Pumpkin spice and ghost abound, fledglings flying through the crazy

[HillsBesideTheSea]

Right for this seasonal thread of the Fledgings, I invite you to pull up a comfy chair around the fire pit and pour yourself a mug of something that you fancy.

We loosely follow the flylady system and her babysteps. But we have our own spin, our own abbreviations and have been around for far longer than some of us would like to admit. If you are new to these parts welcome in, we'll get you up to speed in no time. But we have rules, yes rules!

Rule 1: No fledgling left behind.
life happens. If you fall off the thread, jump back when you are ready.

Rule 2: If you wouldn't say it to someone else, don't say it to yourself
Be kind to yourself, the world is still crazy, and life happens. Just do what you can, when you can.

Right that's the rules now for the fun part. Acronyms and autocorrects!
Amongst others (and there are others but we'll have to explain as we go along)
It's all gone a bit ponty pridd - tits up, pete tong, wrong etc etc we get to thank auto correct for this
WOW wash out Wednesday - humps days often don't go to plan and get washed out
LOL round these parts it is load of laundry

Urm... Yeah about that fire pit and comfy chair... Dibs on the big floofy one with fluffy blankies... Last one in brings the marshmallows!

Health glitter and energy sprinkles, mc where on earth do you shop and do they deliver?

Ooh, I'll have some health glitter and energy sparkles too, Mc!

Ta da:
❤️ Bedlinen dried and folded
🧡 Dry washing taken upstairs and sorted
💛 Damp washing put in airing cupboard
💚 DW run
💙 Ginger cake baked (packet was about to go out of date, what is a Fledgling to do?)
💜 Supervised DS3 making pancakes for lunch
❤️ 1hr client work, emailed to client
🧡 Tesco delivery received and put away
💛 DD jabbed
💚 Dw emptied and refilled
💙 Helped DD dye her hair green and black
💜 Emergency LOL to try to get splash of black dye out of my lovely burnt orange t-shirt 😭
❤️ Dinner in the oven. Apparently I got DH's wrong again.
🧡 Ginger cake eaten with large cup of tea and a Logic Problem.
💛 Bins emptied
💚 Home bleugh done by lovely cleaner.

I am so ready for it to be (my) bathtime.

Oh I wish I could soak in a bath. Really would like a few nights away. DS1 birthday tomorrow. He has gone back to work but is tired. I’m tired lethargic and feel a bit depressed. I think it was seeing my old boss.

Thanks for the understanding and support. He really couldn’t believe she had made it a thing. He valued my working and I didn’t know how much until he left although he did used to allow me to organise trips and take the children. I took an retired head supply a few times and he said he thought I did a terrific job. I put a boy at the front of the line as leader and later he said he cringed. He taught this boy sometimes and knew he could be difficult but he behaved perfectly. It was at a port so chances for long falls and deep water. I told him that kids
Like that needed a chance to be responsible. I just said to the boy don’t let me down I am trusting you to do a good job. He was fantastic at leading even waiting for an adult to pass and it started reflecting in school especially when the supply was teaching. He followed through and gave him chances. He left our school a different boy. They were a tricky group but we became very close and I took them to several places the classteachers didn’t go. Never had an incident when we were out. Bless them.

Sing can you direct me to the October drawing as I have lost it.
Zoo great to see you sorry lilzoo is being a pain.

Be back later as I have a duck in the oven.

Red- aww Red how lovely!
i think we would have been brilliant in a class together. Loved giving them responsibility and see the kids chest puff up in pride.
(Cant see properly as I flinged a skirt into my eye...🤦‍♀️ forgive any spelling mistakes.)

I have spent the day looking for coats for Ds and dh......no housework done.
But we might have the correct coats for the weather. Kids have been to karate class, shower, dinner, bed.

Tada
Dw filled and switched on
Argh...how fast is this day flying by?

Mc- can i have that in a energy bar?

Doc appt- cant even get one 🤷‍♀️

Hot chocolates. for anyone feeling exhusted, or has little ones (or big ones) feeling ill.
Sorry i cant type more....big squishy hugs to you all. (If you dont like hugs...i will send you a friendly wave.)

Ta da cont

🕸 more LOL
🕸 booked asda for tomorrow as realised need nappies and only they stock the right size for some reason
🕸 paid for dcs bday party
🕸 wrote party invitations
🕸 dw on again
🕸 collected dc from school
🕸 listened to dd read
🕸 sorted various consent forms
🕸 living room toys tidied away
🕸 worktops tidy
🕸 worktops wiped
🕸 bottles washed and sterilised
🕸 dc to bed

2nd round of covid tests tomo FML. unreadable test issues.

FGS Hills 😔 - sorry for you all.

Yes I think we would Dancing.
It was Nurture Group. They were such hard work to start with as I ran it by myself but after 6 weeks they were gelling and working together. By the time the trip was mentioned they were really starting to turn around. The were all such characters. I taught them how to make a sandwich then how to make toast safely so I knew they wouldn't starve. I worried some weren’t getting enough to eat. I had fruit and biscuits in my room in case they had no breakfast. Biscuits weren’t ideal but could be eaten quickly if I needed to be somewhere else. Two digestives would keep them going. I can’t imagine not feeding your child. We had snack every session with fruit or sandwiches or toast and snacks like popcorn sometimes muffins. Tried to make it healthy eating but parties we had cake too. Hot chocolate in winter. They helped set it all out everyone got a turn to be in charge.They could organise it all by the end.

Duck was quite good. We bought one for a change as not much difference in price to duck Breast or free range chicken. Made pancakes / crepes after. Sat eating some watching Bake Off.

Ta da
Bed
Sorting and decluttering.

Came downstairs and DH had done most of the ironing for me🤷🏼‍♀️🌟😳

Hills
Oh dear Hills hope it isn’t.
Coats are important especially in this weather, Dancing.

Great list Those and a party in the mix too.

Things are getting better in the bedroom I can see a difference now.

Little steps. Great Meme Sing.

Yesterday was hard work
I want glitter/sprinkle please MC
I'm struggling get up and face everything,but thought them all bickering and the atmosphere means I must.thlse 6hours of peace are all keeping me going
Hugs for red
Hills🍀🍀🍀🍀

Red i love reading about your work, clearly very passionate about it i bet you are very missed

Come on zoo you can do it

Argh what a pain hills

Attaching inktober pic red - I haven’t done any of the drawing yet though. Haven’t found the energy 😑

Must get up. DS is being taken on a day out today, I’ve got a lesson at 9.

po3.1
❗️Meds, dressed, breakfast
❗️Make sure DS has everything ready for his day out (lunch, money etc)
❗️Get PC and zoom background ready for lesson

Oops

Welcome to Wednesday. Mine started at 0530 when something upset the dog and I had to let him out. I've dozed since but was dreaming mad things about trying to organise Christmas so I already feel like I've done half a day.

Hills really sorry you are having CTF (Covid Test Fuckery). Hope it's clear when it goes right.

Ah Red you remind me more and more of DS3's beloved nurture group leader. I should have seen then that school was so emotionally difficult for him it was going to go wrong at some point. She was fab at helping him learn to to be proud of himself, to accept he had a right to his turn at things (she noticed very quickly if there wasn't enough of something to go round, he would assume he would go without and step out of the group). She was amazing and I'm certain you filled the same spot in many students' families. 💐

Zoo hope you get your six hours of peace today. It strikes me that Lilzoo is being as difficult as possible because it's the only way she knows to "enforce" getting her own way. Sending ❤️ and 💪 and putting apple crumble in the naughty corner.

🍒👋 to everyone, particularly those who think it might be a Write Off Wednesday.

To do:
🎃 Get washed and dressed, have breakfast
🍁 Put DW on
🕸️ Dentist at 10.30
👻 Finish off writing
🎃 Take DS3 to tennis for 5pm
🍁 Collect DD from school at 5.10pm (she's helping out at Art Club, teaching origami ❤️)
🕸️ Sort out dinner
👻 Collect DS3 at 6pm
🎃 Go on strike!

Zoo . Hope you survived the morning and you’re now enjoying some well deserved peace.

Red I agree, you sound like you were fabulous at your job and I bet so many of the children remember you fondly.

Ah Hills what a shitter. I’ve got my fingers crossed for better luck this time round. Though it sounds like the isolation may be some well needed downtime for you. Hope the migraine does one sharpish.

Sorry about the limited personals. I’ve had two mental days at work but I have been reading along. I’ll be doing no clinical work from 28 weeks thanks to Covid, so things will be calming down very soon.

This morning I did some reading with DD and got her to school on time. I was dreading the school run as the weather has been hideous, but it was actually a very pleasant morning so I took a detour on my way home and went the scenic route. Just dried up the hallway floor from where the driving rain has been raining in round the (fairly new!) front door overnight. Grr. Now need to tidy, do the floors, iron, visit a relative, do some admin I’ve procrastinated over…

But first. Tea.

Ta Das:
🎃 beds made
🎃 s&s
🎃 DW on
🎃 LOL on and last night’s hung out
🎃 tea out of freezer
🎃 booked dentist appointment
🎃 paid after school club bill
🎃 made phone call to finally sort out insurance issue. Now need to send an email
🎃 topped up rice/pasta etc jars in larder

Must summon the energy to sort the floors before an early lunch and off to my relatives. Should probably see what today’s mission it too.

Hope everyone is flying happily, except for the poorly fledglings. They should be resting.

Been trying to get away for a few days for over 3 years and every time something comes up. it is beginning to feel personal!

ta da
book new covid test slot
make sure teen is up for said test slot
write a to do list
go virtual house hunting for budget purposes
make some important decisions
tap foot at the dehydrator which is struggling with humidity atm so everything is taking forever! and I have a back log of herbs to go through it
Ignore the mountain of paperwork

Had lots of aches and pains the day after tackling the understairs cupboard. Keep forgetting I no longer spring back upright after half-an-hour of dragging heavy tubs around while bent like a kirby. Now back to normal. Next week is the October holiday until the following Tuesday, and I aim to tidy as much as possible today, tomorrow, and Friday.

urgh lots of home admin

*started process of moving medical practice for all three family members. We are 'out of area' for our practice and it's increasingly rubbish anyway so I'm voting with my feet.

*am so far behind with work please shoot me now

*need to organise carpenter to get doors fixed
*need to take up two pairs of trousers

*Parent teacher online meeting this pm
*need to prep for important work meeting tomorrow.

*half term on Friday up here - the Tattie holidays (as it's called)

Gosh, yes, I suppose it must be half-term in Scotland since you all went back in August.

Still brilliant list there. Hope you had a fun time with family.

Hills sorry your few days away is proving impossible to arrange.

Ta da:
❤️ Got up, dressed, breakfasted etc
🧡 Went to the dentist. Next time I choose one up four flights of stairs, please hit me over the head with something 🥵. Stairs are still very hard work.
💛 Did a minor Tesco shop on the way home, for all the things our Tesco apparently didn't have yesterday
💚 Bollocked DD's clinic about their rude letter threatening debt collectors for a bill sorted out on 20th September
💙 Filed all paperwork to do with new car
💜 Rang DM, who is having an issue with toilets. The one in the bathroom leaked, so she got a man in... And there is a void at the back of the toilet. No floorboard, just some joists and then the ceiling below. This is making it tricky to repair as she doesn't want the whole floor taken up and redone.
❤️ Got two more client emails out
🧡 Looked up some stuff for my uncle
❤️ Swapped the washing into the drier
💛 Window cleaners came
💚 DH has taken DS3 to tennis, I am doing pick up.

To do:
👻 Cook ghoulash (see what I did there?)
🕸️ Cook lasagne for Ds3
🍁 Empty Dw
🎃 Tidy kitchen

The weather has turned so, it's cold and all my joints hurt - particularly my foot - and I just want to go to bed!

I am looking at light solutions for my room. It is so dark this time of the year and it has finally got to me. Plus I am working on turning into my room into a plant filled space. So plant friendly lighting is going to be a must. I have been constructing a plan, a schedule and a routine to try to stick to for the rest of the week. So we will have to see how that works out. Also I signed up for the low carb bootcamp on here. It worked well last time i did it and I know i need a reset to break my sugar cravings. Will i say on the diet post bootcamp? Probably not, but i do find it kickstarts better eating habits (less sugar more veg) and i generally eat better after.

I have been shocking. No personals, no links. Sorry. I will try to get my shit together and be better tomorrow. I am trying to get my head on straight so my memory works. (i am reading but it is like pouring water into a sieve)

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻oh thank everyone has been so kind. I do miss the children but the ones I missed most including last Nurture Group have all moved on to Secondary now. I did have a bike thrown down and a massive, squeeze hug during March lockdown in the city centre. I didn’t have the heart to say we are supposed to be social distancing.

The egg job might not be happening. I saw his mum today and she didn’t know anything about it and was back tracking saying she was going to help out. Damn. There was a nursery job near here and I know three of the staff already. It will be gone I think.

Scream thanking for posting it again. I will start tonight. It is DS1 b’day and he is exhausted and not coming out for a meal and we are not going there😫I hate not seeing them on their b’day. It seems to be all of them this year exceptDS2. Only DH left this year.

Well I have been crap at flying today.
I made my bed.
I cleaned out the trap🤢and sloshed our the shower tray.

Then I showered , sorted clothes and went to a funeral.

People stayed till 3pm. Lots of people from our village and the next. Farmers, vets, WI, and church people.

Tattie holidays yes I remember. It was two weeks when mine were there.
DH calling me. Sorry no more personals.

Sorry I dropped off, was just busy settling into being a family of 5. I will catch up ASAP.

Forgot the second half of the post🙄. She’s 1 week old today and she’s already changed so much.

Awwwww @ baby Phoebe. 👶 Lovely to see her.

Meanwhile...

DP's mum passed away a few days ago. It's incredibly sad but the bright spot is that DP got to spend time with her, chat with her and take care of her. She was unconscious for a few days at the end and not in any pain at the end. DP is back now, struggling emotionally but gamely carrying on with routines and various jobs at home. DS is coping in his own way by talking about his current interest and by being hyper and loud, although he is calming down - I think he has worn himself out.

Anyway, I'm still here. Just about.

Ta-da
DP did it all (because he wanted to).