Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 301

The Second Semester Goodbye Is Different Than The First

“Mom, SERIOUSLY? Why are you crying?”

My son was shocked to see my tears as I pulled into the airport departure lane, dropping him off for his flight back to college for second semester.

But instead of bolting for the curb to avoid the awkward moment, he set his duffel bag down and opened his arms wide. “Come here,” he chuckled softly.

“This is why I’m crying,” I sobbed, as he smothered me in his giant man-embrace.

“You’ve grown up so much in the past few months, and I’m proud of the man you’...

Moving My Elderly Parents Reminds Me Of My Own College Drop Off

My parents are moving.

My mom uses a walker sometimes and can’t manage stairs. My dad, while he’s still skiing, hiking, and fishing, is tired of the never-ending to-do list that comes from owning a house.

They’re both in their eighties.

It’s time.

In a whirlwind Christmas season, we hosted our first-ever Christmas Eve dinner at our house, which has been a tradition in my husband’s family (and always at his parents’ house before) ever since I met him thirty years ago. Two days later, I was in...

15 Reasons Why I’m Ready For My College Kids to Return to School

How is it that just three short weeks ago, my heart was aching for my little men to return home for the holidays, but now I am counting down the hours until they pack up their CRAP and get the heck out of my house? I’ll tell you how –  it’s because my house (and my routine, my festive spirit, and especially my bank account) has been turned upside down.  And if I don’t get it right side up soon, this college mama may go full throttle crazy because…

Mom’s ready for college kids to go back to sc...

Should Your Teen Have Plastic Surgery?

What do Selena Gomez’s nose, Kylie Jenner’s lips, Justin Bieber’s chin, and Ariana Grande’s cheekbones have in common?  They are some of the most gazed-upon facial features in the world, and therefore are some of the most coveted looks, according to both Instagram – and plastic surgeons.

It shouldn’t be at all surprising that so many of our teens today consider altering their faces and bodies, when they spend hours each day looking at such perfect physical specimens on social media and wishin...

My Teen Reported a Security Threat at School And This Is What I Learned

When my phone buzzed at 930 pm and I saw my friend’s name on the screen, I knew something was amiss. This wasn’t a friend who called during Grey’s Anatomy without good reason.

And I was right.

With a panicked voice, my friend asked me if I’d spoken to my daughter, if she’d told me anything unusual about her school day and I shook my head as she spoke. Without giving me too many details, she asked me to wake up my daughter and ask her about a conversation with a student at school earlier in th...

I Don’t Want A Lot Of Friends, I Want True Friends

In high school and college your friends and social circle are pretty large and exciting.

Early in life, you have best friends you are with all the time and tell everything to. They are your rock; the people you look to when you need help and support, or a really good laugh.

Then you have good friends you hang out with quite a bit. They don’t know you as well but you have some things in common and they are fun and all but the connection isn’t as strong as it with your besties. Kind of like Pla...

Seven Teen Habits I Don’t Understand

My teenagers are driving me crazy and I don’t even feel like I need to start that sentence with an, “I love my teens but…” they are just driving me nuts, period.

I don’t understand their ways of thinking sometimes and I swear when I was a teenager I did not walk around with my walk man glued to my ears, or eat Ramen in my bedroom and let ten bowls and forks collect in the deep corners of my peach-painted walls until my mother ripped through the house demanding to know where all the dishes and...

Twenty Years and Two Teens Later, My Wedding Vows Are Very Different

This year, my husband and I will celebrate twenty years of marriage and we’ve had many discussions about how to mark the occasion. Should we take a trip? Should we throw a big party? What is the best way to commemorate the fact that our marriage has outlasted three washing machines and two water heaters?

As we’ve discussed the last twenty years, the idea of a vow renewal ceremony has come up a few times. The thought of saying our vows in front of the friends and family who have been with us f...

Who Benefits From A Brand New Twist In The Admissions Game

It’s hard to keep up with college admission because every time you turn around there is a new angle on what has largely become a game of marksmanship during which everyone (schools and students alike) tries to be strategic and up their odds of coming out of the process on top.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal New Front in College Admissions: Nudging Students to Decide Early tells us about a “new twist” on the admissions process. Some colleges (Tulane University, Colorado College an...

Why Each Of My Boys Grows Up With A Different Set of Rules

I love it when I hear “You would have freaked out if I did that bad of a job on the bathroom! You would have made me go back in there and clean the whole thing all over again!”

Yes, yes I would have.

I don’t exactly remember all the ins and outs of parenting my oldest two, but I do know that I raise each of my boys by a somewhat different – but similar – set of rules.

There is four years between my 18-year-old and my 14-year-old. And those years make a BIG difference – because I’ve changed ov...