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.