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...

Good morning.

I've got no DS this morning so I'm still in bed, but about to get up!

Got a busy morning, with my normal full routines plus:

Mop kitchen floor
Empty compost stuff
hoover upstairs
bake scones

hi all, up early again today,despite being my one day off this week.have go loads to do today as am working all day tomorrow .
done- dinner in slow cooker
ttuna pasta made for dcs tomorrow,
washing in
to do-
take dd to ballet
buy easter eggs
clean out hamster
make beds
more washing
iron uniforms for monday
do reading with dd
meet friends at park later this afternoon
nit check dcs
hve also arranged to go for a run tonight with a couple of friends!
have to have early night as work at 6-30 sunday morn and clocks go forward tonight!

feel tired already, maybe i will go back to bed for an hour with my coffee!
hope you all have a great weekend

More to do than I remembered today - hadn't checked my lists.

Done
Clean out back utility area (big decluttering job!)
did last night's dishes
Put another wash on
Mopped kitchen floor
Emptied compost stuff

To do:
Put kitchen / utility area to rights when the floor is dry
hoover upstairs
bake scones

Well, swimming has been accomplished plus a quick trip into town for a gift voucher for DH's cousin's birthday

Got 2nd load of washing on and DW on for the second time today as well.

1st load of washing on airer (daren't put it out as the heavens look like they are about to open) and sink is soaking in bleach.

Time for coffee and play game that DS has brought home from school this week - we get a different one every week and guess who has to play them with him

I'm bored now. DS came back at 1 but then went to sleep pretty soon after!

I have:Done
Clean out back utility area (big decluttering job!)
did last night's dishes
Put another wash on
Mopped kitchen floor
Emptied compost stuff
Put kitchen / utility area to rights
hoovered upstairs
made scone dough for DS to roll and cut later (and washed up!)
rebooted wash
emptied dishwasher
wiped down some puzzles from the shed for DS.

My focus since H left has definitely been getting the house straight, and I haven't felt much like reading which is what I normally do to relax. I need a new hobby!

Hey, am still about - just. Having major problems with the PGCE. Struggling with everything and lost my voice. Got major observation monday. Not likely to be about much. Any of the teachers got any life saving advice? Its the F word

Hope all ok.

DEM/chaostheory.

CM I think you are officially "nesting" already when is baby due?
DM hello - didn't see you there
PA hurray for the curly whirly folk
hope dd's news can be viewed positively

too tired to post really, it's just I know if I post in a day I'll have lost my place on the ski-lift.
done
dd sleepover with two friends here
rest of party shopping
morning music classes
communion class & helping
lunch, cooked and cleared
minor row with dd and dh feelng better now

need to go to Beavers and stay for two hours at some sleeover thingy (avoiding sleepover bit) with ds2, bring him home
then concert for dd and ds1 local music school
make cake
decorate cake
wrap up going home trifles (not literally trifles)
make list of a few good games for 13 kids to have after party
collect my thoughts for tomorrow which happens to include Palm Sunday, Altar serving for ds1 and Dd's cinema/home party.

And find someone to feed cats over Easter week break. left message for neighbour's daughter

DEM no advice except it must be v. hard being a teacher, am shattered already after one hour of teaching First HCommunion to 8, I suspect it must all be about pacing yourself and being incredibly confident as well as genuinely interested in the kids and what they think..

DTG I love doing silly (or not so silly in your case) role play and the kids love it too. Must try the manic cleaning role - they will be most intrigued.

I'm feeling even less inspired than I was yesterday; if I don't get my morning routine done, then I tend to give up for the rest of the day... But have managed to get done so far:

haircuts for me and DS (long overdue in my case)
three loads of washing (actually in progress rather than done)
general tidy up
packing for DD2

Still to do:
Pack for me, DD1 and DS as we're off to my in-laws tomorrow. DH is swanning off going on a business trip to Spain from Monday to Wednesday and decided it would be easiest for him to go during the Easter holidays as I could go and stay with his parents. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me this until everything was already booked - I'd much rather he'd have gone during term time so that we could have spent all of the Easter holidays together (school is only closed for just over a week here). Oh well, at least I'll have a break from cooking and housework until Thurday - though I have the sneaking suspicion I might even miss flying while I'm away!

Afternoon.

Welcome back DWM. You have been missed.

Still trying to get my head back from orbiting outer space after the bombshell, but normality could resume soon. Nobody has died and I am not going to be a grandmother, so nothing else can be tooooooo bad, can it? Just a real shock. Teenagers certainly have a knack of catching you unawares!

No housework done.
Kitchen is a terrible state.
Told DH I am in need of a takeaway tonight.
This morning went into town for a pair of trainers for DS. How has my little squidgey baby got so big to have the same size feet as his dad and me needing a bank loan for a pair of trainers?
Then a drive to Tesco for the Easter eggs.
Now going to collapse in front of telly with DD3, who is struggling today too, for an hour before DH comes home from work, to make up for the sleepless night.

Hope you are all having a good weekend.

Manic waves of microcloth to everyone.

Hooray!!

I have brushed the cats so I am back here!

The cats were very unimpressed but I feel sooo much better seeing all that hair go straight into the bin rather than know it'll end up on the carpet.

Will give the sink a quick shine and try harder tomorrow.

Well done everyone - fantastic flying going on!!

TTFN

Hi Everyone

My parents have been here today and left surprisingly late for them so only just checking in now!

We have a friend staying tomorrow but I'm going to try to sneak off to do round-up . He's mainly DH's friend anyway so they will be talking music/itouch/wine etc and probably won't even notice!

Morning All

My favourite babystep today, do you think chocolate counts?

No decluttering or missions at the weekend but time to start thinking about tackling the final zone, the living room, next week.

Done since last flapped by
cake and decorated

Beavrs for three hours, good fun,ds2 and some puzzles, I'm glad I didn't let ds2 sleepover with others though -it could have been one event too many this w/e

usual stuff

Aberita I am slightly losing heart too, I think it's that dcs are not things you can ever get into order - they are always one step ahead of me, outwitting my strategies at every turn.
Once you have packed and are out of the house you will feel better. I already dreading going away on Wed too, cat arrangements uppermost - but I know once I'm there I'll be fine.

PA is there any solution?

To do
washup icing chaos
go to bed v. soon

MOrning all,

well i suppose when DD work up at half 5 it was actuallyhalf 6 so technically speaking i shouldn't moan. But.....I will anyway. Anybody got any tips for keeping small children asleep until a respectable hour. Tried a blackout blind, that hasn't worked. Have moved her bedtime later and that hasn't worked. I suspect I am going to have to cut her nap short but I love my 2 hours peace in the middle of the day .

It is another beautiful day here. DS has his first church parade with beavers so will be out with him this morning. List today looks like this:-

Tidy up
Washing ad infinitum
DS to beavers
Cook sunday roast
Routines

Have a good day everyone

dem will gladly give some tips. What os the f word though. Am intrigued. Nice to 'see' you.

PA - hope you get over the bombshell soon!

Ellie - My DS only got 15 minutes more than that and my clock hadn't changed but my phone had so I was very confused! 6.45 is an improvement on normal here though so it would be nice if it continued like that!

Today I have:
done morning routine
Got the washing on the line
done and cleared breakfasts

To Do:
put the recycling out
evening routine
sort out my phone (still - meant to do that last weekend!)

In about 10 minutes we're going out swimming too, which should be nice!

Dh taken 2 to church (very kind)
Oldest now has sore throat and fever, (just before dd's party and he was meant to be altar server, so more confusion, phonecalls

Found two replacements for wasted tickets
and now
Todo
eggsandwiches
more tidying

Ellie the F word is fail. Having major problems. and nobody was willing to sit down and talk to me. So it has got to the point where i don't actually know if it is recoverable.

party went well
shattered now and surrounded by leftover party snacks, but dh has cleared up most of mess
ds1 is asleep and I think we will both have a day at home tomorrow zapping sore throats, so that Easter isn't the final straw.

Dem that's awful that no-one will mentor you - good luck with this week.

Hi All

Just sneaking in to post the babysteps for the morning:

It is a good one today, doing something for yourself. This is something that should be built into your weekly routine .

We're moving into the Living Room now for decluttering and missions.

Have a good day.

Evening all! This is the first time all weekend I've been allowed access to MY laptop as DD2 has apparently needed it?!
Sounds like everyone has been very busy and getting on with lots of things. Hope DS is on the mend now SR and everyone is going to bed early to make up for missing an hour last night!
But lovely to have had a lighter evening
And nice to see you again, DWM.
DEM I hope you can find someone who can help you sort out your course and get back on track?
I've not done much flying but have kept routines up so am in no worse a state, it you see what I mean?
Have got a week off in a couple of weeks so I might get a bit more done then!
Right, am off to bed! See you all tomorrow.

Is Mrsgok still about here? Just wanted to say thankyou for the good advice!

Evening all,

Haven't seen MrsGok for a while, hope everything is OK.

Hello DEM, DWM and DTG - good to hear from you all again.

SR - glad party went well.

Not much to report from me, had a nice weekend. Unfortunately following the discussion the other day with DS about nearly running over Alan Titchmarsh, DS has developed a fixation on Alan Titchmarsh, we have been looking at his book, watching his programme and only managed to avoid going to play in the park near where he lives because it was raining. I am going to remember this to embarrass him with when he brings his first girlfriend home....

With this in mind this week I am going to focus on the garden as my mission zone, it has a lot of clutter (old plant pots, footballs, weeds, piles of leaves etc) also have lost a lot of plants this winter and had a lot of shrubs badly damaged by weight of snow, so a good chance for a long overdue re-vamp.

Off to bed now, have started yet another cold and am knackered. See you tomorrow.

Good Morning!

Right, feel far more "myself" this morning/

MrsD My DS is also mildly obsessed with Alan Titchmarsh. He has a home here too and DS sees him at the swimming pool and often speaks with him .... it makes his day!!!
I hope you r cold has not developed into much this morning, and you and DC's SR. - Glad the party went well. Always glad when they are over!!

Waves to MM SC Ellie Aberita Chairmum and DWM (I see you loitering, your newspaper is upsidedown - a bit of a giveaway! ) DEM hope you get the help you need.

I am getting my head around what has happened here. DD2 is dealing with some consequences. I am very disappointed about the cause, but maybe I am an old fuddy duddy mum at heart!

I am looking forward to this week as today I have a staff team day with job No1. Always good fun. I have tins of food to take for a large lunch we have together, then officially finished with that job until after the Easter Hols. Job No2 - only going in on Wednesday to do a weeks work, then off for 10 days. When I go back I will have a new boss. (Eeeeekkk!!!) Job No3 - easy week there too, then hopefully off over holidays too. (although,I always seem to be needed, so will probably do some from home over the next 2 weeks) A good friends wedding on Saturday to look forward to - a present to buy first!

As for the housework.. errrrrr ..... well, really must get to grips with the washing mountain pile.
A hoover marathon also needed.
Kitchen needs a blitz
Front room floor needs sweeping
And so much more .....

Must go to collect car from the garage today too. Took it for MOT to our usual garage last week and told it would be £750 +VAT, Took it to another garage for a second opinion and it is £200 + VAT!! Much better. I feel I should tell someone about the first garage so that others are not caught out, but dont know who to go to. ANy suggestions? Or should I just think myself lucky and keep my mouth shut? (as you all know, not quite my forte )

Right, off to start on the day.

Have a good one everybody.

PA that's a lot of jobs
MrsDinky my bedraggled looking pots in porch are beginning to look a bit more respectable. Rest of garden mud mud and rusting machines. Flowerbeds need to be realigned but I'm going away for 2 weeks to my mum's so if I could just

plant those last remaining primulas
cut ends off resprouting hydrangeas

I would be happy
found some bright pink gardening glovesin dressing up box I think I bought them for alien musical statues last party.

Our stationery[sp] problem is solved! Dd has received 4 pencilcases - she is delighted, but was up late into night sharpening.

NOW
front room rescued done
kitchen recycling
washing up
dw
breakfast
floors
food in fridge rationalize/freeze
rubbish
worktops

playroom hoover
hall hoover
stairs hoover
bedrooms hoover
washing attack

pack for holidays (pile growing)
master bed sheets

packed lunches for tomorrow - think ahead
find gas bill and pay