Catching You Up

I know, I've once again disappeared for a long period.  I'm still here.  Still hanging on.  Working too much.  Stressing too much.  Generally making it through the day but that's about it.

Work.  I often feel bad after I go in.  I don't fit in.  I'm not part of the team.  Makes me sad.  If I have to work so hard, I'd like to at least feel like I belong.  But I have no choice.  Maybe it is in my head.  I shouldn't care.  But I'm not good at letting things go.

School.  We're starting to wrap up subjects and looking towards next year.  High school!  Can you believe it?  Seems like just last week I was trying to figure out how this whole homeschool thing would work for kindergarten.  I'm looking for a new math program for Algebra I for next year.  We've like Teaching Text books, but have stopped using the CDs.  Violet says it doesn't always explain things.  I think the problem may be that if it varies at all from the example, she freezes.  We've been reading Danica McKeller's books, "Kiss My Math" and "Math Doesn't Suck".  Violet really likes them and they do explain concepts in fun, easy ways.  She's also started watching some related videos on Khan Academy and that has helped explain things she struggles with.  The big struggle is confidence.  I'm going to have her practice more on Khan. 

Activities.  We've quit all the ones she wasn't enjoying.  Now we just have 3 more Juliette meetings this year and 1 more digital art class.  She'll take art again over the summer, her instructor is taking the next session off.  Next Friday the Juliettes are meeting to go to 2 art displays on the Town Square.  One is the Little Women's art show, art by girls ages 7-17.  The other is a local watercolorist.  And Mr. Incredible is going to do a 3 or 4 part workshop for Violet and her best friend Butterfly and Butterfly's little brother (we'll call him Wright - he was obsessed with airplanes when he was younger) for the girls to earn the Digital Movie Maker badge.  Sometime we plan to start karate lessons for her.

Volunteering.  Me.  I'm counting down the years until we retire from Girl Scouting.  Why do I keep doing any of it and not quit now?  Because it is easier to deal with as an outsider (meaning one who has no connections to a school - they claim it isn't related to schools but that hogwash, plus all the other parents are so wrapped up in schools and school schedules - it is completed school-focused) as a volunteer instead of trying to find out what is needed for the things Violet and her girlfriends want to do.  I'll just put up with it a little while longer.

Volunteering.  Violet.  She is busy volunteering at the library.  Most Thursdays she's there either at her Volunteen meeting or helping out with a program.  She's signed up to volunteer with the summer reading program starting in June.  She's logged enough hours to earn the Cadette Community Service pin.  She loves it!  I love that it is so close to home and that she's so comfortable there.  The librarians all know her.  She likes the other teens who volunteer too.

Big event coming up.  Restaurant Impossible is filming on the Town Square this week.  Across from where Mr. Incredible has his office.  We plan to go over and attempt to walk around and see something.  Us and probably everyone else in town.  And I complain about parking during Farmer's Market!  Violet and I plan to park a few blocks away near the library and walk up.  Then on our way back stop in the library and check out their used books they always have on sale.  When we heard what restaurant they were rehabbing we all said, "never heard of it."  No wonder it needs help!  Of course, we've walked past it a million times.  Never thought to go in.  Just as well, the few people we've talk to who have eaten there have said they felt sick afterward (one is a local chef we know).

Exercise.  I'm going to start walking every day.  I started yesterday.  Did you know you can log your miles at Walgreens.com and get point for every mile?  That's what I'm doing.  I also ordered a new scale.  I'm hoping to lose some weight and get in better shape.  I hope that will help me to feel better. I could use a pick me up.