As we hop into 2015, I am reflecting on the past year of blogging, and blog hopping. If you had told me this time last year that I’d have a blog, I would have burst out laughing. If you had asked me what a blog hop was, I would have scratched my head in confusion. What a difference a year makes!
I thought I would write a quick post on my year in blog hops, as it would be neat to have them all in one spot for future reflection. So, without further ado, I present my blog hoppin’ posts:
1. Sensory STUFF (Overexcitabilities, Intensities, SPD, ADHD, Anxiety, Behavior, call it what you will). In this post, I wrote about what it is like to parent a twice exceptional child with sensory “stuff” and shared resources that I’ve found helpful along the way. This post was written for National Parenting Gifted Children Week, sponsored by SENG, in July of 2014.
2. Homeschooling Freedom, part of the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Giftedness: Why it Matters blog hop (September 2014). In this post I talked about why understanding Leo’s giftedness has been crucial for the well-being of our family.
3. In September I was honored to write a guest post for Gifted Homeschoolers Forum titled What I Wished I’d Learned: A School Psychologist Learns about Giftedness. The guest post was itself a reflection for me. In the post, I provide a multitude of resources for those just beginning the gifted journey, including a link to one of my most shared posts, Top Gifted, 2E, and Homeschool Resources.
4. In November, I wrote Self Care for Moms as part of the Hoagies’ Gifted Education Blog Hop Gifted Self-Care: The “I” of the Beholder. I loved sharing what my little poppies and I do to care for ourselves, and it was fun reading what other folks do, too!
5. Later in November, I wrote The Quest for His Community. I shared how my village has grown over the past year and a half, and discussed the struggle to find a similar community for my son. The post was part of the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum 10th anniversary blog hop Finding Your Community.
6. I wrote Gift Ideas (Without the Buy Buy Buy) in December, as part of the Hoagies’ Gifted Education Holiday Gifts: Bye-Bye Buy-Buy blog hop. In this fun post, I shared oodles of affordable, and often free, gift ideas.
7. Finally, a couple of weeks ago I wrote Feeling Lighter as part of the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Parenting 2Es, OEs, and Everything in Between December 2014 hop. In this post, I discussed how Leo was born this way, and talked about learning to let go of so many things this year: from what I imagined Leo’s education looking like to worrying about what others think about our parenting. This has had a positive impact on my both my parenting and my homeschool experience, and everything is feeling lighter!
I have thoroughly enjoyed blog hopping and have learned a great deal in the process. Along the way, I’ve made important connections with countless parents, homeschoolers, educators, gifted advocates, bloggers, and also with you guys. Thank you all so much for sharing in our journey. I wish you all a wonderful 2015 filled with health, joy, love, and laughter.
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I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.
~Neil Gaiman
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