Flylady Challenge - New Year, New You

cha97michelle

I didn't think i'd get much done today. DH surprised me by getting up early with the baby. Result. So instead of getting up at 6:30 i managed till 9.:T

We had a bit of a lazy morning, but then DH went outside and took down the xmas lights, and dug over the rockery that has been annoying us for yonks, and right in front of the patio windows so very visible from the living room to guests. He then put all the xmas decs from the landing into the loft. He would have put my boxed clothes up there too, but i discovered some more maternity clothes lurking in my laundry basket. OOPS. That will probably now be next weekend.

Oh. And he cooked me some tuna pasta for lunch.

I've done two washloads, got a 3rd one ready to switch on after we've had baths/washed up later, emptied the airers, ironed 30 items, and the pile still isn't clear. I've then made a gardeners pie for tea, and swiped the kitchen. I also caught up with a friend in a 30 minute phone call, arranged to visit her for a bridesmaid dress/hair/make up trial in March, and booked a hotel for that.

I think we are just going to slob in front of the telly for a bit now, but make sure we wash up after dinner, which should be ready round about now.

Well done Moggins and Loumac on your extremely productive days. Moggins, hope DD is alright now. I know you worry about her weight as it is without her being that off it. Big hugs,

Michelle, x

HopeElizzy

Could anyone help?
I read this thread every day with great interest and try to do my dailies and at least some of Moggins list, thanks Moggins. The problem I have is that as I work part-time I leave my OH and 2 small children alone in the house on a saturday ...........well, I guess you can imagine what it looks like when I return. I came home just before 3pm today and just the state of my sink makes me feel sad and wonder why I bother. It's difficult to complain because I think it takes all of OH's energy to look after the children without directing him to keep the house clean/tidy as well. Obviously during the week I cook/clean/tidy with little ones in tow and then go to work but it is hard.

Any suggestions to help OH or is it case of letting it go and just make sure I train the children properly as they grow up?

lil_me

Feel for you Elizzy, it's rare my DP helps, if he looks after the children while I am out, well that is usually his whack, I make their food before I leave usually, and clean up when I get back. Unfortunately I think some are housetrained and some just are not, mine is definately of the not variety and would not even consider washing up, or make a meal. I've seen him do a few dishes twice in 10 years, that was on holiday and because he ran out of ones to use. He will sometimes make himself a toasty in the George, but that is rare when he gets in from work and I am asleep and he's starving. He's vacuumed say 2 or 3 times in the last 12 months, but always makes a huge deal of it when he does help (even if I do need to go over what he's done).

Took me 18 months to get him to build a set of drawers. He wouldn't know how to switch the oven, washing machine or dryer on, but can use the microwave for basic warming. I joked about the getting DP out to dust the high level work, because it's like getting anything else out to clean, such a carry on and you never know if it's going to work properly :rotfl: Gardening he did a little diging over and fitted a pond last year, but that is as far as he got, I do the lawns etc and sometimes he will really bug me by walking outside a few minutes before I am finished and 'finishing' the last tiny bit then try to take the credit! Now that winds me up. Oh and the walking past things he knows need putting upstairs, requesting where is x x and x, well if he looked in the drawer he'd find his own clothes. If he put them away himself he would know where they are.

Personally I've just given up, it's not worth the hassle and moaning I get, the I will do it later never happens and I end up doing it myself, my youngest son is much more helpful, and both the children when asked will clear up plates after themselves etc. I have trained them to use the bin aswell, something DP also struggles to use himself :rolleyes: but they are yet to complete this properly as the bedrooms proved this morning with bits of paper etc all over the place. Little one always helps me strip a bed if we're doing laundry, he's a little gem usually and is currently putting the grapes on the tray for the new dehydrator for me. We watch big cook little cook together, he loves that, he loves helping clean and helping in the kitchen.

Before anyone has a dig saying well he goes out to work, which my brother in law tried last week, he works 3 evenings a week, OK he does a very late night when he's at work, but Sunday - Wednesday isn't at work at all.

OK RANT OVER - SORRY!

mcallister1

HopeElizzy wrote:

Could anyone help?
I read this thread every day with great interest and try to do my dailies and at least some of Moggins list, thanks Moggins. The problem I have is that as I work part-time I leave my OH and 2 small children alone in the house on a saturday ...........well, I guess you can imagine what it looks like when I return. I came home just before 3pm today and just the state of my sink makes me feel sad and wonder why I bother. It's difficult to complain because I think it takes all of OH's energy to look after the children without directing him to keep the house clean/tidy as well. Obviously during the week I cook/clean/tidy with little ones in tow and then go to work but it is hard.

Any suggestions to help OH or is it case of letting it go and just make sure I train the children properly as they grow up?

During the week do you manage to do a few jobs as you go along with the kids? Or when he gets home is it aas bad as it is on Saturdays? Or- as I think maybe the case- do you rush around when he gets back? Does he do this in return or is he just handing over the kids and getting a rest at 3pm?
Don't leave it- talk about it- men notoriously can only manage one task at a time but its too patronising to accept this situation and the person at home can usually manage to do some things as they go along. He probably doesn't even think its a problem.

chardonnay_2

boys bedding in tumble dryer
dark washing in wm
rinsed stuff steeping in bath, gave it a rub with scourer and most has come up like new but put it all in for an extra soak.

lil_me

Just sat and almost cried packing all those baby blankets and shawls into a bags for DPs friend, I can remember where every one came from, bought and gifts, and when they were used etc, wish I wasn't such a sentimental softy and I would have parted with them 4 years ago. (just got the cot now, has taken 4 years to part with everything else, and this site, maybe more as youngest DS is nearly 6)

Off to put the boys to bed and sort washing while I am up there. Not much left to put away thankfully but more to put out to dry, god I hate laundry! Why do we have to wear clothes? Life would be so much easier without them!

moggins

Right, that's the dishwasher loaded, washing machine loaded, tumble dryer loaded, grill washed up and dried, worktops wiped down and sink shined.

As far as DH's go Hmmm! Mine did say today that he would help more, he pushed the hoover around the living room and hallway Now he is snoozing on the sofa. He does work nights and does a 12 hour shift but mostly that entails staying awake and watching DVD's half the night I was going to bed but the sewing basket is still out from the other night so I may just take in DD's trousers.

All I can suggest is do it for your own satisfaction and train the children well.

Michelle thanks for asking, she appears to be a lot better now, I am so thankful to that doctor who actually prescribed her something rather than just telling us to starve her for 24 hours. She actually ate a few grapes and 5 ritz crackers for tea and kept those down so it looks like she could be on for toast in the morning.

lil_me

Sounds like she is on the mend, great news, makes such a difference when the GP is more helpful, usually get grunted at if we call ours about tummy upsets, then they wonder why people complain like me when my son was rushed into hospital with dehydration as a baby because of a sickness bug they refused to treat! Now who's the paranoid one! I get so worried now if my children or anyone elses have stomach upsets because of the hell we went through, he was on a drip for 4 days because of that.

Just remembered I put the dogs carpet out to air, it's soaking, oh no, don't know how I will get that dry!

And thanks for the reminder Moggins, I have a pair of trousers sat on the sofa, was going to take them upstairs then remembered I brought them down this morning to repair (ok I was half asleep) will get them done now while the littlies are in the bath

PiixxySu

evening :hello:

can only nod to your 'OH talk'! mine is rather similar
always asks where things are; although they are right in front of him!
complains when i 'put stuff away because he can never find anything'!
can't look after the kids AND do something house related the same time!
(last time i just snapped and said it's OUR house so get up and do something ) - then i put up my daily list on a visible (!) whiteboard and he did loads (!!!!!) for .. well .... 3 days.

don't get me wrong, he is fab with the kids! - but like today he came home with a stiff neck and is 'invalid' now!!! can't do A thing
ehm hello?!? i have a rather bad flu and can't lie down for a minute because the 2 little ones need looking after [sigh]

so. what have i done today?
not much

managed to get us all through the day and feed everyone (made a luuurvly meatball/tom.sauce in the SC :drool:)
kitchen is clean, d/w, w/m, washing put away

and that's me for today

moggins

Forgot something!

The chopping boards! DH came home without chopping boards but with cutting mats, 4 of them in different colours with a little picture on each for their individual usage. They are all treated with anti-bacterial stuff which is embedded in them too.

Wilkinsons £2.99 for the 4.