Covid 19. My experience as a Mom and family photographer in Milwaukee

 

So, how ARE you?

 
 

It’s a loaded question, isn't it?

That’s fine. It’s okay. You don’t need to answer me.

Because I know things may not feel fine and okay.

Today, some friends walked by our house and stopped to chat (from the other end of lawn).

 
 

My kids were eating ice cream. Friends asked if they earned it or it was “just because”.

Today the answer was - just because.

Because I’m choosing to say yes more often.

You want a piece of gum? Yes. You want ice cream for lunch? Yes. (Don’t worry we had real lunch later in the day). You want to help me bake? Yes. You want to sleep in a tent in the playroom? Yes. You want to dance in the rain? Definitely.

Because we’ve had to say no to many other things.

March 8, 2020. Just a week before school closed.

March 8, 2020. Just a week before school closed.

May 3, 2020.

May 3, 2020.

No, you can’t play with your friends.

No, you won't get to finish the school year in school.

No, we can’t go to the park. Parks are closed.

No, you can’t come to the store with me. Children aren’t allowed into the store.

When they (we) have had so much uncertainty in their lives right now, when they’re feeling insecure, unsafe and unsure about everything, the least I can do is say yes (or at least try to).

And you know what, it preserves my energy for saying no to the things that I really can’t negotiate on. Like sharing my chocolate.



 

2018 Year in Review

2018 has been a whirlwind of a year.

I focused a lot on personal projects this past year, trying to explore and add depth to my imagery.

We celebrated two weddings in the family, summered hard, and tried to be more present in our daily lives.

Of course, probably one of the craziest thins I’ve done this year is co-found Storytellers Photo Conference together with Rowena Meadows.

But most of all, I was privileged to meet many new families, whom I can now call my friends, who trusted me to come into their homes and document their lives. Their love. Their relationships.

I should probably elaborate more about my year, but really I just want to share the slideshow of some of my favorites from this year. I hope you enjoy.

I am eagerly looking forward to 2019 and what it has in store.

If you’ve been contemplating a Day in the Life session, let’s talk about it. I want to hear why you haven’t booked it yet. Tell me what’s holding you back. Make this the year you commit to yourself and your family and get yourself in those beautiful everyday photos. LET’S TALK.

What a stay at home summer feels like // Milwaukee Family Photographer

Now that the kids are back at school, (day 2), I've had a couple free minutes to process my thoughts, feelings and photos.

Summers are so important to me, as a way for our family to reconnect and cultivate our relationships. Don't get me wrong, having the structure of school days throughout the year is wonderful for my children, but equally as important is the down time where we spend our days together as a family. Yes, sometimes there's fighting, but the overall feeling at the end of it all, is a feeling of warmth and togetherness.

As you are probably aware, I photograph our daily life all the time. This summer, I set out to make pictures that document the daily grind by bringing the viewer into the photo, creating a feeling that transcends my immediate family. My goal was images that are relatable, telling a universal story about summer. 

Let me just say this. Our summer wasn't grand by any means. We didn't road trip this summer. We didn't do any exotic adventuring. (I think the county fair was our most adventurous activity.) We hardly even went to any of the local places on our bucket list. It was a very low key, home-oriented summer, and it couldn't have been better. We read many books, spent a ton of time in our backyard and we even went grocery shopping all together (then I got smart and ordered the groceries to the house).

After curating a gallery from 3 months worth of photos, I've paired it down to these 21 images that best tell the STORY OF SUMMER.

I hope you enjoy.

LIVE AND LET LIVE . why i love spring in milwaukee

 

It's May. That means it rains here in Wisconsin. (We don't follow the general guideline of "April showers bring May flowers").

And it rained today. All day. Except in the late afternoon when my kids came home from school. It stopped for an hour and of course my kids went out to play.

I love when my kids play outdoors. I strongly encourage healthy, imaginative and organic play.

And sometimes that includes digging. (Okay, who am I kidding? It ALWAYS includes digging). I did lay out some ground rules (ha! pun not intended) and in an attempt to let my grass, flowers and veggies live long, healthy lives, I allotted a corner of my yard for digging.

3 children washing mud off their hands with a garden hose in Milwaukee Wisconsin

I was enjoying a quiet, uninterrupted phone call with my Mom this afternoon, and I looked out the window just in time to see a mud ball whiz through the air! So I very calmly told my mother, "Oh. my boys are playing in the mud. Ha!" and in the same breath I thought, "Well, I should probably go outside just in case - you know be preemptive". And then I said, "Wait! I should get my camera. K. Bye Ma!"

And by the time I got outside (not one whole minute later) my boys were elbow deep in wet mud. Yes. I said elbow deep!

 
9 year old boy rubbing wet mud all over his arms in Milwaukee in May
 

So I did what any mother would do. I just let them rub it all over their arms! And then (even though it was only 50-something degrees), I hosed them down fully clothed until they started complaining that they were too cold and getting frostbitten. Then we went inside and got all clean in a fresh, warm bath!

 

And this my friends, is the third realization I came to. (Well, it's not a new realization. It's something I've always strongly felt and believed. But today I have reconfirmed it). 

LIVE AND LET LIVE.

So what if they get mud all over themselves. Everything is washable. I hope. (That reminds me. I need to check the clothes in the washer). 

But look at their smiles! They're so happy!

2 boys with wet mud all over their arms laughing in their backyard in Milwaukee

After all is said and done, they're only kids once and I want them to have a happy, healthy childhood. 

And yes it can get tiring. I'll be honest, I was so gone by the time I had to clean up the dinner table and I may have been a bit impatient during bedtime.

But this is all part and parcel of the beautiful, chaotic and sometimes muddy journey, called motherhood!

Moms out there, I know Mother's Day is coming up. If you're celebrating (or even if you're not) you should take the time to celebrate yourself. Let your expectations fall to the ground. (Throw them in the wet mud). LET GO OF THE PERCEIVED PERFECTION. Social media makes it so easy for us to believe that everyone else's lives are all peachy. When really, it's all just a curated feed. Only your own life is real. And inherently beautiful. So just inhale, smell the roses, and enjoy your lovely and/or crazy family.

And if you want to talk about documenting and capturing that family of yours, you know where to find me. RIGHT HERE!

My spring and summer availability is shrinking by the day, so do not wait around to book your session!

Goldfish Swim School // Brookfield, Wisconsin

 
“The facility is welcoming, clean, and organized, and the staff is informative and friendly. The main thing I love about Goldfish Swim is that the pool area is so warm and you never get cold swimming! ”
— Amy Leigh Bachtell (friendly KidsCycle Mama)
 

Let me just start by saying that Goldfish Swim School has met and exceeded all my swim school expectations thus far!! 

Childrens splashing in the water during swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School in Brookfield, Wisconsin

I am pretty particular about swim schools for my children. I started with my oldest when he was 6 months old. I was pretty spoiled with that experience. We were living in Toronto at that time, and we joined the unbelievable swim school of a close family friend of ours. That was just an amazing swimming lesson experience, and set the bar very high for our swim school expectations.

Then we moved to Milwaukee, and I was so sad about stopping swimming lessons and I knew I that was one thing I didn't want to give up on.

I researched every single swim school option in and around Milwaukee and settled on one. I was not thrilled with that experience at all. My son did not make any progress and I was quite underwhelmed. I continued my research, but found that most swim schools weren't a good fit for our family.

Enter Goldfish Swim School!

Their facility is happy, clean and so child friendly.

The instuctors are calm, patient and positive.

And the water is so warm!!

 
“My son really enjoys swim classes at Goldfish swim school. The classes are personal and the instructors are hands on and safety of kids is always at the forefront. As a parent I love the small classes and flexible time that they offer as well.”
— Nisha Menon
 

My 3 year old absolutely loves going swimming every week. She is learning all the skills for proper water safety. So much so, that when we recently went swimming on our winter break, I felt more confident with her ability to stay safe in the water, than my 5 year old (who has had no swimming lessons at all - but don't worry, we'll be starting him very soon).

Honestly, I can't say enough good things about Goldfish Swim School. If you've been looking for swimming lessons for your child, do yourself a favor and register at Goldfish. You will not regret it!

 

Am I the only one without a New Year's resolution? // Milwaukee Family Photographer

Remember last year I started out on a 365 project - taking one photo everyday?

Well, while I didn't follow the "letter of the law", I did pick up my camera and take a photo each day (or at least, almost every day). You can see some of my early posts from last year here and here.

Mom's hand holding daughter's face

So yeah. I may not have taken a photo every day, edited it and uploaded it to share with all my cyber friends, but the real reason I took those photos, was for me. For my family. These are little snapshots into what our year looked like. Moments and memories that will be with us forever.

Here's a quick glimpse at my Non-365!

I just shared with a couple fellow photographer friends, that it seems like I'm the only one who isn't making an "official commitment or resolution" to join a 365 group or whatever.

But you know what I realized as the months and days marched along last year? The images I make, all have to come from within me. From my own inspiration. From my own feelings and emotions. And so for that reason, I'm going to continue on my Non-365 journey and I'll take photos, maybe everyday, maybe not everyday. But one thing is certain. When I'm inspired, when I see and feel something, I will document it and preserve it. Because that's really what it's all about. Preserving our cherished everyday moments. The ones that are so fleeting, we almost don't realize they're happening.

And truth is, I'd love to do this for you too! With each family that I meet, I am newly inspired to see all those moments. The love. The interaction. The relationships. The joy. The chaos. All of it! I see the wholesomeness in your family unit, and bring it to life in beautiful images. Works of real art. Contact me today to get your family story preserved.