Hey friends! I know it has been a while since I've posted here. Life got very busy and I had trouble keeping up with everything. Things have certainly changed in recent weeks. I've gone from working full time and shuffling kids from activity to activity, to hardly working at all and being house bound. It all seems a bit like a sci-fi movie in the making.
I know many of us are worried, anxious, frustrated and fearful about what the next few weeks and months may bring. The constant flow of bad news and cautionary tales on social media and newscasts feels a bit overwhelming. But I have also seen an amazing outpouring of kindness, helpfulness, and generosity. One thing I know is true, now is the time for lifting each other up and offering support where we can.
Feeling helpless is awful and leads to despair, but feeling helpful is empowering and leads to hope. For this reason, it is more important than ever to find ways to help each other, and to build new pathways to a positive future, even if we aren't yet sure what that looks like.
While I am new to a life of social distancing and/or quarantine, I am not new to homeschooling (12 years now) or photography (8 years as a pro). One of the things I found most overwhelming when I started each of those journeys was the sheer volume of information to sift through. Yes, there are tons of free and inexpensive resources available online, but many are worthless or simply lead down a rabbit hole of opt-ins, emails, and webinars with mere crumbs of useful info. With all my new found free time, I've decided to share some helpful resources that bypass the marketing mumbo-jumbo and take you straight to the good stuff. My hope is that it lightens your burden just a bit, if you are finding yourself suddenly "home schooling." I also plan to host a photography challenge for anyone looking for an outlet for creativity.
While these posts may not change the world or solve all of our problems, I hope that they will at least brighten your day and make your life a wee bit easier in these challenging times. I promise not to bombard you with endless links, and to share only information and resources that I have explored myself and found helpful.
A few quick educational links to get started:
Early ed through elementary - ReadingEggs is offering a free account for 30 days which includes language and math skills. No credit card required.
Elementary through middle school - BrainPop is offering free access for 30 days. You do need to sign up with your email account. No credit card required. They have tons of kid-sized videos and related games & quizzes organized by subject. We've used it for years and love it.
Photography & science related - today Nikon is hosting a full day of wildlife and conservation presentations by professional photographers.
Stay tuned for posts with more resources coming soon! Thank you for visiting and stay well friends!
On a personal note: sharing a recent image I took while testing out the Nikon Z6 Camera for a week.
Reflections. Not a great photo at first glance, but so much of me is in this frame - homeschool books on the desk, my kids’ art work on the fridge, a Dane staring back at me, the swing set my kids used to play on daily but have now abandoned, a sassy teenager at my shoulder, my wedding ring, the bracelet my grandmother gave me, my camera...all little reflections of a life lived, and the soul that brought them together.
Loved seeing this...I have wanted to start back up and this is the perfect time. Nice to see your post. Stay healthy:)
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