Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 435

When IS the Appropriate Time to Cry?

“Mom, this is THE most inappropriate time to cry!”

With a smirk, these words were deliberately spoken as we walked through the annual school art show. I was astounded that my sensitive and kind boy had busted me weeping.

Another mother passed us. I grabbed her and pleaded defensively, “Alana, tell him I have been the one all year saying how proud and excited I was for them, not sad and crying like all everyone else!” She empathetically affirmed my declaration as she rubbed my shoulder.

“I did...

From Clingy Kid to World Traveler, How Did That Happen?

I stepped off the plane, exhausted and a little disoriented from the nine-hour flight. After navigating my way out of the terminal, I scanned the crowds of people, searching for a familiar face. There she was! My baby, my world traveler.

I scrambled to break through the barricades of humanity to reach her, to hold her again. I’d waited 98 days, 14 hours and 27 minutes for this moment—and this hug. I breathed in her scent, catching a hint of lavender shampoo, as I squeezed her a little tighte...

Graduation and the Heart-Rending Optimism of Youth

My oldest son, Seth, graduated from high school the other night. It was a proud moment for my family and for the 1,500 other people crammed into the old gymnasium like canned sardines to watch their loved ones achieve this milestone.

It was a nice ceremony. The salutatorian and valedictorian speeches were very well done, but my butt still aches from the old wooden bench I was perched on for two hours. Funny how the body is less forgiving as you get older. My 9-year-old son sat right next to...

18 Years: Our One Shot at Parenting

My insides are humming. The low-grade buzz of bewilderment mixed with nerves and how did we get here?In my head, a gaping space. Hollowness. I don’t remember.

So I freeze like a statue in the kitchen while the bread toasts. Memories present themselves for inspection.

Slowly at first.

Then, all at once, these details crowd my brain:

The Velveteen Rabbit Tea and a Gold Rush Musical. We the People. One mission project. Countless tears shed over a Jackie Robinson speech. I’ll never be able to me...

Not Ready for College, Not Yet

This is it. This is the moment we saw off in the faraway distance when we strapped those wee little backpacks onto wee little preschool or kindergarten backs. Senior year is the end goal, the level-up. The last year.

It’s an insane time of year if you have a high school senior in your family. Senior year, from a parents’ perspective, is like a giant, out-of-control, no-brakes freight train…a powerful, soot-stained steel bullet careening towards you, black plumes of smoke billowing into the s...

My Son Graduating High School Hurts Like My Divorce

My son will be graduating high school soon and I’m terrified. His father and I have done the best we can to prepare him for the real world but there is still that nagging feeling that we’ve missed something.

Many of my friends with younger children have given me positive feedback on how exciting this time is and how they can’t wait until their son or daughter gets to this stage, yet I can’t help but be sad and negative towards some comments.

Remembering back to when my son was moving on from...

We Searched Facebook So You Don’t Have To: This Weeks Favorites

We spend way to much time on Facebook looking for great content for parents of teens and young adults. This graduation/end of the school year week, here is what we found.

The post We Searched Facebook So You Don’t Have To: This Weeks Favorites appeared first on Grown and Flown.

A Note to Our Long Lost Teenage Daughter

A Note to our Long Lost Teenage Daughter:

We are so happy you are enjoying your newfound freedom since you have turned seventeen and passed your driver’s license test. And yes, it was our decision to lease you a car. What were we thinking? Help with the errands, carpooling and being able to drive yourself to and from school. What were we not thinking? Absolutely imperative daily trips to Starbucks, the Diner, Kristin’s house, Chipotle, Starbucks, Fro Yo, Qdoba, Michael’s house, Starbucks, the...

Graduation Songs Guaranteed to Make You Cry

Three notes into Pomp and Circumstanceand I was a sobbing mess. The iconic graduation song can reduce any parent to tears. But we went looking for more modern versions of this timeless tear-jerker and here are the graduation songs we found.

Favorite Graduation Songs Anna Kendrick – Cups (Pitch Perfect’s “When I’m Gone”)

Killer Line: “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.” Does it get more wrenching than that?

Fun.: We Are Young

Killer Line: The chorus “We are young.So let’s set the world on f...

Best Teen Movies to Watch With Your High School or College Kid

I did a bit of time traveling yesterday, thanks to the oral surgeon who extracted four wisdom teeth from my college daughter’s mouth. The 20-minutes-on-20-minutes-off ice pack schedule kept us tethered to the couch and the TV, reminding me of long ago sick days and snow days. I hovered and pampered, thrilled to have the rare chance to dote on a very grown up kid. Armed with meds, smoothies, Netflix, and the DVR, we whiled away the day with our own version of a Wisdom Tooth Film Festival, look...