April Recap: Celebrating growth, embracing slowness, and sharing what’s unfolding

We kicked off April celebrating my 36th solar return, and my son's 2nd. I honored both of our changing physical bodies, and who we are in this chapter of life.

My husband took the kids and me to the beach for a long weekend that was deeply needed and so appreciated. That trip opened the door to a slower rhythm for the rest of the month—especially in our family time. We’re always outside, but this felt like more… dropping into the ritual to it.

I continued chipping away at spring projects, but with a different energy. The past couple of years have been fast-paced—welcoming Kenny into the world, caring for him as a baby, and building out Cassava Acres. This spring feels like a pull inward. A return home.

Revitalizing our home garden and outdoor play space, decluttering inside, and rethinking how each area of our home supports our well-being.

A theme has been surfacing in my journaling over the past several months—around shifting leadership dynamics, both at the collective level and within my own community and family.

Over the last year, I stepped more fully into a leadership role in our homeschool co-op as we began gathering at Cassava Acres. Along the way, I’ve been given lesson after lesson in what it means to nurture both community and land—and I couldn’t help but notice the overlap between the two.

For a while, it all felt a bit jumbled. But in the month of April, in true Aries fashion, I decided to share it as it’s unfolding—rather than waiting for it to feel fully polished.

What I thought would be one blog post quickly expanded. As I started putting language to it, a framework emerged—six principles, six practices for a kind of stewardship that is sustainable, rooted, and allows for abundance for all. I called it PLENTY.

It’s a shift away from the leadership model that asks, “Does this work?”—and toward deeper questions:

Am I here for this—or just moving through it? (Presence)

What does this leave behind? (Legacy)

Does the way I’m living create safety for life around me to flourish? (Embodiment)

Who does this impact, and does it strengthen or strain those connections? (Network)

What’s the whole truth—not just the convenient bits? (Truth)

What’s here to celebrate, to feel grateful for? (Yield)

 I’ve really enjoyed beginning to share this framework, naming what I'm seeing, and I’ll continue to shape and expand on each of these practices in the coming weeks. But I’d love to hear from you—how is this landing? A big part of why I feel so called to share this is the reality of the world our kids are growing up in. It’s rapidly evolving, often unstable, and we can’t promise them certainty. But we can help them build grounding and resilience—and a sense of stability within themselves and within their relationships. And that doesn’t come from control.
It comes from stewardship.  

Our Root and Rise group recently embarked on a special Unit Study led by our curious and compassionate guides, Erin and Brittany—and I was honestly so impressed by how it all came together.

For Earth Month, we focused on endangered animals native to Florida, while also weaving in a skill we’ve been wanting to build with our kids: public speaking. Erin and Brittany designed the experience beautifully. The kids were divided into four groups and each assigned an animal—manatees, gopher tortoise, alligators, and the Florida panther.

Week 1 they experienced child-led research (with a little close support from us moms) – using books, printed materials, and time to collaborate and question and learn about habitat, diet, and threats.

Week 2 they got to work on their trifold boards and began organizing their flow and who would share what in their verbal presentations.

Week 3 they got some time to practice all together in groups before presentation. This was the test – how is this actually going to go? We have a handful of kids with a tiny bit of public speaking presentation experience, but most of them have never had the chance.

Group by group, they stood up in front of their peers and presented on their animal. You could see the range of confidence, but more importantly—you could see courage. Every single one of them moved through nerves and shared what they had learned.

And just as importantly, they learned how to listen—engaging with one another, asking questions, and being part of each other’s growth.

Afterward, us moms found ourselves reflecting on how different this felt from our own childhood experiences with presentations and group projects. I don’t know what classrooms look like today, but I remember my own experience - the pressure, intensity, anxiety, the perfectionism it seeded.

What a gift to offer something different.

A space that is calm, supportive, and encouraging—while still guiding them toward the same outcome: learning how to speak, share, and stand confidently in front of others.

It makes me wonder ... if schools could make just one single change to group presentations, what would it be like to hold them outside in sunshine and fresh air instead of closed in under LED lights. Just a thought.

Our crew also snuck in a trip to Lyonia Environment Center and had the best time! This space has so much to offer, and the staff was so generous and knowledgeable in guiding our kids through the day. We took a hike through their beautiful landscape of ancient sand dunes, observed the Florida Scrub Jay in its natural habitat, learned about manatees, and the Florida aquifer and water conservation, and also got to meet some of their scaly friends.

Until next time, friend ... How was your month? What are you learning this Spring? What intentions are you holding for May?