Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 392
June 17, 2017
What Moms Say and What They Really Think
For those of you in the throes of this transition, this incredible real-time transition of your child entering adulthood–perhaps you’re like me. As my smart, capable, independent, thoughtful son begins to fly the nest, I’ve tuned into my inner dialogue these days and it is loud. I’ve been biting back my reflex responses. Often.
At a recent graduation celebration for my son, surrounded by family and friends, I burst into tears. That really isn’t my style. I surprised myself. My close friend...
“Mom Jeans are Fine” and 7 Other Lessons From My Daughter
Yesterday, I watched our youngest daughter—wearing a bright smile and her royal blue cap and gown— graduate from high school. In the blink of an eye, my baby went from diapers to diploma!
Maybe it’s the emotional milestone of her commencement ceremony, or maybe it’s my middle-aged hormones kicking into overdrive, but either way I’m feeling particularly reflective today. I find myself thinking about this young woman and the life lesson’s I’ve learned just by being her mom. I know it’s the par...
My (Imaginary) Perfect Day as a Mom of Teens
I absolutely love being a mom. I have two teenage daughters and an 8-year-old son, and they have definitely kept it interesting. I recently slipped into a crazy daydream about what it would be like to have the perfect day as a mom. It was my high school senior (Lia) and college sophomore (Gabby) that so beautifully volunteered to star in my daydream. So I decided to write it down and here it is – via text message.
Gabby: Good morning, mom. I made you coffee just the way y...
June 14, 2017
“Love, Mama:” A Letter to My Daughter for Her 16th birthday
This week my younger daughter will celebrate her 16th birthday, and I’m not entirely sure it’s hit me yet.
I believe you’ve met my trusty sidekick Denial, whom I’ve been thick as thieves with since about 2013.
Every now again (and by that I mean nightly, typically at around 11:47 … or 1:47) my mind is consumed with the fact that she is about to be 16 — which BTW currently shares the space with the fact that her older sister is still 8,655 miles away, which is a cruel, cruel correlation of ev...
June 12, 2017
Dad Videos Daughter First Day Of Each Year, Internet Grabs Tissues
If we could do it all again…it would involve a lot more video. We dare you not to listen to Mackenzie tell her Dad, Kevin Scruggs, about each year with a dry eye. But it is the end of this video which really did us in. Scruggs owns up to being a little sad the first day of 8th grade, knowing he and Mackenzie are facing high school the following year.
So here is a trip down memory lane for every parent who has traveled Kindergarten to Senior Year.
June 11, 2017
One of the Best Kid Texts Ever: “Didn’t Do Amazingly, But I Had Fun”
I got one of the best texts I’ve ever gotten from my 16-year old son last night. He was on his way home from his first ever Science Olympiad tournament, on the bus with his teammates.
Me: “How did it go?”
Jack: “Good. I didn’t do amazingly, but I had fun.”
Does this look like a text a mother would get mushy about? If you are a parent of a teenage kid, you already familiar with the backdrop of today’s high school environment, and you’ve probably read an article or two about pressure and colle...
My Daughters Have a Wonderful Father, Something I Never Had
My girls are now 20 and 15, and for every year I’ve been their mother I’ve been envious of them.
Is it because of their youth and the years of possibility they have in front of them?
Obviously.
Is it their thick, luxurious heads of hair?
Since their births are the reason I lost mine, absolutely (and you can throw anger in there, too, now that I think about it).
Could it be because of the vocal talent they both inexplicably got and the thrilling rush they get from performing on stage in front...
College Shopping List: 20 Dos And Don’ts That Will Make You Smile
Yesterday I checked another big life event off the list.
Something that you hear about other people doing but don’t really think about doing yourself until you are in the middle of it.
Botox? Colonoscopy?
No, I took I crossed off all the items on my daughter’s college shopping list.
You know, the anticipated trip to Bed Bath & Beyond and Target to get all the cute dorm room things that will never actually fit in her new room and/or things that will never be seen under all the piles of crap...
20 Things Moms Want Dads to Know on Father’s Day
In the thick of the parenting years, we don’t often get a moment to say to our partners what we really feel. On Father’s Day and every day, we moms want dads to know these simple truths.
We will never forget the pure love on your face the moment your first child was born
We aren’t as confident as we appear
We don’t want to change you, we just want the best version of you
We wish there was more left to give you at the end of the day
Watching you do simple things with your children makes us wh...
June 10, 2017
How to Make this Summer the Best Ever: One Mom’s Secret
Let’s admit it, Moms. As much as we love summer, sometimes it’s a struggle. I have begun countless Junes with a to-do list of summer accomplishments that I think will help me make the most of this fleeting season—eat better, lose weight, keep the kids in a routine. And yet, summer after summer, I have failed and have greeted fall with a mild sense of regret and guilt that I didn’t make better use of the long days and the extra time with my kids.
However, a couple of years ago, I finally got...
