Yesterday the kids had their first day of a 1-week Art Camp at Summerfield Waldorf school. Their Papa dropped them off, and somewhat typically, our beloved boy Ezra (5), in all his deep-feeling sensitivity, had a tearfully difficult time with the transition to a new, unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar teacher, rhythm, group of kids, etc. After about 30 minutes of helping him make the challenging transition, Chris had to leave for work, somewhat heart-wrenchingly, since Ezra was still clearly upset and uncomfortable. Thankfully, not longer after he left, Chris got a call from the teacher, assuring him Ezra was now peacefully integrated […]

his morning in my bed, first thing, my eyes just barely, bravely opening into our new day, my little sensuous creature-son appeared by my bedside, threw back my covers, dove into bed next to me, and said in a boisterous voice that probably felt quiet to him: “Goodmorning. I love you Mama. Can you please smoosh […]

Last night as I cuddled up with my sweet girl in our bedtime ritual, Arayla (9) decided to check in with me about my state of heart-mind regarding romantic partnership in my life. She scooted up onto her elbows in bed, looked deeply and kindly into my eyes, and with gentle, pointed concern asked: “Are you feeling at all sad about not having a partner right now, Mama?”

She’s always been exceptionally psychically attuned, and this combined with my tendency towards transparency, along with the intense connection between what we call “our special eyes” has made it difficult […]

This morning my beautiful changeling daughter, Arayla Grace(9) came into my bedroom while I was getting dressed. She was wearing one of my deep v-neck shirts that she found in her own dresser, a laundry mis-hap…it was way too big for her, and inappropriately sexy, but she was holding it up in a certain way, adorably, saying “I think if we just pinned it right here, Mom, it could look really nice?”  I hugged her close, smiling, and said “Um: maybe in a couple of years…?” She smiled, too, both of us aware of her eagerness to […]

Our Children, Our Humbling Mirrors:

Yesterday I had a pretty unconscious parenting moment with my sweet girl Araela (almost 9.) As a mother I make mistakes often. In fact it feels like the older my children get, the easier it is to somehow miss the mark in the way I’m holding them, hearing them, loving them. Yesterday invoked some painful and useful mirroring from my daughter, and a fresh chance for me to then respond skillfully in turn.

Araela has recently been learning to skateboard, along with her younger brother Ezra (5). He got a headstart of about 2 months in building his confidence and skill-set, and seems to be a natural, so there’s been a rare role-reversal for Araela as the older sister, trying to catch up with the skills of her little brother. It had been a couple of weeks since I’d seen her skate […]

What an incredible transition I find myself in, mothering my daughter through this potent “9 year change”~ navigating her swings, feeling our love stretch and evolve to meet her thrust of strong-willed individuation, surrounded by tender vulnerability […]

My heart is burning this morning after an intense and vicious texting exchange with my children’s beloved father last night. Both of us reduced to a flurry of angry fingers from our separate homes, 3 1/2 years divorced, directing whatever insult and injury might most deeply impact the other’s fragile heart. It is amazing to notice the toxicity I am still capable of generating and hurling out from the wounded core of my own fury and sadness. So humbling to see, after decades of conscious growth practices, profound healing awareness, a potent practice of shamanic ceremony, the wisest mentoring from elders, and a deeply vigilant commitment to living as Love, that sometimes (and thankfully not too often) all of that well-honed skillfulness and spiritual maturity gets violently thrown out the window in favor of pure, […]

Last year at the life-changing, heart-stretching memorial service of our precious, beloved friend, 3 ½ year old Koa Nakai, who had tragically died in an accident 6 days earlier, in accordance with their Navajo path, Koa’s parents had laid out many of Koa’s belongings and toys for others to take home with them. I let Araela (then 7) and Ezra (then 3 ½) each choose something from the pile, to carry Koa’s energy home with them inside an object. Araela chose a small harp, and Ezra chose a single, neon-yellow […]