fail actually - forgot to rearrange an appt that clashes with his counselling session tomorrow, so he will have to ring as early as possible and grovel!