Mommy is very happy this evening. She’s having a mommy’s night in. My in-laws and sister-in-law are visiting for the holidays, and they are watching Harrison for us. I’m relaxing in my bedroom, watching my DVR. It is absolutely amazing.

All mothers need a break and time to rest. Sometimes it is hard to step back and remember that even though we are mothers, we still have our own needs and interests. Moms of kids with special needs have an even more daunting challenge — making sure to constantly engage our kids with developmental exercises to help them learn — but also remembering to engage ourselves to help ensure we are giving our little ones our best. I often think of emergency instructions on a plane — make sure to put on your oxygen mask before securing those of other passengers or children. In other words, you can’t help others until you are secure– physically or emotionally — yourself.

Now, back to tonight’s largest expense of energy, watching my boxer, Layla, play with her new Bret Michaels chew toy. Yes, this is a dog toy made in the likeness of the one-and-only Bret Michaels. So amazing, I had to buy two.