Treadmill, Thrift Store Run & Odd Girl Out

I finally got back to the gym after taking about two months off. I stopped going because I was sick, and then I just never got back into the groove of going. My house needed cleaning, everyday big-time, but it's a little more in control now.

I was able to go and walk two miles which is a start. I try and keep my treadmill pace at 3.5 once I get warmed up. I try and go up to 3.6, but I get worn out faster, so I drop it back down. My heart rate should be 110% when I'm going, but it doesn't seem to get up to that until I'm almost done. The trainer told me a few months ago that I'm in better shape than I think I am, probably because I have three lower elementary aged girls I have to keep up with, and a three year old granddaughter I usually have a few times a week.

On Friday afternoons I used to take myself out to Ross, Target and run any errands I needed to run for the week. I've been stalking the library bookstore but it wasn't open yet. I headed over to Goodwill which is the next best thing.

I found some clothes for the four youngest girls, some badly needed coffee mugs-Pier 1 and Food Network-yay!, and some books.

 I found a book that piqued my interest-Odd Girl Out; The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons. It was in new condition and this is an issue we've been dealing with at school and at church. The book I found was not this version, but the first edition. The one pictured is the new and revised version with cyber bullying and helping girls handle the dangers of life online.

  Rachel Simmons: Odd Girl Out

From her website: When Odd Girl Out was first published, it became an instant bestseller and ignited a long-overdue conversation about the hidden culture of female bullying. Today, the dirty looks, taunting notes, jealousy and social exclusion that plague girls’ friendships have gained new momentum in cyberspace; we need fresh, innovative strategies to help our girls come through it all.





I'm hoping this book gives us some insight and answers to behaviors. We as a family are just not like that. We try to see the best in everyone, be helpful, go outside ourselves to help others feel welcome. Not so much with girls we know. We've gone to a baseball game with our church before. There were about four-six girls sitting together. When one of them decided it was time to go to the restroom or the snack bar, all of them, except my daughter. They all made sure their "buddy" went, but no one considered my daughter their "buddy." Unfortunately, she knows what is going on. She recognizes it. She's not popular, she's not in the clique.

 It's even prevalent among homeschoolers. We went to a co-op every other week and my daughter (different one) was the one not invited to the parties. She was fun to play with in P.E., and fun enough to play with every now and then, but not welcome to the parties. She wasn't loaded into the 15 passenger van with all the other screaming, giggling girls. She caught it. She knows. She's not popular, she's not in the clique.

I tell my girls it is really the parent's fault. They should teach their daughters to go outside of themselves and include EVERYONE. Not the popular ones, not all the Caucasian ones, not all the ones wearing pink jeans, but EVERYONE. If you've never been in the minority, try it. It's a must. Now. Go. Get out of your comfort zone.

There really is no excuse except selfishness. Most people today are so self-centered they can't possibly see needs outside themselves. For girls to bully and behave in such ways shouldn't really be all that surprising. I'm just surprised they learn it so young.

My son on the cover of Makita Tools

This is my son Jake. He's my second born, hardworker, and family man.

He was working on a job one day and the Makita tool people came and asked permission to take pictures. They decided to place him on the cover and some of the inside pages.

Ordered my Curriculum

I decided to go ahead and order the Robinson Curriculum CD's. I've printed three of the books off Book Depository. The books I've printed are The Tale of Solomon Owl, The Tale of Chirpy Cricket, and the Tale of Jolly Robin. These books are written by Arthur Scott Baily of whom I had never heard of until I saw the Robinson Booklist which you can find here. www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/booklevel.htm



A little write-up on Arthur Scott Bailey on Book Depository:
Arthur Scott Bailey (1877-1949) was the author of more than forty children's books. Bailey's writing has been thus described by the Newark Evening News: "Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator's approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never 'write down' to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar."

My printer has a booklet option, but only prints on one side which makes the books bigger since I need to use more paper. I used a laminated cardstock cover, staples, and some duct tape and bound my "book" together. I'm stalking Rose Gate Harbor because she gives very useful tips  http://users.gobigwest.com/rosegate/index.html and why re-invent the wheel?

We priced laser dual side printers last week and decided we were going to check prices at some other stores. Well wouldn't you know that they went on sale this week at Office Depot? We scored! It was $80 the regular price making it $199 and if you bought toner at the same time they took $20 off the toner and they included a free label maker as part of the deal. After it's set-up I can print to my heart's delight! We decided on the color one because it has wireless ability and even though I wouldn't know how to use it now, it's nice to have the option. I will still use my ink jet printer for general use, but use my laser printer for printing the books. The laser printer also prints dual sides automatically so that will be a big timesaver and paper saver.



The first level readers are the McGuffey Series so I found a set on Ebay and ordered those which came to about $39 and they are in pristine condition. I've never used McGuffey's or even been exposed to them. I've homeschooled for twenty-four years and I don't know why I've never come across them, but I haven't. This set didn't come with the Parent-Teacher guide so I ordered that off Amazon. The set I bought are the reprints from Mott Media.
http://www.mottmedia.com/pages/publications.asp?Pub=McGuffey
   


On the Blessed Heritage side of the curriculum I have been browsing and buying some of the readers recommended. I found that I have a few of them, but need more. I went to the library bookstore and found a younger children's version of a book about Duke Ellington. I bought two books on ebay, one on Phillis Wheatly and one on Benjamin Banneker. I found a nice thicker book on famous African-Americans.

I have been busy and we are excited for our next year. We're trying to finish out the school year at the little charter school they go to. For our two oldest girls the social drama makes it tough, but we know we only have another month to go. If they said the word they would be out of there in a heartbeat, but for now I'm letting them work it out as long as they're comfortable with doing that. I've had enough kids to know I can't fight their battles for them, I can be their advocate, and I can stop them from being exposed to others, but they're learning to speak up for themselves and at this point, that is a good thing for them to learn.