Fledgling Flyers - Mad as March Hares

[MiniMarmite]

Welcome to the spring(ish) edition of the fledgling flyers.

Some of us will be flapping falteringly and others flying faultlessly towards making our homes look perennially spring cleaned!

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 March 1st, but you are welcome to dive in at any point in the month.

Hop along to reserve your place...

Evening all,

Welcome on board Frazzled, sounds like you're getting off to a good start. Be careful not to burn out!

SR - good luck with the party

DWM - hope today went well

MM - have a good weekend. Don't mind if you post sundays links early, I would offer to do it, but going out Sat night, DCs staying at GPs, may be having a long lie-in on Sun.

PA - well done, hope you had a nice lunch.

Well, got quite a bit done today.

Hoovered whole house - done
Dusted DCs bedrooms - done
Swish and swipe - done
Errands in town - done
Coffee with two different friends am and pm - done
Dinner in slowcooker - lamb shanks in red wine - yum

Front room has about a million bits of lego and about 100 gogos all over it , need to go and chivvy DCs to tidy it up.

Hi Ladies, well done for flying to the end of another working week. I hope you're chilling out with a glass of wine .

Well, I made Chelsea rocks buns. Not my best effort I must say! My friend was very polite about them and played play-doh with DS so it was a good afternoon.

Welcome Frazzled74 - another slowcooker owner, you'll fit right in .

How did your interview go DWM?

I hope you are bearing up PMPY, you're not a fraud at all. If you're anything like me the possible future starts to form in your head and so you feel a sense of loss however early it might be .

MrsD I hope you get that lie in, how lovely. I'm still thriving on the extra sleep I had when we went away for a night last month!

That was an early start feetheart, such a shame that you will have to work this weekend.

Glad today's babystep was useful aberita .

How's the ironing going OM? I feel like a bit of a hypocrite asking you this as you know how I am with ironing!

SR I can't remember, is the party tomorrow. I hope it goes to well and that there's not to much jelly on the carpet at the end

SC - feeling better after your flingboogie? How is DD today?

PA well done on deadlines lol on your temporary celibacy!

I'll be posting tomorrow's links tonight in the usual way and then Sunday's around lunchtime on Saturday...sorry for the late notice - I guess they will just be 300 a few messages further down than usual.

Have a good evening. Off to eat - sorry SC I am not being v good on the body clutter front.

Morning Ladies,

Today's new babystep is to do a mission along with our babysteps accumulated to date.

Have a happy day.

Hello everyone. Thanks for your thoughts today.

Interview seemed to go well but you can never tell can you? Was surprisingly relaxed but as I have applied for this promotion more than once before and not got it, that was either because
a) past caring
b) been interviewed by the same people so often I know how it will go before I go in
c) I was fab!

Will find out on Wednesday - you will be the first to know

MrsDinky that's an amazing amount - and the coffees too

just thought I'd better follow through wth my afternoon list

Dw done and reloaded and on again
sink *now full of new saucepans
livingroom, hall, playroom, kitchen done/rescued
chest in hall stillstuffedfullofstrangeitems
scarves folded and put in hall drawer though done
rubbish out of hall done
food compost emptied done
dcs' bedrooms further tidied done
some of dcs' clothes hung up in cupboard not stuffed in drawers NEW DAWN done
supper cooked for dcs, and then new supper for dh done
homework table notreally

tomorrow we don't have to get up early HURRAH, as no communion class till next week, hope the day starts smoothly despite the dreaded box

Oh yes and I unblocked the ailing loo with minutes to spare before dh returned from business trip - he had given me task of finding a plumber last week, and I didn't..SC how is yours?
Hope dd is feeling on mend now, it takes a while though, and you don't work too hard, and keep well yourself.

SR well done on the toilet! Sounds like you have had a pretty productive day too. Bear in mind that what sounds like a lot of work from me isn't as much as it sounds eg hoover whole house - it's tiny; swish and swipe - only one bathroom. Having said that, before I started Flying I NEVER managed to hoover the whole house in one go, the floors had so much stuff on it would have taken the entire day....

MOrning all,

Didn't get on yesterday as had a rather busy day which culminated in a lovely meal with friend, nice food, good wine, lots of gossip and no hangover this morning (good job seeing as I am up so early!) .

Being as it's Saturday and i've been a bit slack this week i have quite a lot to fo today. However, am going for a manic morning and then a relaxed afternoon. DH is going to be out all day and CM is taking the DC's at 11.30 to her stepdaughter's DS's birthday party for 3 hours so it looks like (fingers crossed) i am going to have whole house to myself for 3 hours . Hence I want to get everything done this morning so I can enjoy the peace and quiet!

List looks this:

general tidy downstairs
washing ad infinitum
drying ad infinitum
clean bathroom
tidy DC's rooms
Tesco

Small list but quite substantial.

dwm glad the interview went well.

frazzled74 welcome to the thread. Enjoy!

sr is it the party today? If sohave a great day and hope it goes well. I am so impressed, it puts my lame 'hire a bouncy castle and let them get on with it' parties to shame .

om how's the ironing? Although this is in no way a nag because that is the one chore that i will put off, and off, and off .

Anyway had better go and crack on if i want my 3 hours peace.

It is a lovely day here. Enjoy your Saturday!

Oh, and I forgot to say I will post babystep link tomorrow morning if you want mm. Have a good time!

morning everyone, have woken up happier, coming down to clean sparkly kitchen.washing in, breadmaker on. Am going to take dd to dance then later on cinema, and if i get time ,shop for paint for kitchen.
Am looking forward to nice weekend then get cracking with these baby steps on monday.Thanks to you all, you are all giving me motivation, hope you all have great weekend.

Thanks Ellie, that would be great

morning has not started v. well, but dcs now off to music classes with dh; I need to join them in 10 mins to sit in on violin lesson.

Ellie if I could have a bouncy party I would [sob] but garden is very awkward shape.
That sounds a blissful day, well-deserved,

Todo
party bags - bag up
buy Star Wars soundtrack (laptop too quiet)
finish cake
write out some labels
clear landing clear landing clear landing
tidy our bedroom
put some stuff in shed
tip!!!!!!

and the usual stuff too

Party is not till Sunday, at 11.am, rather a strange time, but thought people could still go out to Mother's Day lunch etc, and go on afternoon outing. Sunday eve always feels too late for children's parties. Having to give two parties, means it is very difficult to find a good time for both, esp as it's near end of Term. Dd's party will be NMcPh cinema trip in two weeks' time.

midday check in.

general tidy downstairs done
washing ad infinitum started
drying ad infinitum started
clean bathroom
tidy DC's rooms donedd's
Tesco

DC's have been packed off, DH is out. AM going to Tesco now but I suspect it will be done in half the time without DC's. Have bought a book this morning so am going to come back unpack shopping and then relax with aforementioned book. Bliss!

Afternoon all!

Ds1 back safe and sound well in time for birthday brunch so pleased with him!However, he has been a real lump ever since as he obviously did not sleep AT ALL. rather than .DD doing yet more coursework!I will be sooooo pleased when it's done. Honestly the pressure these kids are under is no joke and makes me sooo ! Rant over!

Today:
town for birthday cards/Mothers' day flowers for DM and MIL.done
washing doing
ironing doneyippee
watch rugby with grumpy son
take DD to late night shopping centre for a well earned break!
what's for tea? who knows!
buy rabbit food.

Had a complete disaster today as I bought a card for a 5 yo boy rather than the 12 y o DN whose birthday it is and didn't realise until writing it 5 mins before we left!How? Why?
Thank God for my incredibly organised neighbour who has a boxful and was in! There was no way I was going to be able to convert a 5 yo football card into something appropriate!!Just shows I need to do my control journal properly....oh well!

have a good afternoon and if I'm not back a lovely Mothers' Day!!

Hope the party is a great success SR - sounds like you've put loads of thought into it!!

SR hope the party goes well.

OM I too have a very tired boy here after a sleepover. Far more OVER the sleep going on I think!
One way to keep my boy happy when he is tired is to give him a recipe book and agree to allow him to do some cooking. So today I have a yummy chocolate cake and sticky buns as well as Chicken tikka masala. So everyone happy all round!

MrsD Hope you have managed to contain all the lego. Whne DS was younger I used to hate treading on that stuff, blimey doesn't it hurt, or am I a wimp!

Huge waves to everyone. I am struggling with a pounding head, so am scrolled out for the moment. I am sure the head is due to the eggshells I have walking on for the last few days. DD2 is trying to get back to normal after her glandular fever, but really still struggling, especially after her diappointing AS result, although she had a practical exam in PE coaching yesterday and her teacher said she had been "faultless", so that bucked her up a bit.
DD3 has probably had the worst week for many months and was unable to stand again this morning.
DS just dead tired.
DD4 being a pre-teenager with knobs on!!!!
And to cap it all a frantic phone call from DD1 saying she misses us and wants to move home. I know this is just because it is mums day and by Monday she will be saying she wants to stay there and how she is enjoying her life, but I hate hearing her say it!

So all this equals not a lot of work done, other than the cooking, and me with a stonking head. Wine needed, then I will probably fall asleep before 9!
I did manage to get into town for the Mothers day cards today. My mums is easy to buy, but I always wonder why they dont make any Mothers day cards that say "Happy Mothers Day, to the Mother in Law from hell who makes my life as difficult as she can and this card is only for you because otherwise DH would be upset!" I have to search through for the least lovey-dovey one I can find. "Special mum who we think so much of" sets my teeth on edge! I am no hypocrit and have refused to sign one in the past that DH bought for her, so now it is left for me!

Happy Mothers day everyone!

Sorry, this all sounds so negative and depressing. Very unlike me actually. I will be back to normal tomorrow I hope!

Yest, managed

Tidy done and even some paperwork culled lots of room to run riot
iced cake done
partbags done

not quite done
some other things...

we were woken at 6.30 by dcs to celebrate Mother's Day [aaargh]These are dcs that usually sleep till 8am (or at at pinch just one gets up at 7am)

Afternoon all,

I hope you are all way too busy being spoilt and pampered to notice that I forgot to post today's babystep

Here it is, this is the most exciting thing ever words of wisdom

I am doing no flying today and am assuming that everybody is just having a lovely day with their families. Enjoy!

Hello, everybody! Have had a really hectic couple of days and no chance to get to the laptop. Have missed you all and enjoyed reading through for a quick catchup!

PA I feel for you, I really do. 'tis a bit like that here. DD1 got rubbish AS results but I think it's because she has been so unwell. However, now all teachers advising her to give up something but not a balanced view to be had! Plus she has been really unwell again - A&E last night - our duty doctor has told her she mustnot play or sing - she interpreted this as never - and was of course devastated however, it turns out she's somehow strained all her intercostal muscles and needs to rest and let them heal - with the assistance of drugs But she is feeling pretty low really and I feel inadequate. Will speak to school tomorrow.

DD2 has decided that if DD1 is unwell she must be too and is being VERY attention seeking. I have tried to be very tolerant and did not shout at her even though she wore two hoodies with both hoods up ALL THROUGH CHURCH

Have been to collect my mother and rehearse for Maundy Service - which was lovely and I've got fab sticker in my car that says Buckingham Palace! So I'm having fun with that

And no flying done! Washing in quantity though and routines more or less kept up. And mother noticed that I've done a lot of sorting out so must be an improvement

Right, better go - will be getting on with tea shortly but just had a cup of tea and piece of cake - felt I'd earned it

Enjoy the rest of your day, ladies!

Only just flying by........ the only flying I am doing today!

Just wanted to say MissB, if DD2 was sat next to you in church, that is all that matters. A very wise man came up to me in church once and said how lovely it was to see my eldest there with us. We had been horrified at the length of her belt skirt with high heels and a summer top and I had sat all through the service hoping nobody would notice, but knowing that actually EVERYONE undoubtedly would! This man was so lovely, he said that it was better that she was there however she looked rather than us make a scene and her decide to stay at home because she did not feel approved of. Take heart!, just wanted to encourage you.

Hope everyone else is having a fab no-flying day!

Ha PA, contrasts with my experience in church many years ago (when v.young), I was wearing (on a very hot day) white legging shorts (the type that came down to your knee) with a long T-shirt (which came well down my thighs) - was told by one of the elders in my church that the oldies were finding my outfit offensive. Now I could understand if they had called the style police in and with hindsight I can see that it perhaps wasn't the most respectful dress, but I didn't stay with that church for much longer after that....

Try it again now MrsD and see if you get the old foggies going again!! You will be responsible for an overfill of the coronary ward!!
Obviously the wrong church. If old people want to be like that, then let them watch the church die off around them. Go to one that accepts people for who they are!!

Oh and thanks for posting todays step Ellie.

It's true, churches need to encourage young people by whatever means. I remind myself of this whenever my DCs are playing up a bit. That particular church was very informal and modern in many ways which lulled me into a false sense of security dress wise. Whereas the one I go to now is much more formal in many ways (High Anglican) but they really are trying to encourage families and young people in. Oh well.

PA - sorry you have had such a full-on week with all your DCs and their health/other issues, hope things improve this week. Likewise you MissB, hope DD improves swiftly.

Anyway, not much Flying here this weekend, although did do the weekly shop, unpack it anc cook dinner while DH watched the Grand Prix on Sky+ (so much for Mothering Sunday!). We had a lovely early afternoon picnic and outing to our favourite local NT property, which is always thoroughly enjoyable.

Off to clean the kitchen up (DH has gone to work for a few hours), see you all tomorrow.