Flapping calmly through lockdown: Fledglings April 2020. Welcome to the Keep Calm Corner!

[LaneBoy]

Hello all!

Thank you for joining us, please note if we seem cliquey it’s only because it’s a long running thread - everyone really is welcome!

Welcome to (probably) the most bizarre Flylady thread yet... in which we are attempting to impose/maintain some kind of order in our homes, while also many of us are adjusting to working from home and homeschooling the kids for the first time too! Not to mention the anxiety around health and accessing food!

Of course, normally the opening post would talk about banishing CHAOS - Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome - but now we aren’t allowed anyone over anyway :o so, let’s just try and make our homes nicer FOR US. We are spending more time than ever in them, so let’s make them really wonderful places to be, our own safe little nests for our families.

Flylady routines might just help us get through this crazy time, by giving us a little structure to work from when all else is unpredictable - but as usual there is no right or wrong here. All of us follow it only to the extent it helps us - we can take ideas and make them work for us. And the key principle is, YOU ARE NEVER BEHIND. I feel like that is even more evident now, with so many of these outside pressures and commitments suddenly gone, and frankly the days rolling into one!

This is potentially a great time to declutter. Of course, Flylady suggests 15 minutes a day - but perhaps in these unprecedented times we will all do more! But we are all busy getting into our own routines now that school is out, and work too for many, and we’ve lost a lot of the outside structure to our lives. There’s no right or wrong here, we just have to try and adapt.

Links wise, I’ll just post the launch pad, and will add reminders about zones too. If anyone has Flying questions, please ask!

The Keep Calm Corner
The lovely SC came up with the brilliant idea of the Keep Calm Corner last month - this is a daily post with things to make us happy! I figured each monthly host can make this their own, and I’m a little worried my taste in art and music would not be calming to most :o so for this month, the KCC will consist of:
Some memes - either funny (we all need a laugh! Warning though - some will likely be unsavoury :o) or thought provoking/relaxation based. Do PM me (here or FB) if you have any you want to add!
A daily “ice breaker” type question - obviously answering these is entirely optional, and don’t say anything that will out you, but if you want to join in and create some extra conversations on the thread then treatment, we can all get to know each other better! Again, if you think of any questions please PM!

Thank you for settling in, and of course thank you to SC for making March such a lovely thread. And lastly, a huge thank you also to our key worker Fledglings, who are doing an incredible job of keeping things running!

I always think allotments must be a lovely way to garden. DD had a brilliant one near her which we went to an open day. It was only about two years old and a community garden. She was too busy with uni work but did go to draw sometimes. They had some community beds which you could be guided by more experienced gardeners. They worked with some people with mental health difficulties.

I'm glad to hear your cat is improving Bowerbird. I hope she continues to get better.

I love the embroidery, Willow. So neat and perfect looking. That is going to be a wonderful garment to wear. Thanks for sharing the photos.

I did keep a few bits of recycling for crafting, Lane but after a few missed collections, I think we could have built a toddler crafted annexe with all of it!

I have been useless at reading for pleasure in recent years. I was doing a work related course for a couple of years before having the children that involved a lot of reading, although not especially from books, and so I didn't feel like reading in my spare time. I have tried picking it up but keep nodding off when I start reading! I recently suggested to DH that one evening a week he should watch one of the TV series he enjoys about people in space/the future who don't get on with each other very well while I read my book as we both complain about having books/series we want to enjoy but don't make time for. He agreed (and seemed to think I was talking about a specific series rather than just the type of series he likes!) so I am currently very slowly rereading Leo the African by Amin Maalouf. Since I previously read it, I have been to a few of the main locations mentioned in the book, so I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I'm not sure what book I read before that, maybe Jerusalem The Biography.

My sons are two years apart. Their birthdays are the same week. I thought DS2's brthday would be before DS1's as I had some bleeding and was induced but the induction didn't work and so he was born a few days after his brother's second birthday. I think he was waiting to avoid sharing a birth month with his brother! They are very different characters with DS1 being quiet and studious with his head always in a book and DS2 being exuberant and sociable but they love each other very much. They actually seem closer in age as DS1 has delayed speech and DS2 has never let anyone be in any doubt about his opinions! I had lots of fun with them today but really did the bare minimum about the house. We played a lotto type game together, had fun in the garden, baked ginger biscuits with DS1 while DS2 had a nap and all three of us did an online art class together before chatting to DB on Skype.

Dd2 was awake til gone 3,up already
Feel I've barely slept
Willow that's beautiful❤️

Was mistake on milk front,feel I need to slither to co op and risk less social distancing in favour quieter and no queues to go in

Fingers X people keep the fuck away from me....

zoo

I've woken up with a really sore back. Hopefully that goes away soon!

Yesterday i managed to link the printer to the internet (very stressful) and sign up to HP Instant Ink. We have drained a black cartridge in 3 weeks of home school so seemed like a good time. I got two month free too which is good. Anyway this took me bloody ages!

By some kind of miracle i looked online and there were available delivery slots for tesco mid week! So i booked one of those. That makes my life much easier as we dont drive

Looking forward to half term break

Cineraria that sounds like a wonderful day. The dust will keep the boys are more important.
I hope it is reasonable news from the vet about the bloods taken. I took some photos on the iPad last night so DD can see what she was like.

Zoo are you staying up because of her. That is really hard. DD went through a stage doing that.
They are being strict at our nearest co op and only letting five people at a time so it might be a good idea to go early in and out early.

That Sorry to hear that maybe it will easy as you get moving. I hope so. Well done with the printer I wouldn’t know where to start.

It is feeling better now thanks bower maybe i slept a bit funny.

Need get on top of things today

🌈 Ta da 🌈

💜 washer on
💙 dryer on
💚 sink filled
💛 dc 4 and 5 up fed changed and dressed
🧡 added some bits to tesco order
❤ high chair cleaned post babies breakfast

Thanks for further grounding/breathing ideas expletive those are great!

Willow wowwww 😍 beautiful embroidery. The most I can do is a lazy daisy 😳

Love seeing what everyone is reading. Blood orange is one that’s raved about on a Facebook group I’m on, so it’s on my list (along with Where the crawdads sing) but I won’t be buying any new books so it’s not going to be for a while. I have a few physical books to read like that Eleanor Oliphant one - I very occasionally buy in charity shops. Also have one more library book (Elizabeth is missing). But mostly I want to dig out my kindle and then work through the many unread books I have on there!

That stuff like setting up printers is what makes me want to throw things out of the window, well done! I didn’t know you could switch a normal printer over to Instant Ink, that’s cool (we needed a new printer when we signed up anyway). Really rate the service though, I especially love that it doesn’t matter whether your pages are full colour photos or simple black and white.

Sorry about the early start zoo can’t remember if you’ve said about anyone mentioning melatonin for DD2? I guess DS only got it because of being further along in the diagnosis pathway though. Wish there was something that would help her sleep 😣 I definitely need to get stricter with phone use in the evenings. She slept much earlier the other day when we had movie night and wasn’t on her phone - I guess still getting the wrong kind of light from the TV but ours is small and we sit right at the other side of the room so different from staring at a phone screen I guess. She won’t be happy about coming off it earlier on a regular basis though 😭

How's DCat this morning Bower? Yes, I do love my allotment, although I get a spell in late spring most years where it gets a bit overwhelming and I feel I'll never keep up with it, then we turn a corner in June once everything is planted out and coast through the summer towards autumn.

Well done on the Tesco slot That

Zoo

Lane - I'm possibly in the same FB group (vague MN connections led me there). I started Crawdads a few weeks ago but haven't been able to concentrate on it. I have a serious charity shop book habit in normal times, so I have a lot on my TBR shelf.

Willow - my late DMIL was a fantastic embroiderer and seamstress, we used to spend many an hour talking about and showing each other our respective projects (mine crochet). I miss her.

Anyway, need to get moving. DS has just got back from his paper round. Front room is a tip, DD took it over as a classroom but has broken up for Easter now. Car and handbag didn't need doing as largely out of use - I've taken to using a bumbag for my limited outings as it is easier to stop it touching anything / leaves hands free. No wads of receipts to sort through this month.

Good morning everyone!

willow that embroidery is beautiful.

Our virtual pub quiz was a lot of fun. It was a FB event and the host live streamed it on FB and YouTube. We had it set up so we watched the host on the telly through the PS4 and then had the tablet propped up on a table where we had our friends up on a Facetime chat. They were watching the same quiz on their telly so we joined forces as a team. Hope that makes sense.

Having an easy start to our morning. I'm reading Country Living magazine, whilst DD is playing MarioKarts next to me. DH is having a lie in. Then we are all going to have pancakes together.

Today's plan:
🌻 wash the dishes that we left last night (too busy getting quiz ready)
🌻 Wash DDs bedding
🌻 Go for a walk
🌻 Do some social media posts for church
🌻 Cook a roast dinner

Keeping it easy today. Hope you all have lovely Saturdays. Good luck on your milk ring, zoo

Launch pad

No more links today, it’s the last day of zone 1 (entrance, hallway, dining room) if you want to do any last minute cleaning. Ooh actually here’s the detailed cleaning list in case you want to get some more done.

Don’t forget the habit of the month is to make your bed (😳😳😳) and today’s daily focus is family fun. Hopefully we are all managing to get a little of that through the week but with WFH and the demands of homeschool I know that isn’t easy at all!

Back with TKCC after I get the toddler some breakfast!

I dont own a car or use a handbag so i am winning with that

Morning. I woke up full of motivation but then came downstairs to find DH asleep on the sofa, living room and kitchen a tip and him hungover and no use to anyone after drinking far too much beer in front of the TV last night. I’ve sent him back to bed but will be waking him again soon and he will be not be getting an easy ride this afternoon. I’m trying not to be too hard on him as he’s really struggling with being stuck in, but then aren’t we all! So now I’m grumpy and cuddled on the sofa with DD.

Ta Da:
✅ tidied up living room
✅ DW on and some dishes hand washed
✅ put away various food items DH had left out
✅ wiped benches and beer splashes

Lovely day yesterday - baked biscuits with DD, had a nice walk, and DH cooked a delicious beef dish. House was fairly under control when I went to bed.

Glad cat is looking better Bower

Gorgeous boys giveme.

That embroidery is beautiful willow.

Sorry, I’ve forgotten my other replies as I had to stop to sort DD’s very specific breakfast requests, and I’ve probably now cross posted with lots of others!

Need to re-discover my motivation, tackle downstairs home bleurgh (including hoovering under the sofas - it’s reaching critical dust levels). Then it’s a good forecast so hoping to spend the afternoon in the garden.

I'm after recommendations for storage ideas for my 15 year old's school books/revision books. At the moment it's spread out over my dining table, breakfast bar, bookshelf, floor and storage box! She has ASD/ADHD and is struggling big time to keep up with the amount of work coming through from school. If I can help her at least with the storage side it may help. Our downstairs is all open plan and not that big but she would prefer to keep everything down here as doesn't like any school type things in her room. I've looked at plastic storage drawers on line and was thinking of a drawer for each subject but want to make sure they will be big enough. Any ideas gratefully accepted. Thanks.

Morning all! I missed the book thing, I'm currently reading a very cheesy Christmas novel 😂 I love lots of different types books but nothing too scary!

Mrshoho my dd has been putting her school work in a big box but I imagine that will get tricky once there's more of it! I need to sort out some sort of system too...so hopefully someone will be along with some suggestions!

Well done on the Tesco delivery slot that I've had no luck with any supermarket delivery but I don't know if I should get one anyway as we do have a car.

🧸🧸🧸 TKCC 🧸🧸🧸

(I never noticed the teddy bear emoji before!)

Today’s random selection:

• excellent advice for using wine o’clock to practice good hygiene
• a reminder that we don’t have to achieve loads with all this “extra time”
• social distancing advice courtesy of the Gruffalo

Today’s question is: What groups/artists have you seen live? (A selection is fine if it’s too many! 😂) Any that you are desperate to see in future?

For me: Muse (twice), Staind, Linkin Park, Lifehouse, The Bluetones, Faithless. Feel like there’s more I’m forgetting?! It was a fairly brief period of going to gigs though as I had DD1 at 20! Also saw Aqualung - NOT to be confused with Aqua of Barbie Girl fame 🤔 - twice, one time we got there (tiny theatre next to Embankment station) so early we just wandered in and watched them rehearse and he came and said hi and signed our CD with “dear [names], I have a new jumper, it is stripy” 😂 he was adorable.

I’m not that fussed about going to gigs anymore to be honest. I’d only get seated tickets - I wouldn’t manage standing anyway but I really don’t like crowds and travelling back from London at night! The only two bands I’d make a huge effort to see would be Imagine Dragons and (as suggested by my MN name) Twenty One Pilots. I wouldn’t really mind going to a Kpop gig with DD though, if I needed to, but DSD would generally take her as it’s something they share.

Ah, gigs. You couldn't keep me away in my teens and twenties, then I lost interest completely (moving out to the sticks didn't help). Amongst my most memorable are Queen and The Smiths, who were blown out of the water by their support act, a bunch of then unknowns from Manchester who called themselves James . One I'd rather forget is Gary Glitter .

I've never seen anyone I'm so boring 😮

Oh, and I would also quite like to see Lighthouse Family if I had the opportunity. Their songs are quite special to me and DH 💕 I unfortunately missed the chance to book for Brighton (easier for us than London) but I guess it’s been cancelled and maybe they’ll rebook for later in the year. It’s tricky though when it is DH and I both going to something, we don’t exactly have babysitting on offer! I do wonder also if a “non current” band would be not as good. In other words are they getting on a bit 😂😳

That glad you’ve got a slot. I didn’t realise before that you both don’t drive either. Are you near a supermarket? We are lucky that we have Asda 15 mins away and a tiny Tesco slightly nearer, so DH can still go (I wouldn’t manage the hills ATM) but he can’t carry much either due to his back so it’s hard without the regular deliveries of heavy stuff! How do you manage without a handbag BTW? I have my most essential stuff in my coat pocket but I use a backpack mostly (I hate actual handbags, they don’t feel right!)

🤬 at hungover DH KT I hope the hoovering wakes him up and gives him a worse headache 😇

Hoping @Sizeablecontours is ok, she’s quiet?

Hiya @mrshoho welcome, my older kids and I are all autistic too and two of us also have ADHD. It makes organisation so so hard 😭 you have my sympathies with being thrown suddenly into homeschool! And at such a critical time too at 15.

Magazine boxes might be good or perhaps one of those “in tray” type things. My DS is home educated anyway and we are currently using an accordion file type thing.

I think for us the main thing is that completed work is properly filed away and doesn’t get left around to get mixed up with current unfinished stuff. It’s also motivating to see the completed work pile up. Maybe with an in tray type thing one shelf could be for “pending” work (regardless of subject).

My eldest went back to school in December after years of home ed, and it’s helped her to have a colour coded timetable printed. If your DD’s work is being set according to the timetable (mine is - they don’t have set lesson times to log in but the teachers seem to be setting work on the days they’d be teaching IYSWIM) having one pinned up might help. I’m also planning to “check in” with DD1 each morning and afternoon about what plans she has and what work has been set - she’s mostly just got on with it but I’m feeling guilty for not being involved at all, she’s only 12 😳. I’m wondering about having some kind of wipe clean thing (will probably just print a chart and laminate it, any excuse to use the laminator!) where we write her targets each day or week maybe?!

Never too late that! Ugh I would definitely rather forget GG expletive - the linkin park gig was incredible, but is marred now by the fact one of the support acts was lostprophets, whose lead singer (Ian Watkins) was all over the news a few years ago for utterly horrific crimes. I often wonder if the girl we met in the queue, who followed them to every gig in the country, was one of the victims or became the mother of one 😰

Ugh must think of something more positive! Oh yeah, I forgot to do my happy thing yesterday, I had some really lovely comments about my parenting and general attitude from the leader of the parenting course, she said she never really understood why I was on it (it’s a hoop to jump through for CAMHS) but she’s glad I did 😁💕

I've never seen been to a concert either. I love music but I like a wide range and not anybody in particular if that makes sense. One of DS1 school tasks his teacher has set is desert island discs and he's asked the parents to join in too. I like so many songs so I'm going to struggle. I'm also going to struggle as some of my faves are not appropriate for school work 😂

I totally lost interest in music sometime in the 1990s and have never really got back into it in the same way, I listen to whatever DD likes in the car and sing along but for myself I aways go back to the 60s/70s/80s. We got Spotify a few months ago and I love it, made lots of playlists and listen to random ones that get suggested by it. In fact talking about relaxation techniques, music can be great.

Haha I’m intrigued now we3! I like quite a wide range too. Generally my playlists (there may be a playlist related question later in the month for the KCC!) are pretty eclectic as I go by songs rather than artists, other than ID/tøp (I just happen to like pretty much all of both their songs). I’ve never been one to be interested in the artists themselves really, I was obsessed with REM as a teen but I still couldn’t really be arsed with finding out about THEM, I just liked the music 😂

I’m bored this morning. DH and DD1 not up yet. Cagletini has optimistically already put her shoes on (with her jammies). Not yet child 😂 definitely do need to have the walks in the mornings though as she’s been refusing to go in the garden if she’s not already seen the ducks.

Mrshoho - despite having two secondary school age DCs we have never got on top of their school paperwork, there are piles of it everywhere. Sorry not to be more helpful.

Ooh the hoovering will wait til he’s up and having to entertain DD as well as put up with the noise Lane What a lovely thing for the course leader to say!

I went to lots of gigs and festivals pre-DD so would be struggling to list them all. First was Boyzone aged 10 . Seen the most would be arctic monkeys, most recent would be fratellis (birthday present from
DH and only band I’ve seen since DD was born) and best gig would be Fatboy Slim at Glastonbury. Had no interest in seeing him but the rest of the group wanted to and I was blown away by the atmosphere and danced my little wellies off.

I’ve got out my funk. Had a shower, washed hair and... wait for it... Shaved my legs! Moistures, dressed in nice clothes, did my hair properly and even put some make up on. I feel so much more human and at least I’ll look presentable for FaceTimeing DM even if it’s a complete waste of time otherwise.

Ta da:
✅ made beds
✅ bit of tidying

Hope you’re ok SC. Wing flaps to the rest.