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!

I've just read thru since last posted and completely forgot instantly everything so please forgive lack personals

After 5long months lil zoo returned home yesterday after a very trying week.she had be collected early on Thursday for a panic attack and refused to go Friday scuppering my birthday plans of a nice walk as refused to do that once dd2 had at least cajoled her to come to us so she could go to work.sje was fine all day whilst doing what wanted.dd1 and I talked a lot and agreed she's lost all progress was making with them returning to school refusing,not eating etc and is proving too much.she was returned on Sunday(she refused school Thursday week before and they said then did again might as well go home as not making improvements or trying they can't help)
She refuses to talk about things,can't emotionally regulate and has shutdowns or hysterics and believes her opinion is only option on subjects she starts discussions on,and if she don't want do something nothing will make her.she has very limited sense of humour and is blunter than a spoon too ..
Anyhoo made for an awkward evening yesterday with family dynamic shift.

Today's tada

*Made Vegemite cheese croissants for school(jusroll plus extra bits added)
*Wash up from last night
*Wipe surfaces
*Wake dd2 for meds
*Wipe dining table
Cut carrots and cucumber for lunches
*Wakeds
*Make toast dd2 and wake her
Argue lil zoo til came down brekkie.refised wash hands to eat.refused food,then pinch one D's pain au chocolat.had some milk
*Dd2 decided we needed a full scale panic this morning,great as D's needed be in another town 45 mins away for 915.ment leave 745 with the girls.dd2 was shout not get ready left at 8(after 4attempts her lil zoo actually put her lunch in her bag)
*Virtual run home
*Chivvy D's get uniform on(he comes with me and gets stressed by uniform on too early so we do school run for girls in joggers and t)
*Fill his water bottle and retrieve his lunch from fridge
*Get stuck in traffic,then behind a tractor.20 minutes late...
*"D"p decides rather go home we can hang out in town there.we walk twice around reservoir then need pick up duvet cover for lil zoo as cat wrecked one duvet cover with furball and kibble orange stains and apparently hates feel of teddy fleece covers....Argos can't give me a single duvet cover before 4pm.b+m have king-size or single teddy feel.tesco have nothing but £25 one...home side had reduced one,don't go their room but I was looking will to live.rsduced £25 to 15,to 23.cost £9 when went thru til!
Still have a. Hour to kill..walk park by D's school(clock up 8 miles walking by this point in l school run) hips killing me as sit car also hurts it.im hungry as didn't have brekkie thinking could after-school run chaos...
Finally get D's.he was ok sud English,citizenship and maths.sat first other student and what would you know she was one lil zoo friend at primary!
Finally got to eat 2pm
Put shop away
Girls came in,dd2 in strop as anxious all day and did nothing in frees now in mood when I remind her need work at home to catch up work didn't do over weekend
Lil zoo gets v quiet as she rants in and retreats upstairs after snack.as ate hummus crackers and large bag randoms suspect ditched lunch
Retreated upstairs to do hip stretches then meditate
I need get up and cook but been lay in bed near hour scrolling on my phone...

Tonight offering for D's and lil zoo will be roast cod,broccoli and pasta with pesto and some strawberries

Oof, that sounds hard, zoo, but I'm so glad Lilzoo is home again. ❤️💐

Scream you will be fine, once the job becomes your New Normal.

Ta da:
❤️ hair colour. They have managed to dry it flat, I cannot work out how!
🧡 Brief Sainsbury's stop for two potatoes, two tins of beans and some lunch tongue.
💛 lunch
💚 Help DS3 with maths homework
💙 Change our bed, including putting autumn weight duvet on.
💜 Sit down for a bit as thoroughly puffed
❤️ Drive DS3 up to town on an errand
🧡 Try to work. Brain won't go
💛 Make shepherd's pie - I got one for tonight and one for the freezer out of the leftover meat and gravy. Except I've just remembered it was meant to be goulash tonight 🤦.
💚 Swap washing over, put LOL onto dry and our bedding in
💙 Hand out clean washing

I've been in my pjs since 7.30, and I'm going to bed!

Zoo 💐

Evening has been a write off other than a nice story time with Cagletini. Am grumpy because DD1 is grumpy and in full on selfish teen mode (well, full on by her standards anyway. She’s not too bad generally). I would ideally just go to sleep now but the PC is in our room and she’s got homework. I would just doze in there anyway but I think I’d better steer clear 🤣

Anyway I’m overwhelmed, overtired and pissed off with life today. Seem to have really sunk into constant-pain mode. So I’m going to finally write down the ideas for presents that I planned to do earlier and then get to sleep as soon as I can. Busy day tomorrow as DS has tutoring (I’m leaving him there this time so will go and sit with a book or browse the shops) and I have piano in the afternoon. May be seeing an old friend in between but it depends on timings and where they’re working.

zoo you have been missed indeed i am glad lilzoo is home, 5 months is so bloody long! Fingers crossed each day gets a bit easier

Struggling to keep up with the thread. Life keeps getting in the way!

Should have had first uni tutorial today but the system went down been rearranged for tomorrow so will try again then i suppose

zoo it's so good to see you back! It's good to hear that lil zoo is back home with you.

willow a new hair colour can really help you feel amazing, although I'm curious as to why your hairdresser wouldn't cut it the way you want it? I would be going elsewhere to get it done if you really want it cut a particular way.

those 🤞 for you for tomorrow so the computer works properly for you.

I worked today, but did manage to make a couple phone calls that were needed and took care of the mail as soon as it came in.
Right, I'm off to bed, dropping my phone while trying to falling asleep!

scream 💐 I hope you wake up in a better mood, more well rested for the day ahead of you.

Let's all have a good Tuesday 😁

Hazel it's not so much my hairdresser wouldn't cut it as I wanted, he wasn't there! He can be a bit flakey, but this time he had a childcare disaster. So I had my hair dried by a trainee who had clearly not had enough experience with wavy hair. This morning, it is back to its usual bouncy self and I have my actual haircut next Monday (childcare disasters notwithstanding).

Sorry your tutorial didn't happen, Those.

Scream sorry to hear it all feels like too much at the moment. Sending ❤️ and healing thoughts 💐.

Zoo hope the school run this morning goes well and you get to eat sooner in your day today! Would it help to think of Lilzoo as a bit like a newborn? Much wanted but appears in your house / life and throws everything into disarray until one day in about 6-10 weeks you suddenly realise things have shaken down a bit and it's not quite as chaotic as it was. 💐

Ta da:
❤️ Put the second half of last night's bedding wash in to dry

To do:
🎃 Get up!
🍁 Empty bins
🕸️ Fold and put away dry bedding
👻 Tidy boudoir (have lost dressing table again)
🎃 Sort out menu plan, which is nowhere accessible in the kitchen which is why it keeps going wrong
🍁 Feather dust upstairs and down
🕸️ Change bunting in the kitchen
👻 Tesco delivery arriving between 2 and 3
🎃 Get up to my eyrie with my laptop and ACTUALLY DO SOME WORK
🍁 DD flu jab at 4.10
🕸️ Contact Home Ed people at county about DS3's flu jab
👻 Start writing Christmas planning lists 🤬 (I hate this bit. Christmas just feels like a huge slog for one day, then various ear bendings off my family and FIL. I usually enjoy it when we get there).

I feel like it might be Totalled Tuesday, hope - would fit with Write Off Wednesday!

Not feeling particularly optimistic about the day, as I didn’t have a good night’s sleep. I had literally just dozed off when Cagletini woke up crying as she’d wet the bed. DH sorted her though.

po3.1
❗️Get dressed and have breakfast
❗️Do some maths with DS (today I get to try out a new resource yay)
❗️Make sure our bags are packed for trip to next town for DS’ lesson

I vote for too much to do and unlikely to get it done Tuesday here.

Still just surviving here. Have appointment this morning in town, shopping delivery this afternoon and a fair bit to do for work. I've managed to keep on top of laundry and the dw and all beings are nourished, cleanish and alive. Environment is all rather messy though and bathroom positively grubby.

Catchy title there honey :o certainly sums up the problem though

DS has done maths (didn’t really need the resource either, which is good as it shows he’s understanding the work well, but I am impatient to play with it 🤣). Have decided against visiting friend today as she’s working in an unfamiliar place and I am still full of ouch. TBH it’s probably better this way as the mood I’m in lately I’d end up ranting at her or crying 😳

Must actually get dressed now

Nope today is just Nope

teen is poorly, i don't feel great we are booked for covid testing at a local site later.

I have a stress migraine. Even when i have left that job it still finds ways to destroy me. but as i am single jabbed i get to isolate for 10 days so i can just stay at home and avoid everything that needs doing.

Oh hills just what you didn't need.there are a selection of really nasty cold bugs going around,so hopefully it's one of those little blighters and you guys feel better soon
Sing hope you are ok
Hope
Forgotten what else again.sorry to those I'm not keeping personals up with

Oh yes,willow if she was a newborn I'd make progress on the refusing to shower stand off but I get what you mean.we also had watching highly inappropriate content TV and words were said and she stormed upstairs.clearly life without restrictions has done wonders for her attitude🤣

This morning tada
Cars fed
Wash up water bottles
Crash with a 10 day late period- I won't go into details but let's just say roughly on time are ridiculously heavy and painful so this is NOT fun
Supervise dd2 LFT,lil zoo looking for arguement refused one (no comment made so she snuck in and pinch D's last pain au chocolat.again no comment made,but new bag are put away so not available for grabbing without asking)
Make sure everyone ate
Sort lunchboxes
Get dressed
Nag multiple times lil zoo take her bloody lunch
Point out it's going to rain and her a4 folder needs go in a bag.her reasoning us works in plastic wallets it's fine.i did point out rain can penetrate via top said wallets and work may get ruined.i an,of course,an imbecile do if it does hammer down as predicted and GCSE coursework us destroyed there will be ructions and I told you so will have to be firmly bitten back and let her deal her own consequences...
School run(lil zoo in fury and refusing talk D's)
Dd2 was in reasonable fettle and we had a laugh.after yesterday's epic meltdown I said mornings HAVE to include a relation app if some kind/stretching to start day of in less frantic state she ACTUALLY HEEDED THIS ADVICEand wasn't zen,but was approachable and we actually laughed on school run despite imogens fury boring thru back my head as was walking behind me!!
Walk home
Pop shop for more veg for lunchboxes and milk
Put away
Eat my breakfast
Email camhs to chase up D's next app(was ment ring me yesterday as teams crash end last app so email he would contact monday.didnt.)
Chase up children's first as want see D's prior taf on Thursday,he's in school tom so it's today or not at all..
Transfer funds from gas meter to electric or I can't sort any washing out
Make sure enough money in account Spotify comes out of

Plenty I can be doing,may end up having rest.willsee how I get on.

Oh dear. Hope you feel better Hills.

I'm back from insane GP surgery experience - they treat you like a leper with locked doors and giving your name and being checked you really have an appointment and it's no more than 5mins away before they'll let you in. All in their masks and aprons and gloves. Resentment is ugly but I was brimming with it - the conditions they've been given and the inadequate provision they've been allowed to provide compared to schools and even hospitals is ridiculous. Still managed to have low BP despite brimming with ugly resentment

Should find out later today if they can increase or change my hrt to try and make more progress with hot flushes. My thyroid results show I'm still right at the very cusp of low/normal so no wonder I'm still tired and losing weight very slowly etc. I need to increase my levothyroxine but that will require trying to reach through to the ivory tower of GPs. My liver has something borderline wrong but she doesn't understand the blood test results and I wasn't allowed to talk to a doctor about them when I last tried. Need to have more blood tests to see if it has improved/got worse but obviously they couldn't just do it there and then.

Moan moan moan! Sorry. I have a few conditions that are supposed to be actively managed but I haven't seen a doctor in over a year and a half and my good will and understanding is running thin when the rest of us are all back to normal with no protections.

And breathe. Sorry, again

Except they are not back to normal. And due to a severe shortage of blood test tubes they are only testing for the most urgent and severe things. So many regular monitoring tests have had to be postponed. Plus they have pulled GPs from regular practice to role out booster jabs and flu jabs.
The whole of the medical system is still a mess. And some practices are dealing with it better than others.

Honey i took one of mine to the dentist the other week, we now have to phone them while on the doorstep to confirm who we are and go through covid checklist (even though they phone you the day before to do the same checklist) when eventually allowed in you are allocated one chair regardless of how many of you there are

We now have another dc with d&v, one had it last week too. Joy. So i probably won't join todays tutorial and will just listen to the recording at some point.

Ta da
🕸 all up fed dressed
🕸 3 dc at school
🕸 phone sick childs school twice
🕸 check half term dates online for both schools
🕸 book childs party
🕸 start order of party food
🕸 top up parent pay
🕸 wash on
🕸 dryer on
🕸 dw empty, refilled and on

Sorry so many fledglings are having nightmare days. Fingers crossed for negative covid tests, recovery of migraines/pukey kids etc.

I’m currently sitting in the pub while DS has his lesson. Had a brief look in some shops (I need an academic year diary but I seem to have missed the boat one month into term?!) and will pop into a couple more charity shops on my way to pick him up.

My brain still isn’t working - we only just got there in time today despite the bus arriving in good time, as I got distracted.

I probably need to put in some “try to avoid burnout” measures but at this point I can’t even think what they might be.

Ooooo I can across a list that could help with that... one moment

oh forgot to mention comes in video format

that hope ill child manages contain germs to self!
Honey dd2 on same meds was ment check thyroid at 4weeks.no vials.wait a week and try again.no vials.last week urgent need bloods now in place book at hospital.her appointment is this Friday meaning she's been on them 8weeks with no checks to see if she's ok.im not happy with that at all..but then dd1 fairing worse- had probs asthma since LAST MAY.cant get "deep breath" and can only dawdle and talk together.any faster can't breathe.she has 6lots steroids back to back,even tho after 3x she point out doing chuff all.3chamges inhalers,antihistamines,pharmacist at surgery choose a nose drop which thankfully she check before using as had SESAME OIL in ingredients which she's anaphylactic too.ffs.she try again 2weeks ago and was told try another change dose on inhalers and they'd ring back this week.dudnt.she rang them.duty doc call her back and try tell her it's cos not taking inhalers properly she was like I've been on inhalers since I was TWO.i think at 26 I've got it down thank you.yoj need seeing.yay when 4 pm.i work til 4,needs be 430 or after.ok what about Thursday?great ,what time.4pm.ive just told you I can't get there til 430.ok will ask nurse ring you again.arrrgggghhhhh

Oh and dd2 just text me.the couple she sits with in frees are both off today with flu like symptoms.fuck my fucking life.....

zoo

Sick child has eaten some fruit and not been sick

Ta da cont
🕸 washer and dryer emptied and reloaded
🕸 dw put back on again thanks to toddler changing the bloody cycle to the one that barely cleans anything
🕸 ironed some school uniform
🕸 made toddler lunch
🕸 changed sheets on babies downstairs crib
🕸 brought more washing down
🕸 dry pots away
🕸 wiped tiles behind hob

-Shopping delivered and put away.
-Babysitting cancelled as the school has cancelled the info evening they needed me to sit for (relief)
-Bank switch applied for (one of my providers is closing all of it's accounts in November so needed to get a wriggle on as that's the account ds's child maintenance and benefit gets paid into and I dread to think of the phonecalls and hold music and times involved in trying to get them to change my bank details)
-Some lesson planning done for tomorrow with last minute panic because the teacher I share one group with has somehow gone miles ahead so I needed to try and resource and plan for something new from home on my day off - did my best then drew a line and said nope I'll have to do the next lesson in scheme because that one is not at all resourced and I there are limits to how much I can do from home on my day off without warning)
-Work and personal emails dealt with

I child and dog-sat Saturday night and earned £50, thought I'd treat ds to a new item of clothing or two out of that, cue ending up with £60 worth of clothes in an online basket and no heart to tell him no yesterday so I more than spent what I earned. That has arrived just now so he'll be happy.

I really need to have a bath and wash my hair tonight as I've an early start in the morning but it feels night time here already because it's so grey and I just want to watch The Last Kingdom and eat fudge.

Mmm fudge. Now I want fudge. Just the cheap stuff will do.

I’ve had a very unproductive afternoon… again. DS did well in his chemistry lesson though

po3.2
❗️Bit more work with DS (and look in his chemistry book as I was so flustered I didn’t really understand what the tutor told me)
❗️Gather DD1’s clean laundry so she can put it away later
❗️Put our leftover clean stuff on the new hangers

Gosh, tis the season for illnesses, on top of the usual plague, isn't it? I hope you all feel better soon.

Ta da:
🌟LOLx2
🌟Folded a small mountain of clean clothes
🌟Home bleugh done - can't take credit for that, it was my lovely cleaner who did it.
🌟Sorted out coat rack in the hallway. Now it's just winter stuff there. How depressing. I want summer back.

Baby is asleep. Right, that Netflix won't watch itself.