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.

Hello Rainbow you are very welcome to join us!

Shining your sink is a great start. There's no need to try to 'catch-up' on here, just jump in where we are. Let us know if you need anything explaining.

Well done for getting rid of all that junk

BTW everyone, wine is open and I bought some nibbles back from the party after the confirmation - samosas are particularly yummy

missb hope you didn't get lost/spend too much money in the BullRing

Welcome Rainbow I shall raise a glass of DWM'S wine in your honour.

Tomorrow is the day when my lovely cleaner comes and does her fantastic stuff, so I've spent the last hour tidying up in preparation. We've been out of the house most of the weekend so I don't really understand how it gets to look so dreadful by Sunday evening. A lot of it is to do with my messy DS1 but I just can't be on his case all the time - it's such a bore to nag.

I have got to do some marking but I really, really don't feel like it. My subject is English so I'm sure you can imagine how much writing this generates. DH is a teacher too and gets up at 4.30am to do his prep - I think this is the way to go - but perhaps getting him to wake me at 5.30am as I would never manage on less sleep than that. When do the rest of you teachers on this thread do your marking? Since I've returned from mat leave I'm finding it much more difficult to fit it in around MN the other chores.

Evening Ladies.

Welcome to Rainbow. Sounds as if you have made a good start by getting rid of a load of stuff.

MissB Did your girls have a good weekend? Hope the driving was ok this time. Mine have all come back and I am sure they are competing to see which one of them can be the most ghost like due to lack of sleep. Although DS just has not stopped eating since he has come home! When I was picking them up my boss (I work at the place they were staying at) asked for a quick 2 minute question! Two HOURS later I finally got away and have brought a load of work home with me to do tomorrow, which I had planned as an easy day off!

All the teenagers are still stupidly happy here. Long may it last! Hope your budding romance makes your DD happy too MissB. You can always tell if a text is from "them" cos their face lights up as soon as the phone pings!

SC I think it was you that said you would be coming on in 10 years time for advice re teenagers! Well, unless DD is a week old I think the "teenager" part may hit you between the eyes a bit quicker than you think. I think you may find it closer than you imagine.

A little Drama here today, which for once was not teenager related. Had a phone call from a very nice mr policeman (who ended up looking about 12, which made me feel about 100!) asking if I could come to collect my dad who had an "incident" in his car and needed my help. That bit sounded ok, but he went on to say..."Dont break any speed limits, but if you can get here in the next 5 - 10 minutes we will try not to arrest him!" My dad is the most cantankerous, stubborn, opinionated, lovely man you ever did meet. (No like father like daughter comments please!! Or I will set those pigeons on you!!!) Of course, the "incident" which resulted in a smashed car and two ruined tyres was just not my dads fault at all!!! (nothing ever is!!) He was just letting everyone know that it really was not his fault. Picked him up and bundled him in the car and my mum, who suffers from dementia too, who was just too confused for words. I felt like a mum collecting a bad teenager! Mr stupidly young policeman gave me a "I-feel-very-sorry-for-you,-but-I-am-also-going-to-have-the-whole-station-laughing-about-this-one!" look as I jumped in the car and drove my parents home, my dad with a face like thunder and my mum rabbiting on about nothing!
I really wish my life was boring sometimes!
Pass that bottle please!

Just a quick one as on my phone and it's a bit of pain to type on.

Will catch up on all the gossip tomorrow but I too am a big fan of today's step and agree with missb that space in the wardrobe is a bit limited now the washing baskets are no longer full!

Trying to get ahead next couple of days as have a friend coming to stay on tues so want little to do then.

Pluto 4.30am!

welcome to Rainbow and hi to all xx

Evening.
Sorry PA but I had to laugh.Sure it wasn't funny for you but your description did make me

so...

Morning/afternoon routines - done
Home - blessed
Babystep - I used to always do this when I was working, also laid out breakfast stuff, popped a teabag in a mug,filled the kettle etc. anything to get an extra 10 min in bed. Have let it slide since being on mat leave but since doing flylady I have been trying to lay out all DC's clothes for the morning. It really makes dressing the wriggly DT's a bit easier with everything to hand. Otherwise they escape between layers. A lovely side effect is that DD has started picking up her clothes & putting everything on backtofront and inside out dressing herself, unbidden, which she never would have if they were not lying out.

To Do
Bedtime routine
Bed

Tomorrow - MMR x2 . Yikes!

Meant to say - Pluto I am a primary teacher. A day's work generates such a lot of marking & by far the most onerous is the story writing. Obviously secondary teaching is a bit different but I always try to mark as much as I go, we do a lot of peer & self assessment, 1-1 conferencing, class/group plenary session etc. I always try to get as much as possible covered within the lesson. I always take my marking with me at breaktime & lunchtime (sneak it into assembly & staff meetings too). When I worked some distance away I used to do it on the bus on the way home too. Also helps to think about if your marking will make a difference or if it is just for the sake of it. I used to mark every single thing the kids did. They, in turn, never took a blind bit of notice of most of it much less acted upon it.

Haven't time to catch up. Have just come back from a lovely weekend away with friends.

Have spent the weekend letting all my childless friends do all the cooking, cleaning etc although I did manage to help out with some good drinking .

Ready to start again tomorrow with a vengeance!

Evening all . just got back from a fab day at the zoo and bumped into a friend from college I haven't seen for 15 years . She looked fab and no older than last time I saw her . I on the other hand was wearing a mud covered coat where DD refused to either walk any further or be put in the push chair (I only take it with me for carrying bags now ). She has two lovely children, a boy and a girl. Wonder if she's a mner?

Not much flying done here, although tea made and dishwasher unstacked (but not restacked).

I never bother with today's baby step as I have nowhere sensible to lay out clothes, but do decide what to wear the night before and mentally check it's clean. Not a foolproof plan I have to admit!

Am very of the sunshine SC. We have had semi-freezing fog all day here so not ideal for sitting out in, although have been outside most of the day at the zoo.

Any tips for getting DD to wear mittens and/or a hat? A coat is bad enough and no chance at all of getting her to wear a splshsuit or similar, she goes all rigid and flings herself on the ground screaming [grr]. Every time we go anywhere she is conspicuously underdressed and I come furtively back on to mumsnet expecting to see a thread commenting on the appallingly underdressed toddler seen

Oops I seem to have gone emoticon mad tonight!

Hello everyone

pmpy I sympathise. DS (6yo) will rarely wear scarf and/or hat, not that keen on gloves and once in sight of school takes his coat off Once home he regularly strips off completely

fruitstick sounds like a fab weekend I could murder DH but have decided to act as though he doesn't exist instead (too much blood to clean up otherwise)

Tallulah lol at description of DD getting herself dressed

hag I am debating clearing my wardrobe out. I'm sure there's stuff in there I will never wear again

PA loads of sympathy for you! I have friends whose parents suffer(ed) with Alzheimer's and know they have been through hell trying to cope

Pluto the earliest I will ever get up is 5.30 - and that is an extreme measure

Hello OM - good to see you back

SC no idea why I bothered with my strike - it just means I have 3 loads of washing to do (1 done and 1 in), 2 loads for the DW and no sign of beds being changed, vaccuuming being done or anything else really DH was asleep for most of the day yesterday, we've been out today, he's had far too much to drink so fell asleep in the car and (you've guessed it) is IN BED ASLEEP where he has been since the minute we got home * Feel better for getting that out. Ho hum, tomorrow is another day and boy will he have a hangover

More wine anyone?

• in the sense "if you can't say anything nice, then say nothing at all!"

Eveing folks, hope you have had good weekends. sorry only a flying visit and no time to catch up. Will be a bit mad this week, so will return when i can.

Happy flying and keep well.
Chaos.

Oh, PA I'm so glad someone else has to deal with situations like you describe! Not so much my family, butI always get the 'nutter on the bus' - but wherever I go - the person who wants to talk to me/rant about something/tell me about their life and, once, the man with learning difficulties who tried to chat me up and offered to take me to the day centre with him. He was a sweetie and it did seem like quite a good offer at the time.....

by the way, you're right - policemen ARE getting younger. So are doctors!

hello, rainbow Tbelle, your DD sounds like a poppet!

Well, we managed to get in and out of Birmingham without incident and DD1 and I had a couple of hours in the Bullring. We didn't spend much, but treated ourselves to coffee/hot chocolate in debenhams cafe and i enjoyed looking round Selfridges and drooling over the enormous bottles of champagne . DD2 had had a good time - was a planning and getting to know each other weekend ready for a trip to Gibralter in the summer. DD1 has since been showing me the website for the Birmingham conservatoire and says she wants to go there to study music, so we may well find we are finding our way round very well

Since we got back, have done very little, but did cook tea, wash up and shine sink, have bath and caught up with Silent Witness.

Not a bad day really! See you all tomorrow and I WILL try and do a bit more decluttering!

Good morning!

Good news - the babystep is a catch up one today

Its into the kitchen for the mission today. Thank goodness I have kept up with this since the last time we did it.

Have a good day - see you later

Morning ladies,

Up bright and early this morning with all plans to be uber organised and stick to a schedule today.

Fruitstick sounds like a lovely weekend.

PMPY - Dont expect DS to grow out of the lack of clothes. DH only ever wears shorts and t-shirt in the house and DS is following in his footsteps, but going even further and has only worn trousers, other than school trousers, when he feels in danger of freezing his manhood off this winter.

DWN - sounds as if you had "fun" today too. Is DH sufering this morning? What a shame.

Pluto enjoy the cleaner today. I did have a cleaner when the DCs were little and I DH working away and I would spend the day before cleaning up for the cleaner. It was lovely coming home to a fresh home though.

MissB - A fellow nutter magnet! I say opposites attract, but DH insists that they can sniff out anyone who is on their planet! A little unfortunate when the nutter is your parent! He is a lovely caring man really and I love him dearly, just cant handle pressure well and was in danger of being doen for "breach of the peace".

Mystery here. I KNOW I bought 4 pints of milk on Saturday. I paid for it, I carried it from the shop to the car, now it has disappeared. Not enough mouths here to have used it all up. The one in the fridge is from a different shop. I am going crazy!

List for today:
Go to the garage for another load of milk!
Diswasher unload/load
Breakfast
Sandwiches (only 5 today YEAHHHHH!!)
Iron school shirts - I know. I know!!!
GO into job number 1 for just a couple of hours
Tackle supermarket (and survive, hopefully!)
Meet best buddy for a chat, a good laugh and a coffee.
Home for "afternoon off"
Do work from job number 2 at home
If DD3 up to it I have promised to make a special desert with her that she has been wanting to do for ages, but has not been feeling well enough recently.
Wash all the mud caked clothes from the wekend away. (How can DS get mud on every bit of clothing he took?)
Tea for hoardes of teenagers before their youth group
Take them to youth group and hope our Youth minister has been able to find another (willing) helper so that i do not have to supervise 15 teenagers with laser guns for 3 hours!
Tackle hotspots in kitchen
May scrub kitchen floor if I ahve the time (or inclination - really not going to happen!)

Well, that looks enough for the next week for me!

Have a good day everyone and I hope all the sniffles and coughs have disappeared.
Freezing here today, just woken up enough to notice!

Morning MummyD, morning one and all. Sounds like everyone has had good weekends, illnesses notwithstanding. One more week of school here before half term and it's the time to make "Carnaval" costumes again (haven't started yet - yikes!!) Can't believe how quickly time is passing. It'll be Easter soon before we know it.

A warm welcome to Rainbow. Please forgive all the chat. YOu'll soon get used to all the banter on here and we occasionally do housework as well . Sounds like you have had a great start.

MissBennett - that's my mantra this week too, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER

Hope you have a good week too WhereChaos! MummyD you have my sympathies!! The thing about "strikes" (take it from one who knows) is that you have to hold out for much longer than you could ever possibly anticipate .....it's painful ....but worth it!!! I did it a while back and dh finally started noticing when there were no clean socks or pants in his drawer, no clean shirts, no food to cook with or eat, no sofa to sit on (the toys and unrecycled papers had built up by this stage ), no lavatory paper, no bin bags, no bins emptied, no shaving foam or shower gel, no clean sheets, no clean towels or t-towels for the office, no clean sports kit etc etc etc.

Even then I didn't give in until we had a WRITTEN agreement about who does what and it is still pinned up on our kitchen wall. To be fair to dh, he works much longer hours than me, is great at watching the tv with dd childcare and destroying the kitchen cooking but he just had no (and I mean NO) understanding of all the little minutiae that go in to running a house (I blame his mother !!) He doesn't even do the traditionally masculine tasks of DIY (and boy do we need some of that around here) or gardening or sorting out the car.

It's not perfect now, but let's just say that things are back on definitely more even keel now!!!! BE STRONG!

Hello to PushmePullyou - zoo trip sounds fab - had similar experience with meeting a friend I hadn't seen for 20 yrs recently (planned though). She has had four children and looked as slim and stylish as she ever did. Felt woefully inadequate in her presence!!

Crikey PA you've had a weekend-and-a-half as usual. Hope your parents are more settled today!! And on the subject of adolescence, yes, let's just say I have already had a few 'glimpses' of the teenager dd (aged 6) will be ...I'm already quaking in my boots!! Sorry you have extra work to do today

Hello to Talulahbelle (lol at escape "between layers" and Fruitstick (yr weekend sounds great) and to HavingaG (good luck with house prep).

Pluto "respect" to your dh and all other teachers on here

Right, must stop procrastinating Mnsetting and get on. Feeling a bit chilled and de-mob happy as have unexpected morning off (computer system related) and so have the perfect opportunity to get off my rear end and do some decluttering.

Please shout at me every so often throughout the day.

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

Have a good week everyone.

How's the weight loss going btw (if you are joining in body clutter steps)???

Morning everyone.

I'm up bright and early too with a day off!(yippee!) I swapped with my jobshare so she can take her DH away for his birthday! I could get used to Mondays off!!

You all look like you've been very busy over the weekend and I have just about caught up with the posts! My weekend away was fab - four of us went to Suffolk and the weather was good .! Lots of chatting,eating and drinking so I'm feeling a tad jaded (Not as bad as your DH DWM !)

Today I need to get organised as my DS1 is off on a trip on Thursday for 10 days with school and is currently lying in bed with a sore throat. So I need to phone doc for some emergency antibs as I have a nasty feeling he could be in for tonsillitis - I hope not!! Also need to consult about DD and her cervical cancer jab - she is recovered from CFS/ME but I don't want to rock the boat with her healthwise!

Today then:

Phone doc
Haircut for DS
Washing for DS
Ironing
Sort stuff for DS1 trip
Supper
Quick room rescue for each room
Kitchen
Mission
Coffee with friend

My mind's gone blank now but I think that'll do for starters!!

Have a good day all....

Morning all! A wet Monday morning here But I've done my morning routine and a load of washing is just finishing!

good luck with the Youth Club pa - sounds like should be a dad supervising that activity!

stillcounting and om enjoy your days off

I have got church meeting tonight which will be tedious fascinating I'm sure. But will try and do the mission. I am reading 'Sink reflections' - very twee really and lots of it on the website but I find stuff sinks into my little brain when I read it in a book a bit better - and some of the points are useful.

stillcounting I need a kick up the backside about weight - have lost so much that it's now feeling a bit scary and I think I am deliberately sabotaging myself. I am finding that much more of the effects are psychological that physical, and that takes a bit of getting used to!

Right, off to take DD1 to have manky very infected toe dealt with by the doctor. 'Twill not be pleasant.......

Lol at DWM's strike and SC's solidarity - will join picket line next time. It's hard though, ime plenty of men will live pretty much in squalor without complaint...

at Pluto's dh getting up at 4:30 to do marking/ lesson prep. I find mornings a struggle - once i'm in bed I don't want to get out until it's absolutely necessary

double at positive, hope everyone's alright.

pmpy - don't worry about underdressed toddler, what's the joke where teacher asks child, "When do we wear sweaters?" and child says "We wear a sweater when mummy's cold". Some kids are just hot, I think. We've had some success with offering dd a choice of hats/ jackets a la How to Talk, but not every time.

Good to see you, Chaos.

Welcome Rainbow and hi to giraffe, tallulah, fruitstick, miss bennett and anyone else I've forgotten

Had a really, really late start here today. Done:
morning routine
S&S
kitchen and living room floors
babystep - am quite reliant on my 'control journal' , have always been a list person!

To Do:
declutter kitchen 15 mins
mission
go through dd2's clothes and put away anything that's too small. Dp gave her a bath yesterday and tried to put on a 0-3 month sleepsuit. It didn't fit, so he just left it undone and flapping around her legs

Morning all,

Well, bad night with DD last night, she kep waking up coughing and is too worn out for pre-school, so another cosy day at home is in order. She is OK in herself, just tired out. We took DS to school and straight off ot do our weekly shop, which was the main objective for today, now she is watching telly while I fly MN.

Strikes wouldn't work in our house, at the moment I am a SAHM so not unreasonable for me to do 99% of it, but until Sept I was at out at work for 10 hours 3x a week and I did it all then too. TBH, DH would not change the sheets for months, keep all his clothes in a pile on the floor then faff about getting in the way trying to iron his own shirt in the morning etc and I'd probably have a nervous breakdown. The only thing I ask him to do regularly is the washing up every other night, even then he "doesn't notice" half of it, forgets to wipe the table and cooker, leaves pasta in the plughole. He is however a lot more willing to look after children than some men I know, several of my friends DHs will not do any childcare whatsoever. So it could be worse.

Todays list

Swish and swipe - done
Shopping - done, needs to be put away
Washing - in dryer
Ring up about DS starting Beavers
Clean kitchen bin
Declutter craft area which is a bombsite
Pick up approx half a million Hama beads from floor (again)
10 mins tidy in each bedroom

Bound to be a few more things, catch up later

Thanks for all the welcomes!!

Getting up the a shiny sink put me in a better mood!!

This morning I have;
Done morning routine
Swish and swipe
School run (left DD1 in tears, which is not like her , I call later and she stopped the moment I left the building)
Hung out washing
Dusted and hoover upstairs

To do;
Pick up DD1 from nursery
Lunch
Settle DS3 for his nap
Mission
Go to the shop for the things I forgot to get on friday.
And whatever else comes my way.

MrsD My DH is the same, it's not that he doesn't try, it's just his idea of clean and tidy is completely different to mine. He is great with the DC though and I quite enjoy handing the children over to him while shut myself away in the kitchen and load the dishwasher etc after dinner.

Bloody hell I'm cold!

Today I have
morning routine
unloaded dishwasher and washing machine
loaded dishwasher and washing machine
made a vague attempt to tidy bedroom
some work

still to do
Supermarket shop
more washing
mission
sweep kitchen floor
clear away crap loitering in hallway/kitchen
tidy DSs room
cook dinner
admin
write to friends I have been meaning to write to for ages (don't let me forget this )

Just snuck on here to for a quick update!

Phone doc done
Haircut for DS can't get through!
Washing for DS doing
Ironing doing
Sort stuff for DS1 trip
Supper
Quick room rescue for each room done
Kitchen
Missiondone
Coffee with friend done

I'm quite pleased with that lot! DS1 is perking up a bit and the doc has agreed to antibiotics 'just in case'. It's snowing quite hard here but not settling at the moment. I'm not looking forward to another lot to be honest....

See you all later...

On here for a quick update - all started off so well........ Oh dear!

List for today:
Go to the garage for another load of milk! - Not done Couldn't be bothered toast and waffles for breakfast instead!
Diswasher unload/load - done and now waiting to be redone!
Breakfast _done see above
Sandwiches (only 5 today YEAHHHHH!!)DONE
Iron school shirts - I know. I know!!! NOT DONE - quick 2 minute tumble dryer, shake flatten put straight on - nobody will notice! It worked!!!!
GO into job number 1 for just a couple of hours - 4 HOURS Not happy!!
Tackle supermarket (and survive, hopefully!) DONE
Meet best buddy for a chat, a good laugh and a coffee. done (made sure i did that one!)
Home for "afternoon off" You have got to be kidding!
Do work from job number 2 at home - NO chance
If DD3 up to it I have promised to make a special desert with her that she has been wanting to do for ages, but has not been feeling well enough recently. - no Definitely not well enough, so let off that one!
Wash all the mud caked clothes from the wekend away. (How can DS get mud on every bit of clothing he took?) - Maybe later.
Tea for hoardes of teenagers before their youth group - GROAN!
Take them to youth group and hope our Youth minister has been able to find another (willing) helper so that i do not have to supervise 15 teenagers with laser guns for 3 hours! - DOUBLE GROAN - Now 25 as well!
Tackle hotspots in kitchen - no hope
May scrub kitchen floor if I ahve the time (or inclination - really not going to happen!) - surprise surprise as likely as me sunbathing today!!!

Boy, is it cold!!

hope everyone is doing better with their lists than I am. I thought that if I did a list today it would show me that I actually do get stuff done....No, it is just showing me how much more I have to do!!

Hey,ho off for a sit down quick fly!

Always tomorrow!

Hello everyone

A few snow flurries here but nothing sticking yet...
I've decided what to do about DH - give him jobs to do! I realise that I had forgotten that men like my DH don't see what needs to be done so I need to tell him rather than sulk about it. He is at work till about 10 tonight so today I got him to put the bin out and go to the shop for cereal. When he gets home he has to polish DS's school shoes.

My list for tonight is
DS to bed
eat (got some yummy baked potatoes with chilli in the fridge courtesy of the buffet yesterday )
ironing - 15 mins only
re-load airer
put towels in dryer
DW
1 load in WM
wipe of kitchen surfaces to include sink
s&s
bed at 10 no matter what hasn't got done

Back later

BTW - anyone seen this thread? I've responded on your behalf (hope you don't mind ) but feel free to join in....

made me feel better anyway