May's Fledgling Flyers: shed that clout May Flyers are out

[elliepac]

Welcome to the May edition of the fledgling flyers where we are going to merrily fly around the maypole, dusting as we go.

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

For those who are curious, these are the Babysteps, which we all hope will restore order in our homes and make our lives a little bit easier with lots of support (and chat, and wine, and a little more chat )

So please come and join us, old and new, from May 1st.

well I've failed miserably as organised mum Managed to plan my whole morning around a dentist appt for dd and myself, which was the WRONG time (an hour late). "Don't cry Mummy - let's go to the cafe, and that will cheer you up". 8 yr Dd wisely looked on the bright side of events, a trip to cafe without any dentistry involved!
Also done
planted up 10 tenants' pots for my mother, filled three bin bags with garden weeds etc
drove to and from tenants in a rush
now doing piano, v. depressing, just doesn't STICK - I must be old or perhaps just bad at sequencing

rest of day continues in its usual wed fashion - if a day can incoherently babble it is Wednesday Do love Thurs though except now dentist then

Hi all.

I ache all over from PT yesterday and powerplate monday -feeling sorry for myself. Pathetic!

Today so far:
-School/nursery run
-Food shop (2days meals as all I can cope with planning - must get better at this)
-Sorted two 'ingredients' drawers in kitchen cupboard. Chucked various nuts/seeds/pasta that were out of code in 2009
-Taken DD to swim lesson and did 1/2 hr swim myself while she was doing that.

Next:
Cook kids tea (pork - fingers crossed they will eat it)
WM - empty & refill
bath/bedtime
cook for step dcs & us (pasta)
1 hotspot (my bedroom I think)
15mins in step dd's room - which is full of junk - it's the 'loft' room and has become a dumping ground for everyones stuff (out of sight out of mind )she's nearly 18 so doesn't stay as much these days but it's not exactly inviting up there!! promised I'd do 15mins a day until it's sorted.

swanriver poor you - that is the kind of thing I do all the time. I once went to a job interview a day early. At least you had a nice time with your dd without pain!! Will try and check in later on to see how everyone has got on. Hope you are all OK!

well, i forgot to collect ds from school today. it has been a rough few days and things havent been going so well. The manic mess bomber has had an accomplish in the form of a 5 yo ds. the house is a bombsite and if ss turned up they would be very very concerned. but it is surface mess and chaos. Hopefully getting straight tonight and tomo morning. the old one has visitors so needs to be done.

I have no routine, and no structure. it is telling. I am starting from skratch again and will probably end up disappearing again. So appologies. I am finding it hard to keep up and harder to do anything cleaning or doing wise. ENjoy the good support here, and look after yourselfs. this cleaning fraud is going into hiding and ignoring the mess bomber.

DEM aw honey i just feel you need a big hug. I'm sorry everything is getting away from you. I think you are doing a brilliant job, dont worry about house. Dont hide your light under a messy bushell, keep bringing it on here and despite the lists i'm sure most of us are still struggling with day to day. We all just trying to cope and sometimes life thrown more than you can do!
Take extra special care of you

swan thats sorta thing i do. Hope you had a nice toastie at the cafe and dentist goes well tomorrow
biddy sounds like fab list.

I'm afraid ive not accomplished a lot at home but i have bought a timer app so i can do 15m at a time. Now i only have to get off Fat Ass and do it!!

Made bed
Done DW times 1 loads
Work dejunking there
Tttthhaaattts all folks.

The rest is haunting me but not enough
hope you all ok xx

Evening all,

Having a quick break from marking catching up with you lovely lot.

dem don't beat yourself up too much, DH has forgotten to pick ds up before as well. As far as the house is concerned, it is just surface mess and you've had a very topsy turvy few months so please don't be too hard on yourself. Keep checking in and take care .

biddy if you are aching, it means you've done some good...it willbe worth it in the long run!

sr easily done, easily done,I have made many such mistakes myself. Wednesday day is nearly over .

feetheart a super busy day for you! Am with you on The Wiggles. DD loves them but they drive me nuts.

chairmum do you ever just take it easy .

nettie hope you had a good day at work in our Tory with twist of LibDem country. .

missb about the concert. Glad she is taking it well, I would love to see Westlife!

mrsd hope DD is starting to feel better. Holby City is on as we speak!

om did you manage to get the washing machine. About a year ago, we spent about 2 months without one due to a catalogue of repair errors. It was a complete nightmare so I feel your pain!

Hope everyone else is ok. Big enthusiastic waves to pa sc linzer dwm pmpy mm and anyone else I have missed.

Doing nothing tonight.Have managed to cook dinner and that's about it. Have a good evening.

Hello everyone,

Today's babystep is missions. The easy way to do this is to follow the link below to find a mission . If you do not feel ready to do a mission then just consolidate what you have already been doing.

Today's mission is here.

Have a good day everyone!

swanriver - I do like the optimism of 7-8yr olds. That girl will go far

DEM - be kind to yourself, you have been through a lot recently and it will take time to adjust

Nettie - wonder if there's a 'Get off Fat Ass' app, would make a fortune
I'm still working on 2 mins Hotspots with timer and I've been here since January. Keep kidding myself that I'm working my way up to 15 mins

ellie - plan was to be busy, didn't quite work out that way!

• Mop kitchen floor - no
• Make more cake/biscuits for School Assoc meeting as ones made yesterday nearly all scoffed - done
• Make lasagne for dinner - done
• Clean bathroom floor - no
• Dust living room just in case meeting has to be here rather than at school - no
• Afternoon/evening routines - need to finish
• School Assoc meeting - done
• Bed by 10.30pm - going very soon

Did curl up on sofa with tired DS for part of afternoon and watch gymnastics on TV which was lovely - much more important than boring housework

Oh, poos, just lost a long thread. Never mind. Reasonably good day, DD better, I've just got back from the gym. Completely lost the plot with DCs at tea-time, having pestered for snacks from the moment we got in from school, turned their noses up at lovingly prepared tea.

DEM - hang on in there, we're all here for you. Come back when you feel up to it.

Waves to everyone.

Evening!
DEM don't worry about it. I once took DD2 to nursery the day before term started. And don't worry about the housework we like you on here without even thinking about housework! Take care of yourself and treat yourself as kindly as you would a special friend!
Waves to everyone else.
Well DD1 has got to the O2 and no doubt having a lovely time with her very excited friend
DD2 is being super-grown-up about it all. Mind you, perhaps for the best....DH had to collect her from school as she sprained her ankle doing the high jump (makes a change for her to DO the high jump - generally she is FOR it . So she's spent the day resting on the sofa and I'm not sure she'd have coped with a concert. Feetheart I think you're right, they would have been fine - but she was worried about it so I think we made the right decision.
Little flying here but have kept routines going. Must go now though as papers to read for tomorrow

i have a 5 yo who is going through emotional hell because he cant cope with life and it is hell to watch, and hell to bear the brunt of. There is no support as he has no dx. He is boarderline Aspie. Poor kid has completely imploded. I need to focus on him and helping him to cope.
right now i feel like i need those hugs. I want the whole world to go away and leave us alone. It will get better. But they say, sometimes it has to get worse before it can get better. And at least this time his dad is 100% behind me, and leading the support party for ds. And that is a first.
need to face rl rather then using mn to hide. thanks for the kind thoughts.

take care if yourselves - especially you chairmum - make sure you rest enough!

DEM It will indeed get better. Sounds very like my DD2 when she was aged about 7/8 and had a dreadful time at school. Aspergers not dx til she was 12. Glad his dad is being supportive. It is really hard for these kids and they do just seem to find life impossible at times and I too have wanted to run away and hide with DD2 as the world has seemed just too much sometimes. BUT at the risk of sounding smug, which I'm not, she has got so much better over the last year or so that I'm really beginning to feel more positive. The dx has helped as she gets more focussed help in school and less of the attitude 'what a little b***'. So there is a light but I guess it seems a long way away at the moment. Hugs honey and thinking about you and your boy. xx

DEM it is I step forward 3/4 step back all the time isn't it? I honestly sometimes feel I am never going to succeed in sorting my life out, but I suppose it's a mistake to think anyone ever does.... Give your ds a hug and remember it IS YOUR HOUSE/DWELLING, you don't have to apologise for it, just tweak it to make you and ds happy.

I felt very despairing today about my badly behaved children. It must be my fault they spend their time shouting and screaming at each other and pushing each other into the road [MrsD yes, mine refused yesterday's risotto pointblank, today they got beefburgers...mind you ds2 eats great treetrunks of raw broccoli so I suppose I shouldn't get so furious when he refuses to eat a tiny sliver of cooked onion, but still it is v. annoying]

Feetheart I love the way you do things you actually ENJOY, it is very inspiring - who cares about blooming floor really?

Ellie thank you for multi-tasking so well
Biddy now every time I throw away food, I think of THE ROAD, and worry about some person that may desperately need my ten year old nuts and beans.

x-post, DEM, and MissB. It is hard, when you know that your child needs something extra, and is demanding a lot from you, and others don't quite see the full picture, and think there are simple ways to solve the behaviour. I think you are right though, they need peace and calm, not necessarily tidiness though, just sort of knowing how the day is going to go and what to expect from you.

Morning all,

Just flying by with a quick wave to everyone, especially DEM. It's good to hear you have the support of your DS's dad and aren't having to go through this alone.

Chaotic day here yesterday - spent more of the morning trying to get the Internet up and runnning than actually working, which was v. frustrating. I was just about to decamp to McDonalds (the only place with Internet access I could think of) when it finally started to behave itself. Then had two of the DC's friends over in the afternoon after the piano lessons - they're 2 and 4, so constant supervision required and no MNing.

Another busy day here today - it's DD1's first communion, a bank holiday, ILs here and I also need to find time to pack for our weekend away. Will try and check in again this evening though. Happy flying, everyone!

Linzer - Wow, v busy day. Enjoy it all, including the w/e

swanriver - main reason I wanted Flying to work this time was so I could spend more time with DC, especially DS (my baby) who starts big school in Sept. Flying doesn't always work (especially at the moment) but I try and remember my priorities. Also playing/lazing with DC is much more fun than housework

Today's list:

• Morning routine
• Chicken out of freezer for stir-fry tonight
• 2 mins hotspot
• Work
• Chase HMRC re tax rebate (they owe me money and I want it )
• Research buildings insurance for (still un-let) flat
• DS to Tumble Tots
• DC to Hospice shop after school - weekly visit to spend pocket money!
• Kitchen and bathroom floors leftover from yesterday
• Afternoon/evening routines
• Bed by 10.30pm

Have a good day everyone, especially DEM

Just flying by to let you all know that I am still alive!
In the middle of a bidding war on ebay, 28 mins to go, so got to get back to it.
A flippin bike stand for DH!!!!! Wish me luck!

Need to get house sorted for weekend as we are suddenly having a visitor (someone in trouble needs a place to stay)
So mammoth list for today!

DS has found a new level of entertainment. He has glued a pound coin on the pavement outside the house and watching all the older people going to school trying to pick it up!! He is in hysterics!!

Back to the bid, catch up later.

DEM - While having a tidy house is nice, our kids are much much more important, so you do what you've got to do! We'll still be here when you feel ready to come back I expect!

ellie - no I don't think I can take things easy at the moment. I feel like there's always something else to be done!

However I'm sitting around in my bathrobe at the moment, having had a lovely soak in the bath cos DS appears to have had another lie in for his daddy and there's no word he's awake yet!

Don't think I can deal with toddler group this morning - its so hectic! so I think we'll have a quiet morning at home.

List for today:

• morning routine
• DS to nursery
• 15 minutes in bathroom
• write birth plan
• finish packing hospital bag
• DS from nursery
• afternoon routine
• evening routine

I'm going to ikea tomorrow though, so that should be a lovely day. Probably pick up some more storage. I love storage

Morning!
linzer enjoy your day. I was in Costa coffee yesterday - they had some biscuits called 'linzer biscuits'. I thought about you! Oh, and they looked lovely!
pa good luck with the bidding. Naughty DS. But v.v.v. funny
DD1 had a fab time at the concert and couldn't wait to be up and out to show off her tour tshirt She will be tired tonight though. She is seeming a bit more herself at the moment, which is good.
DD2 still got a sore foot so will be tucked up on the settee with instructions to do science revision She's supposed to be doing practice D of E camp this weekend so we'll have to see how she goes.
Guides for me tonight and I've kept up with the routines and cleaned the bath this morning
Have good days everybody

Morning all,

just a quick pop in to say morning!

dem Am glad you are getting the support you need from DS's dad. We are here for you if you need us .

Another stupidly busy day at work. Onwards and upwards.

Have a good day everyone!

I won the bid!! - We are now proud owners of a bike repair stand, so not only have I three bikes IN the house, i am now going to have them repaired (read:- taken apart and played with) in my lounge too! - I enjoy the ebay excitement, though. I could get hooked!

DS livid when someone managed to prise the coin off the pavement!

Too much excitement before 9am, so off to have coffee do shopping.

PA - nearly spattered screen with lunch crumbs at your DS's exploits

PA I hope he filmed them! I think I would have fallen for it definitely, £1 can buy a nice bar of chocolate..

Right, just got back from work (really had to set timer there, as I could have stayed there all afternoon sorting out chaos, and then felt very miffed)
now how much can I get done in a hour before taking dd BACK to the dentist.
TODO
clothes putaway
table wipe
dw load
hall floor sweep and pick up cr88p
what's for dinner - spare ribs try again to get ds1 to do them
rescue playroom 10 mins max as it is a muddle

byyyeee

Afternoon all.

Sitting on the sofa with my laptop doing nothing in particular so I am going to spend the hour and a half I have left of DS being at nursery doing something positive. I've made myself a bit more work too!

Done:

• morning routine
• DS to nursery
• made cheese scones with DS (yummy)
• hoovered upstairs (DS decided he wanted to, so I thought we might as well!)
• dealt with clean washing pile

ToDo:

• 15 minutes in bathroom
• clear up after scones
• write birth plan
• finish packing hospital bag
• DS from nursery
• afternoon routine
• evening routine

Evening everyone. Busy day so house a bomb site unfortunately. Must get on. Don't know why I try and post at kids bedtime, bit silly really.

Pilates/normal stuff/decorator to repair fire damaged cupboard/dd ballet all done/picked up ds from playdate - stayed too long chatting and now I'm here with my messy house!

DEM sounds like you are having a v. difficult time right now, but glad you've got some support, will hope things get easier for you and hope you'll come back when you are ready!

Swan what is THE ROAD?? Is it wrong to throw away old beans and stuff? I mean I know it's bad to waste food but what am I supposed to do with it if it hasn't been used? I do use the composting bin!

Will try and come back & read everyone's posts properly later on