July's Fledgling Flyers : The dc's drive us round the bend, the school holidays descend, our sanity we will lend, and flying will be our friend

[elliepac]

Welcome to the July edition of the Fledgling Flyers where we are going to attempt to restore order in our houses, chatting 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 July 1st.

I'm determined to get to bed before midnight tonight; I still have work to do, but just can't concentrate on it any more.

Took DS to the doctor's this afternoon as his cough is no better; she diagnosed bronchitis so he is now on antibiotics. He seems remarkably well, considering - I sometimes wonder whether Austrian bronchitis is not quite as serious as the British kind. Have just googled to find out whether/how long he's contagious and have read that antibiotics are ineffective in treating it.

swan My DC constantly reject my food to the point that I'm wondering why I bother. DD1 took one look at the admittedly rather grey and unappetising looking moussaka this lunchtime and announced she wasn't eating it. She had beans on toast instead.

SR, Linzer, I'm glad it's not just me with the food, it is one of the biggest trials in my daily life, grrrr. DEM - I also favour the quick option quite often, especially as they never bloody eat half the stuff I lovingly prepare, or want it smothered in ketchup.

I really should go to bed too, have been to the gym though, and am wide awake.

Hope DS' cough improves soon Linzer

Linzer and MrsD - agree with you about the food. Even if I do find a recipe both children will eat, they go off it a week later. It's very demoralising. I have ended up sticking to pasta, sausages and mince because that's all they will eat.

Linzer - yes, we need a Flying Proofers thread! No chance of a RL meeting - I'm in Sussex. Where is Ad? Is it Germany? I know you are in Austria. Sorry to hear about yr DS - hope he gets better soon.

Thought I was going to get a break after this batch of work, but this afternoon was sent another load of work for next week. Am having trouble finding childcare to cover it, but can hardly refuse as we desperately need the money. Actually, apart from two-hour nursery tomorrow, I have no childcare set up tomorrow either, but have to proofread a 45pp chapter by the afternoon. Hmm. Not sure how that's going to work out.

No housework this evening - spent it with the DC instead, as they have been very tolerant of me working all the time. Am going to do some work now before bed at midnight. Wonder if I'll manage to wake up on time tomorrow for a change?

Night all.

Just fell asleep at the keyboard. Think it's time to go to bed....

Bed late then woken at 4am by DS needing a wee and couldn't get back to sleep so got up and caught up on here.

Managed to survive busy day yesterday without meltdown by anyone and had nice catch-up with friend.

Still got lots on list from beginning of week and need to sort out my flat (still not let ) as worries over that contributed to inability to go back to sleep I think. So here goes:

• Morning routine
• Work
• list all things I need to do re flat and start doing them
• Pre-school pick-up and food shopping
• 15 mins in kitchen somewhere
• Put away rest of camping stuff - stuff in house sorted just need to tackle car
• Email School Assoc committee re 'stuff'
• Sort out/tidy up in garden
• Afternoon/Evening routine
• Ironing in front of football
• Collapse into bed early

Its going to be a struggle I think but I'll start with bath and hairwash

Have a good day everyone

Morning,nice cool morning over here in Germany at last.

Have to carry on with packing today and get in touch with the removal firm.

Sink and kitchen are clean this morning but has clean dishes draining on one side because my dh and ds had a late night snack. I should forbid any eating after 8pm really.

Off to make a cup of tea and review the days plan. I have to be careful with food now as I don't want to have to move cupboards full of food and especially freezer stuff. We could be eating fish for the next few days as I have lots of different kinds of frozen fish. So one day salmon, then cod and then pangasius and then cod again!

Good morning ladies.

Didnt get back on yesterday a really manic day at work. I fell asleep in front of the football and didnt see any of the lovely muscular thighs on the tour de france!

• very of SC seeing them in the flesh!!!

Auditor visit went really well and I now feel very smug pleased to have been told how well I have done and how organised it all is .

Glad you are cooler today Ad, tis here too.
Feetheart - up early! I can sometimes do my best thinking at that time. I hope you get a tennant soon, its been quite somne time!

Toffee I dont think the fat fairy allows falling asleep at the keyboard. Go you, you rebel!! But good on you for putting DCs above the fat fairy indoctrination.

MrsD - Well done for going to the gym while I slept. Agree about the DCs and food, although it does get better as they get older. For years we were very restricted with having full family meals that everyone enjoyed. Now we have far more variety.

Waves to SR, DWM DEM Ellie MrsB Nettie Linzer et al......

Today:
Pay bills online done
Sandwiches Done
Washing sorting started
Get ingredients sorted for DD4s cookery today done
Email about job interview for DH done

To do:
Get to work - on time!!!
make phone calls (that I should have done on Monday)
More washing sorting/ironing.
go with DD3 and choose 2 baby bunnies from RSPCA.
Dig up area of garden for turfing for the rabbit run.
Cook roast chicken and apple pie -YUM!

Right, that will do for starters.

DS is now having a right strop, so I need ot go and sort him out. I am finding it harder to tell him off now that I have to look up to him to do it!

Have a good day everyone.

Morning everyone!

Marking getting in the way of screen time at the minute so am just posting the steps am afraid.

Today's babystep is picking out clothes. A super important step in my humble opinion!

The mission for today is here.

Have a good day!

mrsd I don't mind kids not eating the food (given up on them LOL] it's just my fusspot husband [aargh] who does not set a good example!

Linzer beans on toast what could be more nutritious? I thnk we've all got carried away by thinking wehae to produce this creative cookery, most of the time kids just like things they can identify...

PA you make dealing with teenagers sound easy Glad inspection was a success

everyone seems to be coming down with illnesses and fractures and operations in my world, glad I've got off with mere cold, but feeling extremely snuffly. Have cancelled piano, one problem less for today.

todo
recycling mountain
pack up dad-freight bags
prepare supper for dad that everyone will eat
tomato and mozz, potato bake, green salad, ham?
buy some more food

attempt routines now
thankyou cards [attempt again]

ds2 piano lesson
dd's poster print off some images so she doesn't break my computer
Beavers/Brownies/helping
supper wth dad
sae to mum with money for holiday courses so she can pay in euro [attempt again]
more dates in diary [attempt again]

done
recycling
one bed

now
pack up bags

Morning everyone

I love today's step.
Picking out clothes as part of night time routine has made my mornings SO much better.

Actually re-seeing the baby steps is really therapeutic when I realise I used to be running round looking for clothes, ironing things, hunting down book bags etc etc in the morning and now its just all done without me even noticing
Very good for the soul to realise that even when you aren't at your best you are still along way from where you started!!

Hope everyone is doing ok and getting more sleep.

I am still recovering from having a bird in my lounge last night (still alive) and realising that I hadn't got over my phobia as I sat hyperventilating and sobbing in my neighbour's hallway

Today;s list is simple

Work,
Hoover lounge (damn I hope Roomba comes back soon)
Feed DS & ex-P
Catch up on missions

I have tonsilitus so will be awol. sorry.

Hope yuo all have a successful day flying and otherwise.

JUst popping on at lunchtime and realised have not properly read thread at all because I didn't realise my idol was back! DTG how blardy wonderful to see you .

dem please don't apologise...just get better soon.

Back later hopefully.

Packing up stuff taking a long time - I think it's advanced form of decluttering to move it all to another country, but am throwing some stuff away as well.

at the moment the kitchen is a mess
the living room's a mess
and the hall is getting better
haven't even gone upstairs
*
done
but have unloaded and reloaded dw
taken rubbish/recyling out
made potato salad for supper (potatoes all too small for cheesy bake)
about five bags and boxes to give to Dad
felt v. coldy and sorry for myself [sniff]

Dem illness strikes when you are low, are you getting any sort of break this weekend?
take lots (well not too much)of nurofen liquid, dh swears it helps best, better even than codeine.

DEM - hope you get well soon.

Linzer - You asked how I worked with DC. Well, have had to do it today and the only answer was...Thunderbirds DVD. I tried setting up a train set (with new train too and little wooden town from Grandma) and playing with DS2 for half an hour first, but I only had about 20mins work time before a plaintive "Mummy, I'm hungry!"

Can't get childcare for next week (have just been sent another batch of work) - now what? Everyone I call on for help is busy or heavily pregnant. I would say I'll work all night, but I know I'll just nod off at the keyboard again. Oh well, will work out somehow, I suppose. Another Thunderbirds DVD, maybe?

I hate today's mission! Boring! But, luckily, I'm too busy working to do it, so have let myself off the hook.

DTG - it's really encouraging to hear that the routines have become ...er ...routine! I have discovered that I now swish and swipe in the bathroom every morning without even thinking about it and I nearly always do the evening routine. It's taken a month for these routines to become natural. So I'm getting somewhere...

Right, back to work now, then school run. Kitchen a disgrace to all Flyladies everywhere.

Just catching up with the thread while I have a coffee break. I've unexpectedly been able to get quite a lot of work done today as DD1's classmate stayed on after his English lesson and is still here well over five hours later. It's been brilliant - I'd never have thought of inviting him over normally as DD1 doesn't have much to do with him at school, but they've been getting on like a house on fire - I've hardly seen them at all in fact. DD2 and DS are at a friend's until tomorrow morning so I think DD1 would have been quite lonely otherwise.

Other than doing some washing, flying has been minimal today - I'm making the most of every minute that I can work as DD2's and DS's friends will be here tomorrow so I won't be able to get anything done then.

swan Are you moving or just packing for the summer? I sometimes wish we could move house just so that I would be forced to do some proper decluttering, but it seems a little extreme!

DEM Sorry to hear about the tonsillitis; hope you're feeling better soon.

DTG Your bird experience sounds absolutely awful. I have a phobia too (particularly of dead birds for some reason) and a bird getting into the house is one of my worst nightmares.

PA Well done on auditor's visit!

admylin We also have rather a lot of fish in the freezer as well as numerous odds and ends; I should really try and use some of it up before buying ingredients for new meals.

feetheart Hope you manage to have an early night tonight. I'm aiming to be in bed before midnight again, which really isn't early enough but I have too much work to go much earlier.

Toffee Hope you get your chapter finished OK. It's so frustrating when you think you've got everything done and are looking forward to taking it easy for a bit (even if it's just a day or two), only for yet more work to arrive. Like ellie, we should just think of the ££ - or in my case €€ - at the end of it all (I don't think we've had that large bottle of wine yet either ).

Waves to everyone else; happy flying!

Toffee Didn't see your last post when I wrote mine - sympathies wrt yet more work and no childcare; I feel your pain... I've had too many late nights recently and have found myself nodding off during the day too, so am really going to have to cut back on the late-night working. I'm not usually at my most productive at that time of day anyway; it's just that the work has to get done sometime.

DD1 told me yesterday that she thinks I should give it all up and become a housewife (she has obviously picked up on the fact that I am doing nothing remotely housewifely atm!).

went to work to escape the mess
but library has been packed away due to school building work so just had time for some final little chats with reception kids. It's been lovely helping them choose books. Hopefully next term the new library will be an incentive for more parent volunteers.
School can be a hotbed of politics so this term has been a bit difficult (volunteer wise) lots of decisions made higher up that have made things tricky...

linz yes you never know whether they will be more trouble or a joy (visitors I mean)
toffee yes, its very difficult to ask people for childcare favours unless it is a regular setup.

Now I have to crack on with taking kids on the piano trail...tra la la. I think we are going to need Coca-Cola somewhere along the way. And I still need to shop the cool aisles of Morrisons..

Did she say that in German or English Linzer I mean hausfrau or housewife?

swan She said "Hausfrau" as DH was there too (the DC tend to speak German when he's around) - I think the comment was actually aimed at him rather than me. His reply was that he didn't think I would be "fulfilled" if I gave up work. The way I feel atm, I could happily swap being fulfilled for more sleep!

The DC always get very excited about going to Morrisons when we're back in the UK, as my parents always buy them a magazine and a fruit shoot there.

Finished another chapter and emailed it back, in spite of constant interruptions from both children.

Time to tackle the kitchen now. It has remained untouched all day.

Linzer - don't give up the work! It's so nice to have your own pay cheque (still a novelty for me, having been a SAHM for the last four years). But you do need your sleep. I've been drinking coffee to stay awake (and I hate coffee). Am hoping to get to bed at a decent hour tonight. Thanks for yr sympathy re the childcare. Still no solution to that. Even asked the nursery if they could keep DS2 for the afternoon, but they are fully booked. It will have to be a favour from a friend, I fear.

I have a lovely day planned for tomorrow, as I'm meeting my best friend (can we have 'best friends' at our age?)for lunch to celebrate her 40th birthday. There will be champagne (or, at least, sparkling wine), good food and an awful lot of talking. Am so looking forward to it.

Ellie - can I request a day off flying tomorrow? May not be in a fit state for housework by the time I get back.

Request granted toffeefudge. Only one day mind, i expect you to report for duty the day after . Hangover or not .

Just flying past as i get cracking on the marking for tonight. Absolutely no time to catch up with posts but just wanted to say that i am here. I have 50 papers to go, 25 by the end of this evening. Oh and 22 form reports to write for school by Friday!

Evening everyone, feel like I haven't been here for weeks!
First batch of visitors gone home. Next lot arrive Saturday!

Just watching the mps calling each other pipsqueeks lmho!!

ds all better. Dd I'll and so am I. No flying all managed to do it empty and refill dw! And clean caravan, make beds shine caravan sink (not bad actually) oh and got weighed lost 2.5lbs.

I must come back in morning to catch up and post my
list! Got vet run for poor cat to have 8teeth taken out!

mrsd my phil and teds went fo. £280. Was going to buy tent but prob need to use to pay vets bills!

Waves at everyone and hope you are all ok

Evening all,

Not much flying here today, been out with DD all day. Am v.v. tired too.

Nettie wow £280, should have Ebayed it! Mind you it was easier just letting the friend have it. I have a big pile of stuff that DH is meant to be Ebaying (I don't know how, and just want him to do it as I do everything else to do with our finances, and buying/selling all the kids stuff).

Toffee - have a lovely time tomorrow

Ellie - good luck with the marking/report mountain

DTG - what happened to Roomba?

PA - aww, bunnies, hope you picked some cuties!

Linzer - think of the money, as Toffee and Ellie say. Having said that I grabbed my voluntary redundancy very happily last year and still feel very fulfilled as a SAHM, might not be the same in a few years though, will see.

Oh dear, DS very distressed, he is supporting Germany tonight and Spain have just scored, he is not having much luck in this World Cup, He followed England, then Brazil, then Ghana, then Holland (phew), now Germany. Better go and watch the last 10 mins with him.

Night all

Evenin all

PA Missing the Tour de France- how sad!! Love those thighs!!

DEM Get well soon honey. Tonsils are nasty

Thanks Ellie have missed you too xx

Well done on the packing swan

Toffee nice work on making S&S routine too- nice when it gets to thta stage isnt it?

linzer glad it isnt just me with birds. Horrid isnt it? Interesting about your boy and the playdate. I think that something for me to try next year as DS hasnt found a best freind yet

Evening nettie nice sale on the P&T

MrsD My poor poor Roomba has a damaged sensor and has had to go back and get replaced New one coming Friday tho- Hurrah!!

Have done Mon & Tues missions. Not yet done Wednesday's but have cleaned lounge floor and polished the surfaces and am about to go and crack on with night time routines
Have fun everyone