I never thought I would say those words...special needs and mean MY CHILD.  I mean that was always said about someone else's child around an ARD table at school or in general teacher talk but never my child.  But now it applies.  Ike is normal IQ in fact quite brilliant but there are labels that I won't go into on a blog with his emotion and social development and brain function that didn't quite develop.  It saddens me for him.  He is a wonderful child and we adore him.  Raising a child with special needs is a challenge, daily and sometimes hourly.  Here is the difference....

Babysitting....not everyone wants to or is qualified to babysit Ike.  I am VERY careful about who I allow babysit him.  He is a danger seeking child so someone who likes to lie around a flip channels on the TV could get Ike killed....nope, won't work!

Going anywhere...JB and I have to really think about every trip to every store or event.  We still do not attempt any type of assembly, church function or sit down activity where Ike will be asked to sit for more than five minutes.  No waiting can be involved.  If there are any breakable items...forget it-we don't go.  If your house is on this list, that is probably why we have not come over:)

Eating out-this is torture.  Again, if you wonder why we don't go to eat as a family it is because I don't enjoy ducking the flying food that Ike uses as missles.  Call me crazy but I like to actually chew my food not dodge it. 

Traveling.  He is actually better about this in some instances.  Our 10 hour trip to Florida he was an angel and did fabulous at the beach.  He was a PERFECT angel.  He fell apart on the two hour trip to Austin...go figure.  But we pay for any trip for about two days with horrible backsliding of behavior....so if we go we know ahead of time that we are going to pay for it.

Anytime we get in the car to "run an errand" after school or take a child to an activity, it is pure terror in the car.  I can not describe the kinds of fits that are thrown and Ike is at his worst behaviorally.  That is why you will hear us say that we are trading off (one of us is staying home while the other one goes to a game or takes another kid to church) or getting a babysitter to do these simple things that everyone takes for granted.  Any disruption to the routine is not good and the whole family notices the outright uprising! 

When JB leaves on a detail I am basically handling a special needs child solo....it is ok, and I can handle it most times but there are times when I have been spit on, assaulted with a second cup of milk-on purpose, hit in the face, bit or a shoe has been thrown at me at about 55 mph while I was driving...and I am walking into work with a smile.  So please be VERY thankful for your normally chaotic children that might argue about brushing their teeth.  I am thankful when Ike has a great day.  Like yesterday.  No one got hurt....no one went to the ER and I actually didn't mop the floor more than once!