My So-Called Homeschool

Do you know someone with diabetes?  If not, you probably will before long.  Diabetes affects 8% of the population in the United States, and the number is growing.  Please join my friend Windy in raising diabetes awareness by petitioning Google to make a Doodle for November 14, World Diabetes Day.

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From My Supernatural World:

I understand that children play together in ways adults can’t comprehend, and that children, when playing together, reach levels of imagination unfathomable to adults. But aren’t they already getting more time at imaginative play than their public school counterparts with their siblings at home? A neighbor kid or two? Can they not learn they can’t always have their way from their parents? From the fact that they’re all out of blueberry pancakes at the diner today? From the car repair that prevents them from going to the amusement park? LIFE doesn’t let you have your own way all the time. Can they not learn about rules and how to follow them from their parents? From the “No Running” sign at the swimming pool? From watching Mom get a speeding ticket? LIFE shows you there are rules that must be followed. Interacting with other children, in school or in homeschool group playdates, does not teach kids about the real world. Interaction with the real world does.

In other words, who needs it?

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Yay Fiona!, originally uploaded by jewelmcjem.

Here’s the proof. Well, almost. She keeps wanting to grab the camera, so she won’t get far enough away from me for me to get her legs in the picture. So you’ll have to take my word for it — she is not leaning on the couch at all!!!

I can’t get a picture, of course, because by the time I find it and get it turned on, she’s down again. Her favorite thing to do is to stand and sign “more” for whatever we’re eating. She is so proud of herself! I think it’ll be no time at all before she’s walking. She cruises all the furniture, taking breaks to stand with no hands. She’s standing in the pack-n-play, clapping at me right now. Wow, is she ever growing fast!!!

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And I don’t even live in a small town anymore!

hat tip: Barefoot Meandering

This is cool!

Refrigerator Door Bill of Rights

hat tip: The Brew Crew

I got this email from my church today. I feel like I need to share it with anyone who has a buck or two to spare. This is just unimaginable — facing not only a preemie baby, but imminent loss of wife and mother. Please pray if you can’t do anything else.

Jessi’s family is ill equipped financially for the
expenses that lie ahead of them. They have no
insurance and the costs of care for a preemie baby,
coupled with the cost of cancer treatment will be
immense. Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville,
Tennessee is where Jessi will be taking her
treatments and also where her tiny premature baby
will be delivered and then cared for. It is an hour drive
from Cookeville. With gas costing so much right now,
twenty dollars is just about enough gas to make one
trip to Vanderbilt.

Please consider helping in any way you are able.
First and foremost, they need your prayers… for peace,
for healing, for the baby, for support of the family, and
for the children. Of course, donating anything you
possibly can toward their expenses would be a huge
help.

A fund is set up in Jessi’s name at the Community
Bank of the Cumberlands. Donations should be
made to:

• Jessi Wilson Benefit Fund
• c/o Community Bank of the Cumberlands
• 744 South Willow Ave
• Cookeville, TN 38501

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SA400033, originally uploaded by jewelmcjem.

If you take it away, she hollers so loud!

SA400008, originally uploaded by jewelmcjem.

Just a quick drive-by blogging. SO busy!!!

I love fluffy mail!, originally uploaded by jewelmcjem.

Buddha belly AND new fluff. A winning combination!

Happy girl!, originally uploaded by jewelmcjem.

Well, at least one anyway. I don’t know how to make this thing post more than one at a time and my blog loads SO slow on hubby’s laptop (IE STINKS!) so I’m just doing the lazy thing and blogging pictures straight from Flickr. Anyway, here’s the Buddha belly herself, Miss Fiona. This is the expression that is on her face 95 percent of the time. She is the happiest baby I have ever seen!!! She wakes up smiling (unless mama takes too long to pick her up) and stays smiling until bedtime (unless mama takes too long to pick her up). Oh, and giggle!!! I’ve got to try to get some video of that. She has the best belly laugh!!!

Water balloons!, originally uploaded by jewelmcjem.

Is this a picture of summer or what? And despite the extremely impish expression, he did NOT get me!!! The kids filled up a cooler with water balloons, with the idea that there would be a grand water balloon fight with all the cousins. Well, that never exactly materialized, but they did have a blast throwing them at each other on the trampoline!!! I’m not sure if that is covered in the safety manual . . .

And he’s off! His favorite thing to do is gun it, brake, throw it in reverse, brake, gun it, brake, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum. We’ll be buying new tires for this thing reeeeeeal soon!

New wheels

Originally uploaded by jewelmcjem

And I’ve hardly blogged anything! Well, I just figured out this coolio feature on Flickr, so I’m blogging a few pictures.

A friend from church has a son a year older than Duncan who has lost the training wheels on his bike, so is riding it all the time and neglecting his car. They decided Duncan was just the guy to keep it from getting too lonely. He couldn’t be happier!

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.