“But, I'm hungry!”

Josie couldn't find her words, and frustration had taken hold.

She never wakes up hungry. Getting her to eat anything before she leaves for school is an Olympic sport. This morning, she asked for breakfast.

Like a waitress listing the daily specials, I cataloged the contents of the pantry. Eggs? Cereal? Banana? Nothing sparked an interest.

Josie struggles with decision making. Many times, it stems from her inability to find the right words. It was obvious she knew what she wanted, she simply could not make me understand. Unfortunately, the more suggestions I made, the more indecisive she became. Tears soon followed.

The bus came and went as Linus patiently ate the french toast sticks Josie set aside. There was still hope we could make it out the door and get to school before the first bell. That hope started fading fast as the tears continued.

“But, I'm hungry!”

“We're probably reading now, Mommy!”, worried Linus. He nervously watched the clock.

We were only a half hour late at this point. What could I possibly write as our excuse on the tardy sheet? Indecision? Frustration? Dyspraxia?

Grabbing Josie's coat and backpack, we struggled to make it down the stairs and to the car. The tears weren't stopping as she buckled in.

“But, I'm hungry!”

By now, I was desperately grasping for straws. I offered to go to the corner convenience store or the donut shop. She shot down every suggestion. The clock was ticking, but I couldn't bring her to class in the state she was in. If I couldn't get through to her, surely her teachers wouldn't be able to.

Heading towards McDonald's, I offered pancakes, hash browns, even apple pie. Sitting at the drive thru window I remembered the frozen breakfast sandwich Josie had eaten earlier this week. She liked it so much she asked me to buy more.

It was worth a shot.

We hadn't even pulled out of the parking lot before she had devoured half the sandwich. There were no more tears glistening on her cheeks. I venture to say there may have even been a smile.

After more than an hour of tears and frustration, I figured out that Josie wanted a breakfast sandwich. I could have easily thrown one together at home. The problem was that she didn't know how to describe what she wanted, and I'm not a mind-reader.

So here I sit in the parking lot outside of school wearing pajamas and slippers. I have bedhead and morning breath. I'm your average hot mess mom that dropped off her kids late for school, one with a belly full of McDonald's.

Please tell me I'm not alone. Surely, somewhere out there, another parent sat in their car this morning feeling defeated. Maybe they forgot to bake cupcakes for the bake sale or their kid is struggling and they can’t figure out how to help them. Homework gets left on the kitchen table and sometimes you forget to send in the field trip money. Maybe they had a morning like mine, dealing with the frustrations and joys that come with special needs.

I'm just a mama navigating this beautiful life with a bunch of wonderfully exceptional kids. I’m here for kissing hands at the bus stop and planners that need to be signed as we run out the door. Some mornings suck, others run smoothly. There is one thing that I am certain of.

Tomorrow will be better.