February's Fabulous Fledgling Flyers

[droitwichmummy]

Welcome one and all!

Here you can do any of the following:

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering

This is what it's all about - Babysteps each day to try to get some order back into our home with LOADS of support from our regulars.

So join in! We start this thread on February 1st, but you are welcome to dive in at any point in the month.

DWM the OP in that thread is a stirer and it's good to know the rest of MN isn't taking her seriously.

I've got so used to DH getting up at 4.30am that it was quite funny to see your reactions. He just does it and is like a robot with routines. He'd be a good flyer if he wasn't so knackered in the evening

I got up at 5.30am this morning a did my marking for today, which worked quite well except DS2 woke at 6am - he just knows when we're up and clearly won't be fobbed off until he's had his morning bottle. So he had that then crawled around at my feet while I read Miranda and Prospero's journals from The Tempest.

Thanks for your good tips TBelle Peer marking is definitely the way to go.

House looks nice. I love my cleaner

Thanks Pluto looks like the slatterns are doing a good job on her without any help but I have found another MNer from Droitwich on there so she has had her uses

Not getting very far - will do something now I promise!

Evening everyone!

This will probably be a quick one as I NEED an early night (tried last night but didn't get to sleep till midnight, woken by DS at 2am and awake as usual by 5.30am ) DH is currently feeding me chocolate so I may keep going a bit longer!

Busy w/e and not much Flying, just the basics.
Both DC at school/pre-school all day today and my Mum's visit looming so needed to get on:

Flyer for Pamper Night
School run
Morning routine
Meeting about Pamper Night
Hotspot - not good at this so need to list it separately
Crisis Flying in DS's and our room - first time I've done it and it worked really well.
Made DD's invitations for her birthday with DH's help
Afternoon routine
Help DD do more tidying in her room
Hotspot (again!)
Evening routine - will finish then.........
EARLY night

Not bad when listed like that - DWM and others don't bother with other thread - it works for us and that's what's important.

Sorry I haven't caught up with everyone, its going to be one of those weeks

Thank you DWM for your very eloquent defence of your charges . I saw it on active convos and was quite indignant!

This thread, the support and people on it, is fantastic for me as I struggle to prioritise housework, particularly when my job can be so full on and stressful. Before joining I didn't manage to find time to look after the day to day mechanics of my non work life, and was continually overwhelmed and ended up either living in a hovel (increasingly impractical as DD became more mobile), or spending the entire weekend struggling to get the house in to some sort of order. Now it is so manageable and contributing to this thread (albeit somewhat haphazardly!) helps keep me on track, plus I love the chat and hearing about everyone's lives .

That said my evening routine is undone and the kitchen is a disaster area

Well, have just looked at that other thread, think we just have to rise above it, your post was very well put DWM. Well done on finding another MNer in Droitwich, it's a small world. I do sometimes wonder if anyone I know in RL is on here.

PA - sounds like a manic day

Pluto - respect for geting up voluntarily at 5am!

So, today

Todays list

Swish and swipe - done
Shopping - done, needs to be put away - done
Washing - in dryer - done
Ring up about DS starting Beavers - done
Clean kitchen bin - done
Declutter craft area which is a bombsite - not done
Pick up approx half a million Hama beads from floor (again) - done
10 mins tidy in each bedroom - only in one room, but did a fairly good job of tidying the lounge.

The house seems to be developing hotspots faster than I can put them out but I have managed a few today. Hopefully DD will be OK for pre-school tomorrow and I can get going again, I sense that next week will be a write-off, with it being half term and we're going to be out and about a lot.

Well tonight I have done very little apart from
making a stand about lists on the 'other' thread,
found an MNer in Droitwich and
given advice about spa treatments

Oh have managed to
eat
get DS to bed
load tumble dryer and
the airer has been re-loaded.

Quite a bit really - thank goodness for lists

Off to bed - see you in the morning

Evening all. Thanks for the defence on that thread DWM - why are people so horrid? if it works for you, fine, if it doesn't, well, that's fine too but why bother being so silly about it? Each to their own. I know that this is helping me create some semblance of order in my house and I feel better for it! And find it very supportive and really enjoy hearing all about everybody's days. So there.

Well, not much flying but routines done. DD1 has had toe nail removed and is in bed asleep. She feels very sick due I think to the antibiotics she's been given, but can discuss with the nurse tomorrow when she has it dressed. She was a very brave girl and it really hurt So she was treated to chocolate, posh lemonade, plenty of paracetamol and a trashy mag.......And I was a very brave mummy - I hate it when they have to have horrid things done to them She's asleep now and will hopefully feel better tomorrow.

DH is now on steroids for chest infection. Hope they help, he is miserable as hell feeling very poorly and sorry for himself

DD2 is very cheery so at least someone is OK

Think it looks like everybody achieved loads and I hope all those with poorly babes are coping OK and the babes are feeling better. We had snow here all day - someone else mentioned that but can't remember who and can't scroll back without losing this - but nothing has settled. 'Tis very cold though!

Sleep well, fellow fledglings, see you all tomorrow!

Good morning!

Another good babystep today - deluttering a bit at a time. It's amazing how well this works. I still have plenty of clutter but at least a) most of it is in the right room and b) there's a lot less of it than there was!

Love today's mission in a wierd sort of way (must appeal to my inner Domestic Goddess or something ). I did have a smaller version of this on my list yesterday which didn't get done so this is good for me today.

Have a good day everyone

Morning!

Mission is a good one dwm, I shall do it later! Still not achieving much by way of decluttering though! I will, I will, I will....

Morning routine done and ready for work. Yesterday I spent 3 and 3/4 hours in a mangament meeting subbing for my boss who is on leave. Not only did I come away feeling totally inadequate (the big boss is a scary witch woman!), I didn't get any of my own work done So hopefully I will do better today!

have a good day, everyone

OOooohhh controversy!!! Missed all the excitement last night I see (had friend over unexpectedly). Thank you for defending our honour MummyD!!

[Well done with your dh btw - written lists are the way to go imho]

So we are all depressed and unable to handle basic organisation are we? What a cheeky b**er!! I thought the whole point of Flying was that it corals the housework in to a manageable structure and routine so that you use short, bursts of focused effort, allowing one time to do MANY MORE INTERESTING AND EXCITING THINGS INSTEAD. In fact, if that thread kicks off again I might go back and post that very point! So there!! Yaboo sucks! With knobs on!! And a cherry on top!!

Um, er, anyway, getting back to the matter in hand, hope you are all fit and well this fine morning. Freezing here again with smattering of snow.

MissBennett - ouch re toe 'procedure' hope your dd1 (and your dh) start to feel better today. Re: body clutter - could you try and give yourself a few "new-figure appreciation treats" such as a massage, or a spa day or some'at to get yourself readjusted to the new you??? Perhaps take up new sport that you wouldn't have considered before. Or how about having your picture taken by a professional photographer? Sorry, forgotten if you lost weight on your own or with a club. If latter, can you talk to anyone else about adjustment period? Would be a huge shame to sabotage all the truly FANTASTIC progress you have made ...

and your dd too MrsDinky

hear, hear! Pushmepullyou

well done with yesterday's list Feetheart Pluto not sure I could face The Tempest at 6am - respect (again)!

PA another full-on day for you yesterday I see. Hope you survived the youth group. I AM DOING VERY BADLY AT DECLUTTERING TASKS ON MY LISTS AT THE MO (Please administer carefully aimed and forceful kick up rear!! Sorry your dd3 is not feeling too good x

Way to go Optimistic for a full list worth's ticked off, hope your ds1 is still improving

Hi to Fruitstick RainbowDrops and Mmango

Yesterday
Morning routine, inc s&s, wm, dw done
French study done
Decluttering of master bedroom and home office NOPE
More laundry done
Quick supermarket shop done
Pack up on-line shopping parcel to return done
Clean out gps done
Afternoon/evening routine. done
Early bed!! NOPE
WALK done

Official day off for me today but no creative activities allowed (but must start sewing dd's Carnaval costume tomorrow at the latest). Ashamed of posting lists and doing everything but the decluttering. MUST GET IT DONE!!!
Morning routine, inc s&s, dw on, wm on, done*
More laundry
Organise linen cupboard
Quick errand shop
DECLUTTERING DECLUTTERING DECLUTTERING of home office and master bedroom
Afternoon/evening routine

Have a productive day everyone ...

I was watching that thread last night and my blood was boiling.

Thank you for putting your point across so nicely DWM.

I am not depressed. I have had a shower!

Hope the foot is less painful today for DD MissB.

Sorry, not got time for scrolling to find out who said what. I read it all and think of a reply, but then forget who it is to, so no messages today.....forgive me????

DD2 now poorly, so laying around at home like a wet weekend with DD3. Either end of sofa! Mahoooooossive amount of work to do today in the office, so flying will have to wait, although a meeting at our house tonight, so a manic flick around after work will have to suffice. Last week I managed to throw away a bit of my hoover while emptying it, so I must contact the supplier and buy a part.

At least todays mission actually looks as if you have done something afterwards. Hate the jobs where you spend ages scrubbing/cleaning and nobody even notices!!

Off to my work mountain. Hope to surface sometime before 5pm. Send a search party out if I am gone forever.........

Morning - got distracted reading that other thread so still in jammies & rest of morning routine not done. Yikes. DT's down for nap so better get moving. Managed babystep, mission & routines yesterdays as well as getting DT's MMRs so quite pleased. However the paperwork mountain is overwhelming & must get sorted. Yuk. My pet hate.

TO DO

Morning routine
File paperwork
Make phone calls
Babystep
Mission

Have good day everyone.

Morning all (just),

I have just been doing a bit of decluttering in the kitchen and had had a sinking feeling it was going to be that mission today - we keep a lot of stuff on our counters, nowhere else to put it and it takes ages .

MissB - ouch, DH had an ingrowing toenail removed as a boy and still einces at the memory, sounds like DD is being very brave.

Tallulahbelle - I have a big paperwork mountain again too. When I joined this thread in November one of my jobs was to declutter 20 years worth of filing, it took ages (2 months) and it was lovely to finish, but it builds up again surprisingly quickly.

SC - lost a pound this week. Snacking is definitely my downfall so this weeks bodyclutter step is an important one for me. Have just cooked chocolate muffins with wholemeal flour, sunflower oil and semi skimmed milk in order to give the kids a treat without piling on too many calories.

Snowing on and off here yesterday and today, a very fine coating (like sifted icing sugar) last night.

Today's list

Swish and swipe - done
Washing - in dryer
Hotspot pile of paper in kitchen
Wipe surfaces (realistically only visible ones)
Make muffins - done
Hotspot our bedroom floor - done my clothes, DH can do his own.
Start getting quotes for house insurance
Phone Orange about my mobile
Take DCs to dentist

See you later!

at shit-stirring 'Why make lists?' thread. I looked at the slatterns' thread to see what what chablis had posted there and they've got about 10 newbies, so maybe she's done some people a favour.

Have done quite well today, routines done and (most of) the mission - covered about 2/3 of the kitchen counter space. Also cleaned microwave and am soaking bits of toaster oven prior to a good clean tomorrow. I could leave them all night but then I won't be able to shine sink

Ironically no decluttering today so fail on the babystep, but that's not going to stop me offering SC advice! How about:

1)set the timer for less than 15 minutes, if 15 minutes feels too tedious overwhelming? 5 minutes would be better than nothing. and

2. take a little pile of stuff out of the home office and sort it in a room that's less desperate. Saw this on the flylady site the other day, and will definitely use it when I start to face our junk room (which isn't even on my zones yet - I decided to sort out the bits of the house I have to actually look at first!)

Our current domestic crisis is that dd1 dropped a bottle of milk all over the car floor and didn't tell us, and then we didn't use the car for a week. Dp has had a good go at cleaning it (involved removing a front seat and all sorts), but it stinks. Really, really stinks. Luckily it's warm enough that we can drive around with the windows down, but any removing-milk-smell suggestions would be very gratefully received.

MissBennett - just want to second SC, you've done so well, and you deserve to be as sylph-like as you are now.

Positive - A thread or 2 ago Mrs Gok had a brainwave about keeping 2 windows open with thread on - one for reading, one for posting. It's genius.

Where is Mrs Gok? Haven't seen her for ages.

Tallulah - hope twins are okay after jabs.

Runs past waving a the fellow portsmouth supporter. bit dire ain't it

Hi everyone

at WhereChaos Mmmango thank you so much for that much needed advice - it's silly how often one forgets the basic 15 min rule and I do need reminding- and interested in bit about taking stuff out of its room to sort elsewhere ...where was that on the website? (just interested). Will try and do the office a box at a time ....

Bicarb of soda good for getting rid of and absorbing smells.

Um, just quickly posting for a bit of advice.

Well done on the weight loss MrsD!! Choc muffins sound yum. Am duly inspired by your paperwork success story!!

Talulahbelle - don't worry - we will get the filing sorted once and for all!

x posts this morning with you PA hope DD2 feeling better now and sorry to hear dd3 not too good either. x

HUGE DIGRESSION ALERT

(just pass on this if you can't be doing with it!!!!))

Help, I can't do my 6 yr old's maths homework [big twonk emoticon] Daren't post on schooling thread for fear of utter flaming and general ridicule.

Tis a square grid with 6 columns and 6 rows In the squares, there are some numbers and some blanks plus one square is blackened out totally and the top left square has two symbols in it - a sort of forward arrow and a minus sign. The written instruction is simply "fill in the blanks".

So, if you take first row (reading l to r)
there's the square with symbols, followed by 4, blank, blank, 3, blank

2nd row = 8, blank, 2, blank, blank, blank

3rd row = 5, blank, blackened out square, blank, blank, 0

4th row = 7, blank, 1, 6, blank, 2

5th row = 10, blank, blank, blank, 7, 5

6th row = 6, 2, blank, 5, blank, blank

DD is in bed now and she couldn't do it and neither could I although I wracked my brains for over an hour and a half (in between cooking broccoli, sausages and potatoes)!! I've written a quick note to the teacher to that effect (not bothered about that aspect of it) but it's really, really bugging me now and I want to know the answer!!

This seems ridiculously hard for a 6 yr old and ridiculously hard compared to the other exercises on the page ..which are of the 9-8 = 1 variety. Am I just missing something really obvious and really silly??????

I know it's rather an imposition posting about it here but couldn't resist asking all the teachers and accountants on this thread!!!!

Apologies again for hi-jack

Have drawn maths problem on small whiteboard to look at - if I get any inspiration will let you know! (None yet - vvvvv )

DS (yr1) just walked in. I asked him if it meant anything to him. Reply 'I haven't a clue!'

Have been trying it for ten minutes SC to no avail (I like maths - was doing simultaneous equations on BBC Bitesize last night in preference to going and doing the washing up) - but it has stumped me...

WCTR - I hardly dare click on Pompey related articles on the BBC website any more. Was a season-ticket holder pre DCs .

Starving, back later....

SC!!!!! I've got it!

The first column is complete.
The exercise is designed to get the DC to work out what needs to be subtracted from the number in the first column to get the number in the grid.
The top row is the number to be subtracted from each number in the first column.
SO - in the bottom row 6-2=4; and in the row above 10-3=7

Got that? One square is blacked out as that sum would produce a negative value which the DC presumably haven't done yet.

Evening ladies,

SC -I am sorry to say that I have not got a clue about your homework. I have drawn it out and cant see what you are supposed to do. Asked DD2 who got an A* GCSE last July and she was flummoxed. I think we are thinking too deeply about it. Hopefully one of the primary school mums will be along soon.I want to know now, so post on here when you find out.

Mmmango - I do normally now do the two window job, but was trying to cut corners this morning - it didn't work though! Am I the only one who stupidly posts on the wrong thread though? I am normally doing MN in such a rush I have typed out a message on one thread, answering a question on a totally unrelated thread.

MrsD and Chaos - Sympathies about Pompey. I work with an avid pompey fan. She has a face like a slapped lemon at the moment! Support a proper team like Chelsea and you wouldn't have the problem! As for the welsh rugby supporting DH!! Well, what can I say! Fantastic game!

Absolutely stupidly manic morning at work today. I had to turn a spare office into a waiting room! So the plan of me getting on top of work was a joke!
Always tomorrow! - I think that should become my mantra!
Did manage to get other job done at home and sent back to office number 2, so pleased with that.
Quick tidy of the house for the meeting that hubby is having now.
DS was a gem and cooked a fantastic sponge cake.

DD2 is really quite poorly still. Back to the dr if no improvement overnight.

Have a good evening everyone.

X - posted with you DWM, well done. It works! I have done it now! I can go to bed happy!
A bit complicated for a 6 year old to work that out without instructons though??

MrsDinky has just spotted the irony of maths homework help for someone who is called StillCounting!

Well done DWM!

DroitwichM - THANK YOU - spectacular performance there!! Am v v impressed by your logic. I read out your solution to dh and he worked it out and then I finally got it!! (You are right, dd has no idea about -1, except for the temperature outside tonight!) You were right about keeping a whiteboard handy too[grin!!! Think I should get mine out again!!! Hugely grateful vibes wending your way from the StillCounting household!!! Just slightly worried now if this is what they are doing at 6 ... dreading the years to come ...maths is NOT my strong point ...thank you again!!!!

Huge thank you too to your ds MummyD, PA, PA's dd2 and MrsDinky for giving it a go!!

Back in a mo!!

Yes, I certainly live up to my name MrsDinky - should add ..."on ten fingers"