Failure to Launch

A few years ago a movie came out with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker  called "Failure to Launch."  Basically, McConaughey's character was a 35 year old man still living at his parents home and sleeping in the same bed as he did when he was 6 years old.

Failure to Launch.

As parents our end goal is the launch. The day we drop them off at college...or whatever direction the choose their lift off...

No-that does not make it easy OR unemotional...but, LAUNCHING is still the goal.




My kids are not grown up yet...but they are all three in elementary school!  Yes, over the last 11 years, there have been-what seemed like-endless nights of tears (and sometimes by the babies) when I thought I would never survive motherhood.

I believed that I had entered a strange realm of a galaxy far far away from earth and that my infants would never stop crying, pooping, drooling, and barfing.

Have watched countless episodes on Nick at Night of Wings, Roseanne, George Lopez and seen every Forensic Files episode at least three times.  (Special positive note: it was during this time I discovered Late Night with Jimmy Fallon...now known as The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon)

NEVER did I see a day in my future that I would not have a box of diapers in my shopping cart...

and yet here I am... not a box of pampers in sight.

Spoiler alert!  It all turned out fine and the truth of it all is that I barely remember any of that time of my life.

No permanent damage done.  (well, unless you count the stretch marks.)


Parenting is a strange universe.  There is pressure from every direction to live in certain areas of town, attend certain school districts, be involved in extra curricular activities, and all the while raise well rounded adults that some day grow up, attend college, and get a great job-settle down, get married and have kids (in that order-right)

I think I forget about the idea of launching and get more wrapped up in whatever moment I am in...

(Yes-be in the moment and treasure this phase in your life.. )

Have fun! Make memories! Tell stories!  Apologize! Share! Cry! Mess up!  Start over!  Take responsibility! Pray!  Grow! Forgive!  Serve! Play sports! Volunteer! Study!


A L L  of that!

AND!  While you are doing life...teach your kids how to be adults.

Dear Leslie, Other kids will be smarter than your kids, better at sports than your kids, wear cuter clothes than your kids.  Some parents will seem better than you-maybe even perfect.  Houses will be nicer and bigger than your house.  Mini-vans will be cleaner than yours.  Moms will be thinner and  wear cuter clothes than you.
More important than what other kids are doing and how great other parents seem to be... YOUR kids are watching YOU and taking notes.  More is caught than taught-lead on.

Stop comparing and prepare for take off!

Time will pass us by in .....5.....4.....3......