A genius new auto-injector for allergic reactions and other revelations

If your Cars 2 obsessed child happens to leave his Cars 2 lunch box at the bowling alley where he attended a birthday party over the weekend, and you are not able to pick it up till the following weekend, he will somehow survive. 

Somehow, I always forget that June is the most hectic month of the year, next to December. My brain just keeps thinking that it should be easy. 

There's a new epinephrine injector, the Auvi-Q. It's a bit larger than a credit card and about 1/2 inch thick, so it's easy to tote around; it has voice instructions to guide you through the injection process; and it comes in kid and adult doses. Our pediatrician think it's going to put the Epi-pen out of business. I'm getting three of them, because I am extravagant that way! Er, I need one for home, one for school, one for the car/when we're out and about. 

End-of-year teacher and aide gifts sometimes stump me, but this year I got them little wind chimes with a purple hanging pendant, so they'll also remember Max. [Pats self on back.]

I could easily spend the better part of my life browsing Houzz. At least I have plans for retirement.

That old saying "Always get it in writing" is excellent advice.

It's actually humanly possible to retain all of the pieces for a toy for 10 years. Is there an award for that?

If it weren't for Guerlain Meteorites luminizing powder, some days people might not be sure I am still alive.  

If you are on the commuter train in the quiet car, where people aren't supposed to talk, and the guy sitting next to you is mumbling continuously as he works on his laptop and you say "Excuse me, this is the quiet car" and he says "But I'm talking to myself!" it's best to just move.

If your 8-year-old has been asking for a year to get her ears pierced and you finally give in, you will no longer have any good threats left to make her clean her room or otherwise behave. But she will look very cute.

If your child needs to bulk up, consider feeding him macaroni and cheese pie (what Max calls this recipe made from acorn squash). Max consumes vast quantities of it, and whereas at his annual checkup the doctor was concerned Max was maybe on the puny side, at a follow-up appointment four months later Max had gained TEN pounds and grew an inch and a half. Thank you, macaroni and cheese pie.

It is not a good idea to DVR the season's first episode of True Blood and watch it right before you go to sleep. 

You're never too big of a kid to enjoy the rides at the mall.  

How to (mostly) have patience when your child acts up

"In one post (I can't remember which) you mention having endless patience for your child. Really? I struggle with this so much," the email read. "My little girl is 3 1/2 and her more challenging behavior makes me want to scream with frustration. The refusal to eat by herself (even though she can), the fits of screaming in public places when we take her to something we had hoped she would like, the running away when we ask her to come, the constantly taking off her clothes (although I'm obviously proud of her new skill)... small things mostly but frustrating nonetheless. I end up feeling angry and resentful with her and wishing that life were easier, then guilty and wretched for not accepting her as she is. If I don't, who will? Endless patience? I wish! Do you have any advice?"

I instantly: 1) Knew how this mom felt; 2) Realized she must have mistaken my blog for one Mother Teresa used to write, or something like that. I most definitely do not have eternal patience, I told her, and have felt similarly distraught when Max has screechfests or refused to do stuff I know he can do.

If we're at home, my go-to solution is to put Max in a place where he can lose it safely, like his bedroom, and let him cry or shout it out for a few minutes. Bonus: This gives me time to regroup. If I run out of patience I often let Dave take over, especially if we're in a public situation; he is less emotional about dealing with meltdowns. If we're at a restaurant, for instance, he'll grab Max and head outside.  

We've also learned that timing is everything. Max is most in danger of losing it when he's hungry, so we'll leave the house only when he's well fed—and give him a snack before we hit restaurants, so he's not starving. Headphones have helped with transitions. When Max screeches, I've been known to put them on myself. This has the effect of cracking Max up; distraction can work wonders, though it's not always possible.

Taking care of me helps, too. I try to grab time to relax every week, whether it's girls' night out or having an iced latte in a coffee shop and reading for a half hour. When I recharge, when I have treats to look forward to, I'm better equipped to handle whatever the kids throw my way. A time efficiency expert I once heard at a seminar recommended that on Sundays, you plan something fun for next weekend instead of leaving it to, say, Friday; it helps power you through the week.

Yes, sometimes I wish life were easier. But that comes with the gig of parenting a child with special needs, and it's nothing to feel guilty about. You'd be hard-pressed to find a parent who hasn't wished her child would behave differently—special needs or not.

What tactics help you deal when your child has a meltdown or acts out?