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!

Evenin’ all. Just signing in to actually do a quick list! Although I also just saw Boris is now in hospital. Yikes :(

ta da
✅exercise bike
✅family walk, all five of us together, really lovely
✅”isolation olympics” in the garden - archery and skittles today, tomorrow who knows?!
✅read a chapter of ADHD book
✅listened to the second part of my therapist’s radio appearance
✅watched Joseph on YouTube
✅filled new dosette box thing with my meds for the week. Felt old.
✅half arsed S&S
✅discussion with DH re new house rules and schedule. Think we got somewhere although not discussed with Caglets yet.
✅found a plastic basket for flannels, which previously had no home and were thus doomed to be scattered throughout the house... now neatly folded by the bath.

Just going to watch Friday night dinner while the others watch half blood prince for the millionth time. Well, DS is in bed now I think. I’ll try and get another brief stint on the exercise bike before sleep too. I really do feel a lot better today, physically and mentally. :)

Looks great give!

Managed to watch Friday night dinner and most of another episode of Liar before iPad got down to 1%! Came down as feeling rough again so I’m doing a quick steam, will gargle antiseptic stuff and then go to bed.

Forgot on my ta da
✅brought in hand weights and cleaned them up. Have also soaked some bath toys that Cagletini won’t play with in the bath (she spends the entire time screaming) but might be good for the garden

It looks lovely giveme we’ve got a big Mickey like that. Not sure where he is at the moment. He was DS3 s and told a story( tape).

Zoo I thought of you straight away when they said that about the exercising.

Tidied the boudoir when I got up then made my bed. Put some clothes away. I still have some that I haven’t got room to put them away. If I am not as efficient washing my clothes then I have room for them all.🤣

Did a few things in the garden.
Spoke to neighbour for first time in about three weeks.
Discovered DH was cleaning out the top shed. Just the top half he said. I groaned and under my breath muttered “Go back to your bloody jigsaw.” I really need notice for stuff like that. So I had to help. I was planning a relaxing day because it was Sunday. I did get DDs dolls house out and put it in the summer house. We never finished it and she lost interest.i think she lost interest first. I never had enough time working, taking her to activities and taking the boys to all their football.
So I sorted some stuff and can’t take it to the charity shop then wondered whether we will have many as we have now. Many will be forced to close.🙁
HAd a tomato toasted s’wich and DH had a salad s’wich. He had pushed the bread in instead of keeping it flat so mine was toasted.
Went for a walk all the way around the village about 4 miles. Saw three people walking and one gardening. Waved to a lady that lives in a caravan. I got a really big wave back. Her chickens were enjoying the sun.
Had a cup of tea and a piece of cake when we got back. Defeats purpose I suppose but it was yummy. Went to summerhouse. Completed a cryptic crossword and a sudoku. Didn’t come in until 7pm.
Made spaghetti Bol and cottage pie out of 500 g steak mince. Used the crumble mix I made last Sunday to put on top of blackcurrants and mixed summer fruits from the freezer. Quite enjoyed the cooking. Bit miffed about the washing up. I did some as I went then finished it, dried and put away. At least I will find it again. I couldn’t find the oval pyrex dish I use for crumble. Asked DH to discover it was in the dining room. No wonder I couldn’t find it the day before!

Sport. I forgot about swimming. I could swim the length of a 25 m pool when I was four. No arm bands. My dad taught me to swim. He was an excellent swimmer and an even better diver and he won and kept a cup three years running. We have it but I think I might give it to a museum because it was linked to the Merchant Navy. I loved swimming and was quite good but not fast enough. My cousins 2 were fantastic swimmers Olympic standards. I hardly go now. My eldest was a good swimmer and the one that hates it the most is the one I took to baby classes.
I also like Fell walking and have completed a long distance walk when I was 50.

Let’s hope they don’t stop the exercise. I didn’t see that much wrong with the people in the park. They seemed to be couples and occasional threes keeping there distance even if they were just sitting. Relaxation is good for mental health.

give room looks lovely!
Bower my dd1 takes her pup our everyday and they saw fairly big groups of teens and kids playing while groups parents watched....
Crumble sounds LUSH

I'm been awake an hour.looks like sleep over for me for tonight

Morning all!

Very much a working week here so just popping on to wish everyone a good week ahead! BBL!
☕🥐💐

Good morning everyone, bit of a damp start this morning but at least the garden needed it. Had a quiet weekend, DH has dismantled old greenhouse and is re levelling the paving slabs it sat on before new one arrives (keeping fingers crossed!). He found a baby slow worm under one slab, I have seen them in the compost bin but not for several years.
Many many years ago I saw the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and many other groups when they were just starting. A local venue would have monthly pop groups so my bf and I would go.
I remember seeing Mick Jagger with his long hair and tight striped jeans walking down the high street and everyone turning around to stare - before having long haired men became almost the norm. That ages me doesn’t it!
Need to get fridge cleaned out as miraculously managed to get an online shop, the first for a month! I’m in the vulnerable category as is DH so haven’t been anywhere other than garden. I do wonder how you all manage with little ones.
Here are my latest socks - I have now knitted 21 pairs!

Morning all.
Launch pad

Remember we are now in zone 1, the kitchen. Today’s focus is the home bleugh (home blessing) - link here as it may be useful to see the list.

Y’all made your bed yet? (Nope)

There is a man child in my bed. Therefore it is unmade.

Ooh, they're pretty Strawberry. I get slow worms at my allotment, I have a sheet of rigid plastic on the ground and they congregate their. Planning an allotment trip as my exercise today, I didn't go over the weekend as it was so busy up there last weekend.

Yesterday was shopping day, made my list and went to Sainsburys. Got everything on the list except green Pot Noodles as requested by DD. Cleaning it all and putting it away was much easier this week having tidied the fridge out last week. Spent most of the rest of the day pottering between kitchen and garden and went for a walk by myself before dinner. Trying to take lots of photos and appreciate the small things when out and about. Here are yesterday's flowers (the first wild garlic and some violets) plus a baby slow worm

I'm still in it Lane. But I did change and wash the bedding yesterday. I have made a timetable for myself today as I frittered a lot of time last week. It said get up at 8 .

⭐️⭐️⭐️ tkcc ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Today’s uploads:

• a meme about the queen’s speech (shame I didn’t see it in time for yesterday!)
• a nice behaviour infographic. I have a feeling we are all doing pretty well on this scale!
• a good point about music...

Which brings me to today’s question: Do you like any classical music? Any particular favourite composers/pieces?

I like playing Chopin/Beethoven type stuff mostly (if I’m not playing easier things like Yiruma - a modern Korean composer - which TBH I mostly do at the moment as I don’t practise much). But listening wise I like all sorts, I don’t think I could choose a composer. I don’t like baroque though. I prefer orchestral when listening as if I listen to piano music it makes me want to play it 🤣 I also like some opera although I’ve never been to see one other than as a small child, I just like particular pieces such as the duet from Pearlfishers and Song to the Moon from Russalka (sp?!). I also like some modern stuff like Karl Jenkins. That was a ramble sorry 😂

I played the piano until I left home then never played again ☹️ LaneBoy, got to Grade 8. Pity really but nurse training and then not having a piano just meant it never happened. DD plays the cello, largely self-taught, clever girl, plays in several orchestras local to here and when she lived in London she played at posh events too. Very proud mum here 😊
I love Elgar - the Enigma Variations move me to tears, Handel - especially the Messiah and Zadok the Priest. I guess the more popular well known pieces. I do like choral pieces and plain chant too. Pretty eclectic mix really!

There's a snorting warthog sleeping man in my bed so it remains unmade atm.

Give hope the room stayed relatively tidy.

KT I'm also loving that I'm not having to constantly answer requests to play with 'just a minute I'm busy'

Amazing list yesterday zoo.
*
Expletive* my DC love that picture of the slow worm we've never even heard of one.

Pictures from your walk are gorgeous hazel
*
Cineraria* I used to match DS1&2 all the time and often matched the 3 of them when I had 3 under 5. Not as easy to do now there's a bigger age gap plus I think I'd get some resistance now 😂 we do always have a xmas tree pic with matching pj's though.

That 4 LOL 🤩

Bower my DH does the dishes thing. I'll make dinner then I'll wait for a bit for him to go and do the dishes and when he doesn't I think sod it I'll just do them then he'll here me and go 'oh just leave them I was just coming to do them' 😖 men!

Foxes one of mine has feet that take an age to grow. Eldest is the opposite though and is coming up to a size 5 at 9!

Strawberry those socks look so cozy.

I don't do any sports myself but was brought up with football so I do like to watch that and I also enjoy boxing.

I'd give myself a medium on the productivity scale for yesterday.
Ta-da's
✔️Sorted all of the board games and jigsaws
✔️ dust kitchen
✔️ Empty fridge freezer and clean it all inside and out
✔️ sweep and mop kitchen floor
✔️ clean microwave
✔️ cleaned hob & cooker hood
✔️ cleaned kettle etc
✔️ cleaned kitchen windows
✔️ cleaned out a cupboard which had had a spillage of god knows what
✔️ took all of the highchair apart to clean - still need to put some of it in the washer
✔️ S&S
✔️ 2 loads of laundry (really did not make the most of the line drying weather)
✔️ironing

Then I had a lovely bath and cooked a roast dinner. Did the dishes and stuck some oven cleaner in to work overnight and that was me done.

To do list for today
S&S
Laundry
Clean oven
Hoover
Polish
Mop
Do all of the windows
Oil worktops

Not going to bother changing bedding as we're going to stick the tent up so it will all get grubby anyway.

Oh and we're going to do the eggs they would have done for the school competition.

Karl Jenkins Requiem for the Common Man is playing as I type this LaneBoy 🙂

Morning all! Lovely socks, Strawberry, I shall come to you for advice when I get stuck! I have plans to learn sock knitting, but I'm not very confident knitting in 3D. I'm much better at treating knitting like dressmaking where you make your own material!

Bower, I hate it when DH leaves the obvious tidying in order to pull something out all over one space (garage in to garden, cupboard into study etc) then get bored half way through and stop!

That, sounds like you need one of those beds that you "make" by tipping it up against the wall to save space... 😂.

Thanks for the links, Lane, and good morning zoo, Expletive, foxes, KT, Cin, giveme (lovely tidying; how long did it last? 😝) Stressy, SC (hope you get lots done today) fluffiest, hazel, We3, chic.

Today, I am back on my head. Also, my body is a temple and I shall try not to mainline biscuits, coffee and cake or share a bottle of wine with DH at the end of the day.

Yesterday's Ta Das
❤️ Embroidery finished and pieces cut out to sew
🧡Roast beef and yorkies made and served
💛 Uno played with varying formations of family
💚 DS1 took DS3 on a bike ride and they had a lovely time together 💕

To Dos
⚠️ DW
⚠️ S&S
⚠️ LOL
⚠️ Sort Saturday's previous clean laundry and hand out
⚠️ Scrub baths and sinks
⚠️ Make lasagne and side salads (individual tastes around salad so complex I have to do them all separately)
⚠️ Bathroom floors
⚠️ Hoover, except I am missing the moment when the dog in out with DH to type this.
⚠️ Exercise (my body is a temple)
⚠️ More coffee ⚠️
⚠️ Sort out financial stuff
⚠️ WRITING! Get this bloody report finished
⚠️ Writing for me - lockdown diary, bujo planning, mass observation papers
⚠️ Kung Fu for DS (including grading papers) and DD
⚠️ Jigsaw puzzle
⚠️ Collapse in heap.

Right. Must get on.

I do like classical music but I can't name any. I like the piece that is at the start of the apprentice 😂. I also used to like listening to Peter and the wolf as a child. So yeh I'll sometimes have it on but names of composers or anything 🤷‍♀️

Missed my wave list from the bottom of my earlier post. In my defence I was distracted by youngest spawn using my cuppa to dip Jaffa cakes in. I didn't give them Jaffa cakes at this time in the morning btw they just took them and I cba to argue. I'm going to make them breakfast muffins in a bit.

👋 to lisette, chic, stressy, fluffiest, lane, SC and willow. And anyone else I've missed from my many posts this morning. Have a nice day everyone 👋

willow mainlining biscuits/coffee/chocolate/whatever your fix is is mandatory in pandemic,isn't it??
Strawberry gorgeous socks
Ed what's wild garlic flowers look like?I like to see voilets.saw some forget me nots yesterday
We3 great list
That stick a few mouse traps between the sheets now you are up?

Ventured co op(further away) hoping for basics and things like crisps to as there was near mutiny yesterday we out.they had no multipacks...got milk and bread.couldnt get tuna,kitchen roll(D's spills so much of everything)bananas,cucumber/tomatoes/carrots-basically raw veg to have with their lunch,only cereal had was expensive granola or oatbran.the question is do I feel I can brave a bigger supermarket??(having panic attacks queue to go in a mo,and huge anxiety wiping it all on return.bloody hate OCD)

Need to home bleurgh today,place start degenerate.all zoolets started drop stuff where they sit incl sweet wrappers,pear cores left on table etc,clothes on floor...
At least in termtime we had a routine.i feel it may be a tricky day ahead

It seems slow worms are much more common in some places than others, I posted a pic on FB and a friend who is a lifelong professional gardener in another part of the country said she'd never seen one, but they are common here. I'm in one of the dark green areas on this map. www.arc-trust.org/slow-worm

Nope,don't think I've ever seen one ed I like in East(heading towards Midlands)area

Zoo - wild garlic are small, spiky petalled white flowers that grow on forest floors and shady places. There is an unmistakeable odour to them.

Happy Monday everyone

I’m like We3. I enjoy classical music when I hear it, but have no knowledge of who composed what and don’t tend to put it on myself. One of the consultants at work often has something classical on when he reports and I do like working along to it.

Love the socks Strawberry!’

Zoo I’m feeling you with the additional mess. I’m also going to have to brave a bigger supermarket soon and I’m not looking forward to it without the addition of OCD or anxiety so you have my sympathies.

Waves to Lane, Foxes, Cineraria, SC, Fluffiest, Hazel, Willow (good luck with the to do list!), Too, Lisette, Expletive, Giveme, Chic and That

Ta Das:

✅ survived an hour playing ‘birthday parties’ from 6:30am
✅ bacon sarnies and cuppa for breakfast
✅ Beds made
✅ LOL
✅ clean washing put away
✅ DD’s bath run

Had a lovely group video chat with some friends ft. Wine last night. Made me feel a bit more normal and was nice to catch up and let our hair down.

It’s a gorgeous day here so once I manage to get DD in the bath we are going to go out for our walk. Need to hang the washing out to then just going to see where the day takes us.

Ooh love that music strawberry! And the socks too. Dies Irae is my favourite from the requiem, but I got into his stuff when we did some adiemus songs in the school choir. I just love the harmonies, they make me all shivery. DH hates it!

I definitely haven’t played piano as much since moving out. We left just after I turned 20 (I was pregnant :o) and we had a flat so couldn’t take my piano. Occasionally I’d walk round to a college friend’s house - he was out but I got on with his mum, and she’d play with DD1 while I played hers. She’s got no grandkids and not likely to so we both benefited a lot! I’m now closer to her than college friend, she’s like the mum I wish I had rather than the one I do have to be honest. I’m checking in with her a lot lately as she’s in her 70s and lives alone.

A few years later we got the piano moved to the house we lived in, but I’ve never had that much time to play. I tutored it to earn money when we first started home educating but I lost all my confidence when pregnant. I’m actually only grade 7 - I was working on a teaching diploma (skipping 8) when my teacher emigrated with no notice and left all his teaching assistants) unpaid 😳🤦‍♀️

ta da
✅weighed self - my first gain of the year! 0.2lb 🤣 could be worse, but still a kick up the arse as I’ve eaten too much crap (boredom = hunger for me!) and not moved enough
✅healthier breakfast (two boiled eggs, one granary toast)
✅quick stint on exercise bike
✅started food diary again, I stopped when ill. Adding times in too this time.

Should really go and shower now.

I haven’t decided on a waking up time expletive we are kind of dreading enforcing that bit! Especially while DD1 is now on her meds break as of last night.

May I suggest tucking the covers over his head that - less effort than a pointy stick/shovel perhaps?

Prokofiev did the music the apprentice use I think? From the Romeo and Juliet ballet.

I loved peter and the wolf 😍 the one I watched loads had Spitting Image type puppets in it 🤔 dad has recorded it off tv (along with the Disney classics like sword in the stone we were discussing the other day 😍). Love carnival of the animals too, that’s a good one for inspiring some art/craft type projects if the kids are bored.