You’ve all heard the phrase “the terrible twos.” And while I’m a big fan of alliteration (English teacher perks :-), I’m not entirely convinced it’s true. Honestly, it’s usually the three-year-olds who keep me on my toes!

So, I came prepared to go head-to-head with this little guy now that he’s officially entered the realm of the “dreaded threes.” But guess what? He was nothing but cooperative and full of the sweetest smiles–just how I like them!

And can I just say—his vocabulary blew me away! Not only did we go dinosaur hunting, but he could name every single one we found. Such a fun session with such a smart little guy on a beautiful fall day!

Some sessions just hit differently… and this last newborn session will stay with me for a long time.

Years ago, I had the joy of teaching a bright, sweet fifth grader who brought light into our classroom. Fast forward to now — I’ve had the privilege of photographing all three of her beautiful babies as her family has grown. Let that sink in for a moment… how wild and wonderful is life?

As I posed and captured images of her newest little love, my own youngest was playing in the kitchen with her older two — I could hear laughter and giggles as they played. And in that moment, I could have never imagined that one day I’d be photographing the babies of a former student… while our own children played together just a room away.

Having the opportunity to photograph families of former students and even coworkers’ children is such a gift. Watching families grow, reconnecting with people from years past, and getting to hold space for these milestones is nothing short of special.

Thank you to this sweet family for letting me be a small part of your story… again and again.

I know the name of this project isn’t super creative, but it gets to the point. You might be wondering what in the world I have to do with Uganda. Let me explain. A year ago, teaching post-virtual learning brought new challenges. I naively started the school year thinking This year is going to be different. Things are going to start to feel normal again (just with masks). I couldn’t be more wrong and I know I wasn’t alone. Since this is the first time any of us have gone through something like this, no one could predict what was around the corner. We just had to experience this new reality and take the challenges as they came. I would be lying if I said things felt more close to normal and the students were the same as before Covid. In general, we saw students act more aggressively toward one another, lack basic social and academic behaviors they once had at their developmental level and many lacked compassion for one another. I know I wasn’t alone in these observations. Many teachers across the country mentioned the same observations in the closed Facebook groups I belong to. It was alarming and many teachers felt overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.

In one of the groups a teacher had mentioned the memoir, I Will Always Write Back as a suggestion for a nonfiction text. I read the novel and it became the catalyst for a series of events that changed things for me. As a former social worker, I have always been interested in different cultures and the way people live, think and celebrate life. I got to thinking: My students only know what they experience. Maybe one way they would feel more compassionate toward one another is to help them learn authentically about other ways of life that are different from their own experiences. I researched many websites that had programs for KeyPals and PenPals and put my information out there. I was hoping to connect with another teacher from a different continent. Months went by and I had not heard anything. Finally, the weekend after we had finished reading A Long Walk to Water, which takes place in Africa, I received an email from a teacher, named Joachim, in Uganda. He was interested in connecting and having his students write to my students. From that point on, we regularly emailed and shared information about our cultures and lives. My students were especially excited to write to the students from Victory Primary School in Kayunga, Uganda.

There was a huge learning curve when it came to communicating with Joachim. There is so much we take for granted that is part of our day to day lives. For example, The Victory Primary School does not have a computer or photocopier. Joachim communicates with me through a cell phone that was gifted to him from a former student who now lives in Florida. I learned that I should not “reply” to his emails, but start a new email each time. I also needed to keep my emails short and not include pictures. All of that uses data, which is at a premium when you do not have WIFI wherever you go. Instead, we use the WhatsApp to share things like pictures and school schedules.

As a precaution, I read through the letters sent from his students before giving them to my students. I didn’t know what to expect and I wanted to be sure that I was being careful of the information going back and forth. His students sounded like sweet kids who in many ways, are like our kids, just with much less. One student, reported losing her father last December, leaving her mother with five girls to raise on her own. Other students stated that they enjoyed digging in their free time. I learned that matooke is a favorite food among his students. They also enjoy netball. My students and I got a kick out of looking up recipes for matooke on Pinterest and watching netball on YouTube. We had never heard of the sport before and Joachim couldn’t believe it. It’s kind of a big deal out there!

The experience of connecting with a teacher from Uganda has opened my eyes to so many things and it has fostered a greater appreciation for what I have. Things like electricity, running water, and public education are not common there. Many lack basic school supplies and struggle to afford things like shoes, a school uniform and money for school tuition. And these facts are the reason I am writing this blog. This is the first year since starting my business that I am not doing Santa or holiday minis. I wanted to focus my time on doing something charitable for the holiday season. After all, isn’t that one of the themes in the beloved classic, A Christmas Carol? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I had to tie a literary classic into my post somewhere! This is where you come in. My goal is to help as many of Joachim’s students as possible this holiday season. I cannot do it without the help of our community. If you are interested in helping in some way, please fill out this FORM and I will reach out to you. Thank you for reading my blog and considering helping!

Uganda students receive their second round of letters.

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 44 million people worldwide.  It is said for people suffering from Alzheimer’s that everyday is “The Longest Day.”  Alzheimer’s awareness day or The Longest Day is held annually on the summer solstice to honor those living with the disease, along with those who care for them (alzheimersnewstoday.com).

When co-owner of Goddard in Elgin, Sheryl Nelson called me to pitch her idea of a photo booth and dance-a-thon for her fundraiser, I was happy to help out.  Before becoming a teacher, I worked in social services and had the opportunity to work directly with individuals suffering from Alzhiemer’s.  I’ve witnessed firsthand the disease’s impact on individuals and their families.  Approximately a year ago, Sheryl lost her mother to Alzheimer’s and this was a great way to honor her late mother’s memory.

My kiddos and I ran to a few stores and grabbed whatever we could that was purple, the color that represents Alzheimer’s.  We also found some things that are symbolic of the illness, Forget Me Nots and butterflies. We were excited and ready to go for the big day!  Unfortunately, torrential rains hit the day of the event, and we were going to have the dance party outside.  We needed a plan B fast! We ended up setting up the party in the front foyer.  It was a tight squeeze, but you know what?  The kids didn’t care!  They had a lot of fun getting their groove on and celebrating!  If you are interested in contributing to Goddard’s fundraiser, click on this link The Longest Day Fundraiser Remember, every little bit helps!