Action Stations for August! Fledglings Flap Frantically and Swish’n’Swipe through Summer

[SingToTheSky]

Welcome one and all!

I’m quickly setting up the August thread (ok seriously I know someone says this every month but HOW is it August already?!) - MN has been a bit iffy today, and I got rather distracted this evening which I fear may be a portent of my hosting skills this month. Thank you to the lovely ED for steering us through July despite much to manage at home 💐

Anyway - do join in as we loosely follow the Flylady system, in order to gradually sort our houses out. The key word here is GRADUALLY. There is no turning the house upside down and banishing chaos overnight, there is slow and steady. You are never behind. Miss a day? Week? Decade? No worries, jump back in, it’ll all come round again.

Newbies always welcome!

Placematking.

Am I first on the new shiny thread? Woo I'm first! 😍

Thank you for volunteering to run the thread in August Sing

Place marking

Must post (and fly) more this month!

Thank you Sing for taking on August. Thank you for leading last month ED

Just got in. It has been a day.
I have not achieved as much as i wanted
but i have not killed anyone and i am nice and calm ready for a new day of "what the fuck are they up to this time" tomo

Just got to clear the pile of half sorted paperwork off my bed so that i can find it. Hot water bottle is already ready to go

Hills i hope you found your bed and got a good nights sleep!

Up @ 6am here with the smallest two DC 😴

Ta da
🧹 ordered schools shoes for dc 1 and 2
🧽 ordered other bits from Asda George

Just had a quick scroll through past couple of days on July thread!

Sorry to hear some are having family issues I have no contact at all with one side of family (don't actually think i would even be contacted if someone died tbh) which is kind of weird but also probably makes life easier. Minimal contact with other side. Most of this lack of contact isn't intentional, just drifting apart and being busy etc. I am however almost 4 years no contact with my mother which is VERY intentional

Thanks for threads sing and ed

As for people teenager issues we are still fairly new to having teens (dc1 and 2 are 12 and 13) but have also been firm on "you do x, y and z if you want screens / money / go out with friends" Bedrooms are given a quick once over most days or they don't get the above. They also have set additional chores to do daily / weekly.

I have FINALLY made progress in the swapping around of DCs bedrooms, not finished but the end is in sight. I have located and hoovered DC4 and 5s bedroom carpet and sorted through more than half of the BRC (think lots of bits of lego / playmobile / sylvanians) also built couple of bits of flat pack 💪

Morning all, thanks for the new thread Sing. I am just enjoying tea and toast in the garden (can't really get out here during the week as access is via the kitchen full of tradespeople and its been raining a lot). Less traffic noise on a Sunday. Just contemplating going to do DD's cat feeding job for her so she can have a lie-in (they are both doing Mon-Sat paper rounds so up early every day and last night she said she was looking forward to a lie-in, forgetting about the cats). But she is also possessive of the job, she wants to do it by herself. Either way will be wrong!

Morning. Thanks for thread Sing

Nothing really done in house yesterday. I went to the gym late morning then was childminding a 12yo with sen in the evening for the first time. Lovely parents, crazy dog but all went well and will hopefully have repeat bookings and a bit of top up income. Some recommendations to other sen parents who are worried about going out would be good.

So far today I’ve walked the dog, paid the rent and put some rubbish out.

Think first po3 will be:
Lol
Rotate dw
Put away some more clothes

Going to have a look what zone we’re in 🙈

🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐
Morning all! Welcome to August! (Again… HOW?! Also as my baby boy turns TWELVE this month and that just doesn’t seem right!)

So, here we are in another month of Flying. Here’s the launchpad.

We seem to be in Zone 1, the entrance and dining room here - but I’m not sure how long that lasts as tomorrow is Monday?! We shall see tomorrow I suppose 🤣

And the habit of the month is laundry! Trying to get one load of laundry (referred to here as a LOL) done each day. I am trying also to abide by the rule from TOMM, which is to never start a new load until the previous load is COMPLETELY finished and put away. This stops the pile of clean clothes building up to an overwhelming degree. It’s as if she knows me… 😳🤣

Anyway, no missions today as it’s Sunday, and the daily focus is renewing your spirit (I might play some more piano later!) - do something nice for YOU. But also don’t forget to shine your sink :o

🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐

Right, must get up. Got my first maths lessons with new pupils today, then tomorrow I’m doing English with them! Exciting but always a bit scary when it’s a new family.

po3.1
❗️Breakfast
❗️Find a folder to use for resources
❗️Shower and dressed

Thanks for the new thread Sing and massive thanks to ED for steering us through July while her house was being ripped apart around her. Definitely a🏅 achievement!

Hope you slept better than yesterday, Hills. 🏅 for you, too, for not murdering anyone.

Mc did you ever process all that caffeine? You were quite ... um ... perky? late last night . Although I agree being first on a new thread is exciting!

Hazel that was a long list at the end of the last thread. If you're off til Thursday, remember to take some time for you!

Apols for the pity party last night. It's weird when your children no longer need you quite as much and DS2 was/ is my particularly precious boy because we nearly lost him when he was 5 weeks old. I am hugely proud of the young man he has become, I just wish they could be smaller for longer. 18 years has gone so fast.

I'm aware I have been Neglecting The Personals, so to speak, so:
Hope hope you are still there, you've been a.bit quiet
Dancing hope the cleaning with your DBro went well yesterday and H has had an Attitude Adjustment (forcibly, with a shovel, if necessary 😂)
That 6am is early, but maybe not too insanely early if DS5 is under 6 weeks?
Up don't work too hard on house stuff! You need to conserve your energy for the Uplet.
Foxes hope your are surviving the holidays. I always felt better having a Theme Day a week planned in, because the planning with the DC can take up another afternoon 🤣.
Yup how are things? Do you work weekends, I've lost track?
Honey hope DS has got helpful instead of critical. Hurrah for an extra income stream that is going well.

Sorry, had to take DD to work for 8 and got caught up in breakfast, kitchen etc.

ED did you not know that a (teenager's) Mother's Place Is In The Wrong?

Ta da
❤️ Up at 6.15 due to the Debating Society on the field shouting about whether Girl A had defended Girl B when Archie impugned their reputation, while Archie loudly insisted he'd done no such thing. 🤬
🧡 Took DD to work
💛 Breakfast, meds etc. Discovered glass yoghurt jar had a hole in and threw breakfast out due to risk of broken glass. Began again

To do:
🎷 LOL - probably our bed
🎺 S&S
🎷 Baking - gram flour crackers and grain free (kidney bean based) brownies
🎺 Take DS2 amd GF to sign flat contract
🎷 Start disassembling and packing up DS2's room
🎺 Make him bring back all the stuff he's tried to take that weren't part of the agreement 😂 put that TV down, boy!
🎷 Watch the Grand Prix (even moving house must pause for this, apparently?)
🎺 Find dinner. Not a clue.
🌞 Pay for DS3's tennis course (trying not to overplay this, but he may have finally found his sport 🥰)
🎺 Plan next week, including Ikea trip with DS2 and GF.

I have discovered this morning a major gap in DH's adulting, in that he has NO IDEA how to dry clothes without a tumble dryer or a whirlygig washing line. Has apparently never heard of a heated area, or the use of a dehumidifier 🤷🤦.

“I am trying also to abide by the rule from TOMM, which is to never start a new load until the previous load is COMPLETELY finished and put away. This stops the pile of clean clothes building up to an overwhelming degree. It’s as if she knows me… 😳🤣 “ That is me! I’m going to have to start trying to follow that rule too 🙈

Tadas:

Stripped bed and put onto wash
Rotated dw, not enough to run it yet
Filled pill organiser for the week

Not much better sleep last night. But woke up because i had an alarm so that all the things could be done. Not because someone was being inconsiderate.

I am just considering moving. It will be a but first coffee kinda day And then :
get up, dressed and get going
move box in lounge
move boxes into lounge
move table
move/deal with random crap in the spare room
laundry - black, white, towel, old towel etc etc
find clean bedding and put onto bed
rearrange random stuffs in main bathroom
water plants
deal with random crap on the landing so it is passable
put paperwork didnt finish filing and files into the office
make sure it is ready for a quick move of a few bits of furniture only tomo morning
Deal with random stuffs on floor in study
put work things into car
hoover through
figure out wtaf is going to be for tea
Sort out bullet journal
Early night

I am sure that i have probably missed stuffs off the list but i am not worrying about it now. It will become apparent as the day goes on.

Morning.

Morning all,
Thank you very much for running the last thread ED when chaos is all around you. Sing thank you for August thread and I agree how can it be August already.

Amazing amounts of flying by some. I am in the naughty corner sniffling croissants 🥐 with the others. I felt nauseous all day until early evening. Not sure why but I did 🤬all except watch the Olympics. Oh I did declutter a bag then shoved stuff back in until nearly as full to re sort later. I did burn some and refill some but the rest grew.
I also wrote my last letter to my young girl 11 in Ethiopia and felt really sad as she is writing proper letters now. I sent her a load of stuff from around the house as I hadn’t had the note long and I was away. So I sent a top, some pens, lots of stickers and a few other things. I sent a dress of shirred material at the top which will need sewing up to fit and damn I forgot to include the thread and several needles. I hope someone there can sort it. They have sent me a new little girl from Nepal who has the same name as my cousin’s wife. I was going to stop as I have no money coming in but can’t when she is Nepalese and has the same name. Must write to cousin. They have one girl. They will be so excited I am supporting her. I got it posted as last day lost several due to holiday.

Really must phone pension people again sometimes I am too patient.

Hills is there any reason other than perhaps financial that you have to live with the other ‘people’ as they really seem to add to your problems and stress. Sorry meds are not helping much but maybe persevere for a few weeks if you can as my GP told me to do and it did work for me.
Hope today improves but I would definitely go somewhere with a snack and a book today.

ED looks lovely. I love the cover fabric. We ran a extension lead while our kitchen was being built around it. Chaos reigns but it will be so lovely when finished I still love mine and it is coming up 3 yrs in December. It is so worth it.
Sing fantastic lists. I need to do glove sorting can I borrow the sorters please. I keep finding one glove. I have a bag near the door and hope they marry up.

Willow it is hard when they leave. I haven’t seen DS3 for months now. Must try this week. Are they nearby?

Honey That sounds good for you and I know that parents find it difficult to go out on their own. Mencap here have a list of approved minders. Might be worth checking out. I know someone who does it and some of the Nursery Nurses used to be on it when we were at college.

Hazel you sound very busy. Take a time out hour today please.
Dancing hope DH has seen the error of his ways. DB will show him up if not.

That lovely to hear from you. Great amount of flying and glad to hear they do help. Makes for a happy home.
Zoo hope things work out. Have some me time too.

Thanks everyone. I am glad you think it was a bit off not to tell me. Look forward to DS2 opinion as she might have known but might not know yet as in OZ. I might speak to her later. DH often thinks that I over think/ too sensitive about these things. He is an only child so doesn’t really understand. We only needed a days notice to go as it takes a day to get up there so they will have needed to book registrar, hotel etc no it has been done deliberately. I joked with DH should I ask for my cheque back as it was to help pay for a bigger wedding and enough for the deposit. It likely would have paid for all of what they had. Oh well I know where I stand now. DH says I shouldn’t send DSis any more but I can’t do that. I do think she could get another temporary job though. I would if I were her.

Right better get cracking to go to Mass. Going to two gardens and then Roast pork for tonight.

Feel a lot better today. Will do some decluttering and splurge tomorrow on hall downstairs then dining room. Boudoir still chaos but hope to put some things away.

Red- i think i would feel the same way about the wedding if thats how i heard of it.

Willow- sending you a hug. Its understandable you feel like that about your ds2 esp if you nearly lost him at 5 weeks. I am sure you will spoil him rotten when he does come home to mums cooking.

🌿 i love your monster plant! Its beautiful. Its excately what i have all ways wanted. A large green leafed plant. Is it easy to look after? Do you find any bugs like to live in it?

ED- Thank you for the previous thread. Dont know how you managed with everything going on in your home! You def derserve the gold medal

Sing- thanks for new thread. I agree, i follow the TOMM method- one lol everyday. But, i must remember to put away before I do the next million loads.

Update- kitchen all cleaned. Can see 95% of my worktop. Considering getting rid of toaster and microwave. Dbro was bloody amazing at washing pots and reorganising cupboards.
'D'h i could happliy hit with a shovel - where the sun dont shine. Yesterday he couldnt even look after the kids while I went for a bike ride. My mind was broken, my sister came to help and we took kids for a walk.

Saturday am- took kids to local tiny library- my 2 loved it and came back with armfuls of books! So many new books.

Todo
Call back from urgent care as my underarm infection is back and i new antibiotics urgently (i bet they will ring while i am in shower.)
1pm take kids to see my dad and family. (Really just to get away from dh, who i am sick to death of.) I want to scream-clean up at him.

I must take up meditation and yoga.
I must take up meditation and yoga.
I must take up meditation and yoga.

😬

Dancing I am sorry 'D'H is being a pain. Have you tried telling him over a glass of something that he needs to pull his finger out?
Red re wedding, that was a very very poor form of them. You have every right to be upset. I would be pretty upset too. Have you spoken to them since?
Willow getting back to caffeine is fun 😬

Afternoon lovelies. Just back from my first maths lesson with a new family - they are so lovely and it went really well! I’ve had a look at their recent English work which will help me prep for tomorrow (it’s just assessments this week and starting proper tuition/homework next week). :)

I really need to catch up on my lesson record book though (quick notes on each lesson, homework etc). So that is on the plan for today. I also need to think how to organise my resources now I’ve got a few more pupils.

In the meantime, lunch! Must make sure I don’t spend my earnings on the way home (they live near Cagletini’s nursery and there is a small Tesco) 😳🤣

Red I would definitely be cross about the wedding - especially after having taken money from you. Kind of at the outrageous end of CF'ery.

Can someone tell me what TOMM stands for? I need to make it stick in my head and try to apply it.

My only tadas since the last list is finishing the new Hunger Games book, cooking us a nice lunch and having it out with ds that he wasn't going anywhere till all the plates were out of his room, scraped and in the dishwasher and all of the rubbish was in the bin or recycling. Getting more thick skinned to the moaning and arguing.

I will try and put some clean clothes away before I let myself start on my next book but I'm claiming reading as my renewing my spirit or whatever sunday is. Now off to check ds has followed through.

TOMM is The Organised Mum Method. I don't get on with it generally, she requires a major blitz to start with to begin with, which is my big sticking point.

DS2 is shoving everything he owns into bin bags, but he and the GF are so excited about their (tiny wee) flat, it's lovely .

Just try to be proud - there are so many kids living with their parents to crazy ages nowadays - you've done your job well if they're confident and able to move out Goodness knows how I'll be, it's been just ds and I for a very long time.

Hi can I join please?

Hi floating! Make the most of your initial enthusiasm and post a ta-da list to give us all hope

I have dun nuffin again, not even watched the gymnastics (I'm on about Day 5 and I think this is Day 9... still, that will keep me going when it all stops).

Willow... S1 has another year of student life to go and then I expect he'll have to find somewhere simply because there are more engineering posts Not Here than there are Here. (Unless he gets a job at BAe, of course, then he can live with granny )

Welcome floating! Hop on board 🥰

Nice to see you merry :)

Ah yes sorry honey I didn’t explain that about TOMM (thank you willow for answering!). I have read the book (whereas I haven’t read Flylady’s!) and I do like aspects of it - such as the aforementioned laundry rule - but as willow says, the initial blitz… nah. Fab if you can do that, but with our house it just isn’t feasible, so you always feel behind. I much prefer Flying (and mainly the thread!) with the idea of never being behind, it suits my life better and I love the fact decluttering is seen as an ongoing process. I do sometimes do much more than 15mins, like recently when I have really focused on the books and games, but when I can’t, it is good to remember that even a tiny bit of progress IS progress. Trying to get that through to DD1 as well - she’s struggling with wanting to be more organised and study etc but the reality is she struggles a lot.

Anyway I’ve had a nice (if brief due to sudden rain) bit of alone time playing piano while DH took Cagletini to the park, and now I really really must get on. Feeling a tad overwhelmed by the millions of tiny tasks I have to do.

po3.2
❗️LOL
❗️Organise paper and digital versions of the stuff I printed for maths today
❗️Clean planner board

I was feeling so overwhelmed i took a nap [bush]

Another welcome from me too. And like the other says go ahead and be all enthusiastic. You might as well enjoy it cos we'll have enticed you into the naughty corner for the hammock, comfort food etc soon enough!