It's February - Fledglings are Flying (let's face it there's not much else to do).

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Here we are on the February 2021 Flylady thread - this time last year we were just starting to realise that the world was going to change in a big, big way. The Fledgling threads have pulled us all together and been a great source of comfort and distraction from it all.

This is a friendly housekeeping thread based (loosely... Extremely loosely sometimes 😂) on Flylady's housekeeping system . Welcome one and all, lurkers and long-time posters alike. Join in, hang out, but above all remember you are not behind, just jump in where you are.

The beauty of Flylady is that you don't have to flatten yourself trying to get your house clean to begin the routine upkeep; the first - and only - thing she asks you to do is to shine your kitchen sink. Routines - morning, afternoon and evening - are built gradually through her Baby Steps. To those, you add a Daily Focus and a weekly area to concentrate cleaning on. By the end of a month, your whole house will have had some attention. If you miss a bit, never mind, it'll come round next month!

For this month, I'll be posting daily links to the Launch Pad on the Flylady site so you can follow the daily focus and cleaning missions. You can sign up to receive emails from Flylady, but we suggest you don't - she sends masses, which will clog up your inbox and drive you insane into the bargain.

Because this thread has been running a while, there are some acronyms we use to make life easier
S&S - swish and swipe, round the bathroom to keep it acceptable daily
LOL - load of laundry. No, we don't find washing that funny!
Ned - born of a typo, a mythical being who assists with laundry mountains
The pointy stick ----> to motivate people
PO3 - Power of 3, if you can only face a few tasks. People often find groups of 3 tasks stack up over a day!
The Naughty Corner - where we head when it's all Too Much. Usually stocked with fresh coffee, fluffy throws, delicious snacks and the opportunity to sit quietly with friends or build a blanket fort and sulk in it if you need to.

During the Pandemic, we have also been using the KCC or Keep Calm Corner, invented by long-time poster / thread leader SC. This is a regular dose of memes, questions for discussion, random trivia etc to distract us from the rest of the world. All contributions welcome!

Remember - No Fledgling Left Behind!

I hv cooked a meal from scratch...hvnt done that for 3 weeks....cant believe it.
Cooked at lunchtime and just tidied the kitchen abit now.
I wanted to go for a walk...as my lockdown weight is increasing but dd doesnt want to.
So i will stuff my face with tea and biscuits instead.
Proud i got my ds6 to write a sentance! He copied my words but he did it!
Off to get more biscuits....i must not buy them again. Ever. Never ever. 🍪

Yay well done dancing!

ta da continued
😴got DS to do maths
😴phoned psychiatrist again, finally got through and they’re sending my next script first class
😴found out correct contact for camhs to get info from our early help plan
😴nice walk by myself
😴put a few bits aside in a box to go in the cupboard
😴moved laundry on
😴new LOL
😴emptied DW (really need to get into the habit of doing this first thing)
😴loaded and ran DW
😴packed nursery bag as Cagletini’s needed spares from it (virtually never wets at home, but frequently at nursery, is that normal?!)
😴got her outfit for tomorrow
😴nice bit of reading

I need to try and book some tesco slots, as I’ve not got any booked at all now. Seriously need to sort the fridge too, it’s an absolute state, but that’s not happening today.

Most of that list was forcing myself off the sofa in the last hour or so 😳 spent much of the afternoon thinking “aaaaaargh” and doing nothing useful 😂

Right, tesco time, then I’m catching up on itv player

Tesco slots quickly booked for the next month. Have set reminders for the day before each one to edit the baskets, or I’m ending up with a LOT of Malibu. 🍹🥥

Sing- i wouldnf worry too much about wetting at nursery. As long as you know the nursery staff are reminding your dd to go try and go to toilet and have a wee.
Is it a far walk to nursery? Could she do a wee as soon as she gets to nursery?
Does the nursery encourage wee straight after snack and drinks are given?
(I thought the nursery I worked at were barmy for not encouraging wee's after giving kids drinks.🤷‍♀️ or after playing in the cold outside!)
Sometimes kids can be so engrossed in playing and having fun at nursery they just hold it in and then at the last minute wet themselves. I did know kids that would rather wet themselves than stop playing and have a wee. There were regular chats with a childs mum and no one could figure out why the child kept doing it. It was just accepted thats what the kid did. She was changed as soon as staff noticed.
I am sure your nursery are working on it gently from their side. As long as they change her as soon as they notice it.
She is still little.
What does your dd say about it?

Hiya I’ll keep it short tonight because I’m feeling quite ill🤢 I felt better today and out of excitement ate way too much crap which I’m badly regretting now😂. I won’t post a ta da list either because other than the mission and general bits and bobs I haven’t done anything of worth. One thing I will say though is that S&S has changed my life. I usually left my bathroom until it got into a state before I cleaned it but it’s so nice having it always presentable now. DD has been a PITA today lol she’s not been happy with anything. She asked for a yoghurt with her lunch and then screamed when I gave her it because she didn’t want one anymore and then she cried after she ate her lunch because it was all gone😂

Thank you hope😊

red good luck with the scarf that’s such a lovely thing to do😊

Thank you zoo I hope your cramps have eased a bit now🤞🏻sorry to hear about the cat troubles I can’t offer any advice as I’ve never had one but I hope everything improves💖

hazel he settled after a while but he’s been very drooly and irritable all day my upper wisdom tooth is coming through too so I feel his pain😂 decorating is great it’s really nice to have a place of my own that I can decorate exactly how I like😊 ew🤢 at dog wee and poo!

Lovely pics dancing your DD’s stained glass window is beautiful💖🌈 well done on cooking the meal too😊

Well done that🎉

Sorry about the laptop hills I’m not very technical though so can’t help very much. I hope you manage to sort it🤞🏻

I’m sorry about DD’s referral being lost sing❤️

I think I have caught up with everyone I’m going to get some sleep now and hopefully to pore I feel better and am not so tempted by sugary snacks😂

Naptune I hope you feel better tomorrow. A piece of toast first then see how you feel.
Zoo water pistol at the ready. Try Valerian use sparingly to keep Scoutcat calm DD always used it for car travel with her DCDancing very pretty rainbow.
That brilliant news about passing module.
Hills sorry can’t help.
🍒👋🍒👋🍒👋to those midd

Ta da from Thursday

S&S
1 hour in boudoir
1 hour in ROfD
Made Tattie Pot for tea, delicious.
Some dusting in Sitting room.

Back to sleeping.😴

Glad you liked the rainbows stain glass window. The children were learning about churches, i love stained glass windows.

Naptune- oh dear, hope you feel better soon!
Your dd is funny 🤣!
S&s is a game changer isnt it?! Same here. Glad you are enjoying decorating your place to your taste.

Zoo- I have been thinking about ways to help scoutcat. I used to fling open the back door, hiss at the cat trying to fight my cat. If that didnt work i tried growling like angry cat, that didnt work sometimes so i barked like angry dog. That would make the cat run away. The only problem is in trying to save my very soft, cuddly cat from getting hurt- i didnt realise the next door gardens maybe very quiet...but they might be in their gardens. 😮🙈

Red- your idea of a water pistol is great idea, much better than mine Red 😁
Weldone for doing 1 hour in room of doom.

Sing- weldone for booking your malibu slots- sorry tesco slots.

🍒morning👋everyone.

Think may have to invest water pistol.this cats "well 'ard" damn thing don't bad an eyelid if make self big as poss n hiss

Typed this in a really bad mood. Apologies for negativity.

Fell off the thread with a vengeance. Thinking back to when I posted that we had created a calm wee cocoon for ourselves chez Tidy, and now everything is nervy and unsettling. LOs will have their third class teacher in five months when they go back, a new PT for their unit, and HT is retiring at Easter. HT has been very supportive with staggered starts and finishes for my LOs, and I can only hope that the arrangements continue after she leaves.

I ordered a massive amount of chocolate in the delivery this week. Mostly whole nut, so I can kid myself that it's one of my five-a-day.

Moved a very small set of drawers to my room, and now all my bits and pieces are beside me and not scattered throughout the house. I can have a sort through when I get up and not worry about disturbing anyone else.

Lots of sun yesterday, out in garden trying to tidy. Neighbour's giant new fence blocks the sun from two hours earlier in the afternoon now. I'm trying to get into the habit of going out in the morning and early afternoon weather permitting.

The recycling trolley and food waste bin appeared after a few days. I put the food waste bin out for emptying on Tuesday, and it disappeared again.

Anyway, I'm getting up now to rip up more of my collapsed and rotting trellis, and listen to some podcasts.

tidy- its ok to vent. I am so sorry you feel this way. I am so sad my two kids will be going back to school as my dd4 is being bullied and pushed out by other girls. I want to my dd safe and keep her home with me. My heart aches at thinking I hv to send her. So i understand your pain. I hate the school run and uniform prep.
Sending you hug tidy. Hope the podcasts are good.

ioncethrewawashingupbowlofwaterataparticularlymeancat

It didn't come back.

Also not looking forward to school return and secret wishing the teachers unions advise section 44 again as TBFH nothing has changed since Xmas

Morning all,

Sorry I didn't come back yesterday, DS was at my side pretty well all day needing help and reassurance with his work and then I had some paid work to do too. DS needs to talk his work through endlessly at times it helps calm him down and get his thoughts straight but it is quite wearing for me. I cannot wait for him to be able to get back to school, not that I want rid of him, but he needs support from his teachers not me trying to work out BTEC assignment requirements while I work at the same time, this is doing him no good at all. I do get why many aren't keen for school return though, a 6th former who gets ready and goes to school independently and enthusiastically is a very different matter to primary school aged DCs or those having issues with other children, anxiety etc .

MrsT - sorry you are feeling down again, I had a big wobble about a week ago, not even really sure why but I was all anxious, butterflies, snappy and irritable. Feel free to unload here.

Zoo - water pistol would be my suggestion too. Our girl cats get bother from next doors boy cats. One of the boys is a mean bully and one of ours walks away but the other is always up for a scrap, fortunately they both have very thick fur and have managed to avoid anything worse than scratches. I did throw a bucket of water in his direction once.

Naptune glad the S&S is working for you, it is definitely one of the better babysteps.

Foxes - eww to cat poo in the bath, dfinitely better than the carpet.

Dancing - lovely photos, I took a few of flowers in our garden yesterday, I'm on my laptop ATM but will post some from my phone later.

Lovely sunny day here and forecast good for the weekend too. I have decided to go for a walk to the cemetary later, we don't have anyone there and is it a bit out of the way but apparently it is awash with beautiful purple crocuses.

Also kitchen planning is underway, we have had quotes from Magnet, Howdens and Wren, want to also ask for a design from an independent. Red we have decided to go for the Everhot, haven't ordered yet but decided on 90i, probably blue with white units.

Right, today's links to follow.

Today is Friday and we are meant to clear out our car and handbag. I never did do my laptop bag last week and my car needs a good tidy, it is gradually getting full of stuff waiting for the charity shops to reopen.

Our mission today is to clean the windows in your master bedroom and bathroom. All ours could do with cleaning, I am in the front room and the sun is showing lots of fingerprints - we have sash windows and are all short so if we open the top hald or it slips down a bit we inevitable end up touching the glass trying to get them up again.

Flight Plan

Today's babystep is to read one of the Flylady testimonials. Optional!

I haven't posted babysteps every day, so here is a link to the whole set of them in case anyone wants to browse babystep index

Spring flowers

that :o about the cat (I’m always annoyed strikeout doesn’t work on my phone, it comes out like —this— 🙄)

I get what you mean about the school fear. It’s such a divisive issue on MN though, sometimes I click on the threads and my god the venom from both sides!!! I’m happy on balance that DD1 is going back, both for her MH and mine/DH’s, but it is worrying. Still strict on showering as soon as she gets in.

I’m still debating with myself over the shielding letter. I do in a sense agree with a friend’s DH who also got a letter this week, that it’s locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. And like me he’s got his first jab v soon (I know you need the second for proper protection obviously). But then walking past people yesterday I did wonder if I was less safe than I realised, and felt more anxious

Shielding is apparently meant to include distancing from your own family and there is just no way I can do that. Being autistic I need a lot of time away from people - even my own family 😳 - but that would just be impossible both practically and emotionally! And now it’s likely that some home ed meets are allowed again (in line with schools reopening) I am not sure what to do. Given how shit my MH has been lately I might need to prioritise that, on balance. I’d be sending DS anyway. Although I just realised it might clash with my training so I may have to give it a miss anyway!

Sorry for the waffle.

Dancing thank you for the reassurance re nursery! I think you’re right that it’s distraction mainly. She has also been a bit anxious about using the potty there - we were going to give them the exact same one she has at home in case that helped but they said hold off as she does use theirs sometimes. It doesn’t help that she won’t go in the mornings, the other two would on waking because they were dry at night. Even at home she does leave it to the last possible second 🙄

Must get DS to do his work. He’s on track to get everything done (and he did extra physics by choice on Wednesday yay!). I’m so sleepy but will go Pokémon hunting with DS this afternoon. And I reeeeally have to get on with my assignment or even the 1 month extension on the course will be too little.

Ah ed I get you on the constant talking/reassurance with a teen! It is really draining, and with DD1 it happens to be at night when we are required most, so we are tired and DH especially finds it hard to be patient when knackered so that probably doesn’t help either! Gaaaah.

Good point re the getting younger kids ready - DD1 thankfully has been self sufficient since she started back at school in year 8, so it’s just less effort overall as she will be doing most of her work in the classroom again (they aren’t big on homework). Although I’m not especially looking forward to the endless debrief of every tiny thing that other people did Wrong.

I am very tempted to crawl out on the roof to clean the windows

ta da
wake up every. damn. half. hour. when could finally sleep
deal with welfare call from school
Ask ds how the school can have so little idea about him
Wonder what planet SLT is actually on when parent AND subject teacher says there is NO WAY that he can catch up on art and yet SLT are INSISTING ON IT apparently he just has to motivate himself?!? yeah good luck with that one you clearly have neither read his IEP nor listened the last 12 months
Drink coffee
Swear at microwave and crockery after 50 secs led to a cup of coffee being so hot it burnt
language practise
checked the emails and wait impatiently for today's instalment of a herbal tea making basics class I am taking
swear at the to do list and the massive puddle in the utility room from someone standing on a cartoon of dairy free milk i threw towels at it last night to soak some of the worst up
watch the blue tits out the window and consider out side
Stare at the seeds that were planted yesterday and wonder why i am wondering why they are not germinating
Discover that my live class is at 2am - YIKES!!! should be worth it though i might need a nap.

right need to stop procrastinating and just get all the things done.

I wish my teen was self sufficient ...

Tbh I also wish the people would be self sufficient...

He's self sufficient in some ways, very much not in others. Csn get himself off to school unassisted though. Sing - yes to the late night thing. He tends to lie on our bed in the evening with his Ipad, then when I come up we have a chat, which is nice, then I get changed and into bed while he goes off to have a shower and I think to myself, ooh, I can read my book for a bit. But no, back he comes and off we go again.

One of the people has worked themselves up with health anxiety to the point they have not slept in over a month properly and are now so tired they longer understand what you say to them properly (could also be the can't use hearing aid cos that would use batteries issue)

I am about ready to scream in frustration. So if you hear a scream coming from the naughty corner you will know what it is.

Yay waders well done to DS3! My DS would struggle with that I think. I used to send them into greggs or whatever to pick some bits up when we used to change buses in town, for various home ed clubs. But it was always both of them together and a small shop with fewer choices. I’m not sure how he’d do in even a small supermarket. Worth thinking about 🤔

Waders- weldone on Ds3 being indepedant and doing things! 11 is little! They were tiny when they came to secondary school! I loved them! So cute.

Tadas-
I have washed down the double pushchair and waiting for someone to collect it.
I hope they turn up!

I didnt tell dh someone might be collecting it as I didnt want to hear stupid comments about it...but i had to tell him and now he has just said.....dont leave it outside on the driveway incase someone steals it..!
At the moment i want someone to take it.
Maybe if I disguise it as a food waste bin...maybe someone will take it away? 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️