Dear FlyLady,

I have been flying with you here in Jerusalem for 6 months and feel very happy with the positive change in my life and home. I am naturally a kind of disorganized person and following your system helps me a lot in the house and out. You have influenced me so much and I don’t even know you. I tell friends and family about your site, forward your e-mails, translate your ideas into Hebrew and often speak about your system and messages. (FlyLady, I am spreading your word around the Holy Land!!)

One of the most helpful evening routines is preparing a launch pad for the next morning. This has saved me many times from hectic mornings trying to get my 4 DS’s and myself to school on time.

Lately it has become harder to keep up my FLYing. After a year on sabbatical with 3 whole free mornings a week (I am a high school English teacher), it is now Summer Holidays and I spend all day, every day, with my 4 sons. These last couple of weeks I let go of my routines here and there and my house didn’t look as good as before.

This week I planned to take them to the swimming pool, bought tickets ahead of time and arranged with my Mom to come along so I have some help (my 2 youngest are twins aged 4). The evening before, tired after a long day, I didn’t prepare a launch pad.

Needless to say, the next morning was a nightmare. By the time I collected all the equipment to take to the pool and fished out them swimsuits from the laundry basket, together with trying to get 4 kids dressed, fed and ready, it was almost noon.

When we finally arrived at the pool I realized to my horror that I had forgotten to put the tickets in my bag. I had to drive all the way back home to get them – 4 sweaty, impatient kids plus one very frustrated Flybaby.

At that moment It was suddenly perfectly clear to me that I need to get back FLYing that very day and should NEVER SKIP PREPARING A LAUNCH PAD. After the pool I put on my timer and fixed up the messy house and piled laundry in less than an hour. I felt so much better.

Soon I am going back to full time teaching, which I know will present a challenge in terms of keeping up my routines and maintaining the peace and happiness I found in my home during the year of my sabbatical (thanks to you). I will no longer have free mornings at home without the kids and it will be harder to fit in routines. If you have any advice about how to keep up FLYing through such a change I would appreciate it.

Thank you so much for helping me feel good about myself and my home.

God bless you,

Fluttering Flybaby in Jerusalem, Israel