Sometimes when I'm out with Emory we meet new people. Emory does *not* have Stranger Danger down yet. No matter how many times I say "No honey, we don't know that creepy guy standing behind us in the Target line", she can't help but wave and smile and ask for a fist bump. 

We also tend to get that doting sweet grandma who gushes all over her, and inevitably touches my arm and says something like "Bless your heart mama, it must be so hard." I usually smile and laugh and make a quip about having a full bar for a reason - but that's just my humor acting as my muzzle. I mean, I do have a full bar at home, but in all fairness, I also have a teenager at home, so that full bar *might* be more for the teenager than the 8 year old.  Just keeping it real, folks. But here's the REAL real: Special needs parents are just like regular parents (for the most part). I know - I KNOW! Crazy right?

Sometimes our kids do this:

And sometimes this behavior is directly related to their disability. But sometimes they're just....exerting their right to act their age. However, as a parent, we, like you, go through a series of thoughts before we react. They usually go like this:

Who is this child?

Are you serious right now?

Lord Jesus help me....

And then finally, after many deep, deep breaths (that some might confuse for hyperventilating), we arrive here....

or here....

And really, either is ok because PARENTING IS HARD - kid with special needs or not. So bless all our hearts moms and dads....Bless ALL our hearts. I raise a glass to all of us.

No really, I do.

Look. 

Okay. I didn't *really* do that. But I do salute all of us in the parenting game. We got this.