Festive Fledglings Flap Frantically Towards A Calm, Clutter-free Christmas!

[SingToTheSky]

OK so clutter-free is a bit ambitious. But anyway, all welcome to join us for a jolly holiday thread, in which we very loosely follow (or at least half-heartedly mention now and then) the FlyLady system of housekeeping.

I’ll be posting links and reminding us all of various tasks up until Christmas Eve, for those who want to follow the system - and if it’s like previous years there will also be some specific extra missions to help us prepare our homes for Christmas. However, we really are just a bunch of frazzled Mumsnetters who will be very happy to welcome you along for chat whether you follow the system or not! We discuss housework, sure, but a whole lot of other stuff too.

We will also continue with the Keep Calm Corner, in which you’ll find various diverting questions, memes etc.

And finally a huge thank you to Foxes who did a fab job of running the thread for the first time in November! 💐

If it's an NHS orthodontics appt I'd definitely reschedule Zoo, in case he isn't eligible later on. My DS wasn't keen but I told him if he didn't do it now he might regret it as an adult when he finds he does mind about aesthetics and its going to to cost him £1000s to do privately.

Flu jab was painless (I haven't had any sort of jab for years so my only point of reference is giving blood which can sting a bit more).

Welcome isaw! I was never good at housekeeping but DC3 certainly brought a whole new level of crazy to our house!

Zoo I agree reschedule, my mum said no to braces and it’s going to cost a fortune if I want to fix my smile as an adult. It will be difficult for him sensory wise but I honestly think it’s worth it.

Tinselette :o she is, shall we say, quite a character :o at one point she was grinning when describing the book and I had a fleeting thought she was making it up 😂 or maybe she dreamed it?! We don’t have no more kisses and we only just read a blue kangaroo Christmas one last night, but she may have both at nursery of course.

In other Cagletini related news, SHE SLEPT ALL NIGHT IN HER BED!!! 🥳🎉🎈🍾 And in no nappy again. Woke up in a good mood just after 7. DH and I were so knackered again we went to bed before the Caglets - in fact they ended up wanting a sleepover in the living room and I was too tired to argue 😂 but it’s nice to see them willingly spend time together.

DD1 has just left for school, I’m going to take Cagletini to nursery since I’m actually awake 😳 and I can drop off the bag of board books I’m donating to them (I’ll try and dig out the clothes this side of Christmas too but the bag is buried in a cupboard of crap...). I then really need to do the amendments on my assignment this morning as I don’t want to fall behind! And I’m waiting for a phone call from the GP to discuss the CAMHS referrals for both Caglets. Sigh.

I did have braces at my regular dentist but he recommended orthodontal work with fixed braces afterwards as I had crossbites and my teeth weren't correctly aligned. He'd done as much as he could. Mother vetoed it then gaslit me years later - said he'd never recommended it when I remember distinctly that he had as I was sitting in the chair listening to everything. I tried to go back as a young adult, funding it myself but was hectored and belittled again by my mother - she basically said I was getting uppity and was being too good to myself. Couldn't afford to fix things and pay uni fees so chose my brain over teeth. DS will need braces and I'm not going to be like my mother with him.

Tinselette sorry your mum was/is like that. We are now at 3 years since i last spoke to my "mother" how time flies

I had braces as a teen. Dc1 and 3 will both definitley need them, a refferal was done for dc1 before lockdown actually but god knows how long that will take!

Great news on the dry night sing 🥳

tinselette I'm sorry you weren't heard and validated properly as a child

I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and attend then

Doc was waste time.arguementative receptionist(practise took over another one in march/April and other practise is a bloody circus)claiming huge hard blister looking lump on joint wasn't important and pain was caused by lack iron.app with useless doc I've no faith in avail 22nd.as ongoing font qualify triage today(and when I ask who doc was anyway was told and it's a joke from other practice that couldn't tell a knee from an elbow tbh)a docs avail at this point 24th if you ring on the day
.I find it extremely hard to accept I need help and I sat here after n cry accepting just go have suck it up and get on with it

So big girl pants up and off we go

zoo can't you phone and say not well if you cannot manage today?

that referrals are about 6-12 months on average I was told..
We waited 6months D's initial assessment and then told be 12 months wait and see .he has overbite(I think that's right,top teeth sit behind bottom ones when clamps tog) and one slightly in roof of his mouth.they wanted wait a bit n see how things go as if they decide correct his bite it's a very long slow, process.given he's not good needles etc I can't see how we go move forward but I guess if we go today at least we can discus it all

I doubt things go get any better that.I been steadily worsening since march but trying just ignore n hope goes away...

Right I need get off bloody phone and get stuffs done

zoo, that that means a lot thanks. Sorry for the rant. I wasn't listened to but she had a lot of problems, if I'm honest. I can only control how I behave now and try to do better. Ach, sorry about the Dr receptionist zoo - I know they have a hard job but they are soooo difficult. Do you think there is an NHS boot camp that they go to to toughen them up?

Agh tinselette no wonder you are focusing on your own little family and have got away from your mum. I hear you on wanting things better for your own DC. It’s a good way of healing ourselves too, I think. ❤️ Sorry you have had to go NC too that 💐

Just got back from nursery run and I went to get milk and fruit on the way home. DH still dozing and DS doing maths.

Thanks sing. Getting ready to wash kitchen floor and run errands.

Hi everyone, thank you for being so welcoming to me. Sorry I didn’t get back to you all earlier, I’ve just finished a cup of tea after the school run and putting the little one down for a nap. We need to leave again in half an hour so I thought I’d check in quickly.

Thank you tinselette!

Hi zoo, thanks for the welcome. We have a 4 year old DD, 3 year old DS and then 4 month old DS. So it’s chaos!.

sing DC3 has been a big shock to the system! I thought I had quite a decent routine when I just had 2, but that’s all changed now😂. We also only have a 3 bed house, so had to move the big 2 into the same room to give the little one a nursery, which means there’s a lot more clutter from toys!.

Okay, I better get off. DS2 has woke up and needs feeding, I’ll be back later.

I seem to remember dc3 just kind of slotting in here and not making much difference, that being said it feels a VERY long time ago and i may not be remembering correctly

I've come back from Asda with coffee beans and detergent 😜😁. Woolite specifically. Soup for lunch. It's so dark here today. I mean it's midday and it's like 10.30 during the summer...

🎄❄️🎁 Thursday 10th December 🎁❄️🎄

Zone - 2 - kitchen

Daily Focus - errand day!

Today’s Mission - shine your sink

Today’s Holiday Mission - not updated yet (maybe she’s abandoned it?) so look back on the list if you want to here

✈️ FLIGHT PLAN ✈️

🎄❄️🎁 The Keep Calm Corner Advent Calendar 🎁❄️🎄

Here’s a New Zealand version of Walking In A Winter Wonderland - interesting to consider how different Christmas is on the other side of the world!

🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

Aah I had a much bigger gap between 2 and 3 (they are now 13, 11 and 3) - in a way that was nice as the older two were a bit more independent but going back to the baby phase was weird! I was a bit more relaxed in some ways. Having said that the massive gap does mean I’m now dealing with teen angst and stroppy threenager at the same time :o

Further lazing here, DS needs to get on with some work. I’ve had an email asking where my assignment revisions are 😳 so I really should get on with stuff. I was meant to be going into town this afternoon but I’m not sure I can be arsed TBH.

At least we’ve had the lovely phone call from the GP about getting the Caglets referred back to CAMHS, I know she will write a decent letter (pointing out we have jumped through all the hoops they told us to when they rejected DS last time...) so here’s hoping, I guess we won’t hear back this year though.

I’m getting very annoyed with messenger as it seems to not be sending/receiving messages properly. I use it much more than WhatsApp/texting so it’s my main method of communication not working

I take your teen angst plus toddler and raise you sing

Teen/tween angst, stroppy 7 and 4 year old plus highly destructive one year old

😴

Aw saw like that I might be wearing my tinted glasses but it felt like no 4 slid in(have one then 8 year gap and 3 in succession.now 23,16,15 next week and 13).number 3 was my screamer.....

Sorted reschedule of orthodontics (28th Jan)
Rang camhs re dd2
Faffed and try motivate self
Halfway thru sorting bins and littertrays camhs rang back
Dd2 is to reduce and come off sertraline,it's not working at all for her and I think she's 1000%worse on meds than without them.ih well.we have reduce dose to wean out,stay unmedicated(20-27th) the ment start another.i put foot down and said wait til 4th Jan as I want full services operating in case she doesn't tolerate it well after this debacle,as im running out of patience with camhs incompetence as it is!some resistance and huffing and puffing but I stood firm.tbh not sure I'm game to try another but she's suffering so much poor lamb.
Finish littertray and bins
Disinfect wipe phone
Drop lil zoo
Pick up cows milk and vegan ham forgot yesterday....
Wipe shop
Put away
Lunch
Lil zoo in now and needs feeding
Camhs anxiety group shortly

Realised gas man coming tom
Fuckity fuck.need clear up

Zoo and woolly sorry you are having such a horrible time.

I havent caught up with the thread since yesterday.

Thank you everyone for cheers yesterday. Thanks for the shiny medal Sing.

Things went downhill yesterday after school. Want to run away.

Went shopping at Sainsburys today and bought far too much...pjs...onsies for the kids...presents for Dh.
Been for a walk around the area, for a hour.
I actually dont want to go back to my house. I think its because Dh doesnt help. Kids eat different things. I tried so hard to make things smoother in the house.
I will be sitting in the naughty corner eating biscuits under a blanket.

Dancing it's early for wine in the naughty corner but mulled wine is seasonal so here it is 🍷I'd be less biddable and more elbows out 😜😁 that'll learn 'em

Aw I’m sorry things went downhill again. I always find that the hard bit of making changes, when you realise it’s not perfect and aaaargh.

It definitely sounds like you have a DH problem more than anything, though 🤬

That when you put it like that, it is no wonder you’re knackered 😫❤️

I’ve had a frustrating afternoon, not done much beyond figuring out some thermostat controls, and getting DS to do some work. I’ve got my new earplugs in but not entirely sure I got the right size. DH is pretty much a zombie but he’s taking DD1 to dancing later. And no I haven’t done any work yet. Ugh

Camhs call done
Losing will to live
Four loads washing now done and dry
Full load pants and socks washed and hanging up in D's room/on radiator drying
Need get downstairs straight before gasman comes tomorrow,and tree needs to go up at some point soon!

I'm feeling all domestic and smug because I cleaned the inside of the downstairs windows.

Also cleaned downstairs loo, walked to interim shop (including two 2L bottles of fizzy water) and taken in three parcels, but that's about it so far. Done a few days meal planning. Forgot to check potatoes so don't know whether we have enough for Sunday.......damn, we don't. Will have to go out again. On the plus side, I turned out to have six tins of baked beans in the overflow cupboard so they can wait till Big Shop after all.

Need to tidy up before the weekend so that we can do decorations - previously we always waited till after S1's birthday, and S2 when asked said around that time seems right to him. He has an (online) interview for his first choice on Saturday morning, so Saturday afternoon would probably be a good time