Not only that, but my toilets and bathroom surfaces are clean and the laundry is all up to date - cleaned, dried, ironed and put away!  I even managed to sweep the whole house today!

The beauty is that it hasn't been hard!  i don't get it, nor will I ever I reckon, but I'm really hoping that I don't fall off the wagon!!

Now I must do next week's menu planning and shopping list as I have to do that tomorrow......

My sink is still shiny (though I have to do the quick evening tidy now), but the week has been a little too busy for comfort.... I feel my resolve at a low ebb, and must push through :)

My sink is shiny, my toilets are clean and my house is beginning to feel peace.

My sink is shiny!!! 
That's all I'll say!
Four weeks, and my sink is still shiny!!

Monday is a new day, a new week, a new year!  Only trouble is that having finally got through the summer holidays, my body just wants to collapse!

Fly Lady habits have at least ensured that I start my day well.  Today, I got my morning routine done before heading for school.  I'd made the kids' lunches yesterday - in fact, Kesi's lunches are made for the week.  But I've been worried about overdoing it!!

And luckily this morning, there was an email from Fly Lady with a new challenge:  to set the timer for two minutes and just work in that time.  OK, so I did get the dishes washed first, and mince cooked and set up in the slow cooker.  But all that took less than half an hour.

By the time I'd got back from my pampering session (legs are now lovely and smooth), I was tired, and had lunch in front of the telly).  I then used the advert breaks as my two minutes!

Amazingly, I was able to declutter my sitting room and sweep it.  I then swept the hall and kitchen, got rid of all cobwebs from the kitchen ceiling (first time ever) and cleaned the light fittings.  I know!!!  UN-believable!

By 6pm our dinner was in the oven, Tom's feed was ready for the night and both children's lunches were packed in their lunchbags in the fridge.

Which of course, left time for homework and "time" with the children!

At 11 o'clock, I'm shattered.  Oops, I'e once more forgotten that I need to pace myself.  Strange thing about fibromyalgia (in my case, anyway), is that when I feel alright, I assume I'm perfectly well and that the bad days are figments of my imagination.

So this morning, although I was exhausted from another bad night with Tom I was not in too much pain.  I threw myself out of bed and into a shower, got dressed, made the bed (that's beginning to feel like a habit!) and swished and swiped the bathroom.  Toilet is clean and shiny which does make me feel absurdly good, as is the basin and tops.  The tub will have to wait for a Zone 3 week and I'm not worrying about that.  Baby steps.

Once downstairs and haing fed Nimbus (poor cat spent the night locked in the loft - oops) I swished and swiped the downstairs loo.  I've decided to get that done before breakfast for fear of not getting to it in time. I have to say that I get that feeling about everything, but I am trying to timetable the me things too - like eating and drinking!

And so, my first real morning routine started.  I put my timer on for fifteen minutes and got the kitchen clean - sink shiny.  A further fifteen minutes took care of dinner - turkey provencal in the slow cooker.  Actually, that took about 30 minutes including the washing up afterwards.  Cup of tea time!

My next hour took care of watering the plants, making Tom's feed and rebooting laundry.  And decluttering the playroom.  Which is where I did too much.  I should have done 15 minutes and left it, but I carried on for a second 15 minutes.  At least I can see some progress, but at the expense of my "spoons"...

So...  physically I feel spent, and I'm not sure that I will be able to do much of anything for the rest of the day.  Bit silly, but I now know that I can only do one and a half hours at most before having a proper rest.

Emotionally, I feel satisfied.  Which feeling brings with it a remarkable sense of peace.  I know that the house needs more work, but that it can wait.  The essentials are taken care of - I know what we are eating for lunch and dinner, that everyone has clothes to wear for tomorrow, and that my sink is shiny.

Good feeling!

No good reason.  I'm just tired.  I did manage my morning routine, and my sink is still shiny.  I've even done the laundry load.
But I need a push - I must do my dishes and shine the sink again, and I must do the little bit of ironing and putting away.  Just because that way, it will not grow.
I need motivation :)  But I will do it, not least because my sink followers on facebook will be checking in!

Strange day today.  I've felt in a little whirlwind, lacking control, much less focus.  I took Kesi to her friend's, and I think one strange thing was that Zack was... ok.  Not god, but not as bad as he has been with me.  He gave me a cuddle this morning!

Once back at home, I had agreed to a film which gave me the opportunity to iron.  I haven't ironed for over a year!!  It just hasn't been a priority.  But since I started shining my sink, a number of little things have been falling into place.  Even Nick says that the house feels different.  Maybe it is helping Zack as well. (parenthesis coming up...

I am overwhelmed with self blame when it comes to my little boy.  And if it is so hard for me to make sense of the situation, then I cannot expect anyone else to.  I just hope that you will have patience with me and accept that I am extremely sensitive when it comes to anything like this.  Yes, Zack functions better with tidiness, routine and structure.  Would he have been different if I had been FLYing all these ten years?  My heart shatters and thinks maybe.  My head says no.  He has such problems with emotions, and others.  Inside that ten year old body lurks a two year old little boy having temper tantrums because he can't have everything he wants, and needing cuddles when he's afraid.  Also inside that ten year old body is an adult pattern recogniser, and someone who doesn't understand the difference between a child and an adult.  So would tidiness help?  Yes.  Would it change the outcome as it is today?  No.  Really.  Seriously.  (but???  could I have done better?)

As I say - I am really sensitive.  I'm working on it, but it's very, very hard, so please bear with me.

...parenthesis over)

So - lack of control, children in the house all day.

BUT!!!  I kept to my morning routine, shining my sink after breakfast, swishing and swiping both toilets, brushing my teeth.  Getting dressed happens anyway, although I wasn't quite as good with my shoes due to pain.  I rebooted the washing machine, and tackled Mount Washmore with the iron.  Some putting away is necessary, but the rest is done!!

I'm getting ready to take out my sewing box and deal with some hems and name tapes.

I also managed to take Tom to the hospital and get his stoma checked out - on to the dermatologist now!!  And got Zack to a shoe shop adn bought new school shoes and PE trainers.

So - I may have felt out of control, but I've done an awful lot today!  Best thing is - the day's not quite over, and I can still do a few things once the kids are in bed!