Hatin' rain....

Rain!....I used to love it!...Sure it makes flowers grow!...but it makes me hurt!...Kids!...lol...sometimes they do too!...As a general rule no one here engages in any kind of game or competition UNLESS their medicines are not only taken but working!.It always leads to disaster!...I remember reading in Moe Howard's book on the Three Stooges that he always knew when Curly (who by the way was an extremely good ballroom dancer!) came in drunk...He would hear Curly holler "Swwwing it!"...Moe says Curly was on one...Same here...when Lennon is "on the jazz" (full blown ADHD symptoms) His eyes light up...his tongue hangs from the side of his mouth and he has this maniacal laugh...even if you didn't know when to give him his medicine...you'd know you were late!....Give him the meds and live with it for 45 mins. to an hour and there'll be better livin' through chemistry...It's so hard to put anyone with normal children in touch with what happens in an ADHD household unless you live it...nothing is ever easy...Mealtimes...outings in public....bedtimes....gametimes...all instill a certain fear unless that hyperactivity is taken care of where the boyz can focus...separate...even with full blown symptoms, they are never much of a problem...people often times tell me...."Whatever are you talking about, they are the best behaved children?"...Yeah! Right!....if they are at that time you have no idea what has to happen to get them there....and you'd be totally unaware of the living hell you must pay later...but I can't complain much....God knows what he is doing...Had I not been disabled I'd never have been able to care for these guys like I have...and I guess God knew of my determination to not be beaten in spite of the odds...Just when I think I can take no more and my body is riddled with pain...the boyz are wide open and I feel my 1st stroke or heart attack is right around the corner...I somehow get a grip...drop back and punt!....I am definitely convinced that my lesson in this lifetime that God is trying to give me is one of patience...The Crisps are well known for having little to no patience....And I always used to pray for patience...a minister once told me to never pray for patience because God would send all kinds of things your way to test you...I told him that I was always taught to pray for whatever you needed...and I have always needed patience....so...I will continue to pray for what I need. (Well...I never pray for morphine!...lol)...You always have to be on your toes and creative in an ADHD household...NOTHING WORKS CONSISTENTLY!!....they catch on quickly and will try to out maneuver you...Case in point...One of my sons thinks the only vegetable to eat is a potato...in most forms...so to get him (and the other too!) to eat some green veggies I would puree asparagus in the spaghetti sauce....They never noticed!...but one day they heard me tell a friend on the phone what I did and now they turn up their noses at spaghetti...lol...thats ok...I started making salads out of spinach instead of iceberg lettuce and I would place little pieces in sandwiches...sometimes they'd bite and see one and complain...I'd take it off then while protesting a mistake...but they ate some...lol...It's a true test of life to raise kids like this and the sad part is not everyone can handle it...I read all the time of parents whose kids are ADHD and they are driven to the point of giving them up to someone else to raise...I can understand their agony but at the same time that which tests our strength must make us stronger or we lose...many is the time I have closed the door and cried....many times I have sought advice and tips from other parents and people who deal with kids like this but always at some point I step back and say "Man...if anyone else can do this...I can too!...And I do!...Many people say "My hat's off to you I don't know how you do it"...and some say I deserve a medal for the job I do....No...I don't think so...I am doing what anyone is supposed to do for their kids and I am certainly not the best at what I do....but I am getting better...and besides that I don't do this for the rest of the world...Frankly I have become fed up with the turn this world is taking and I care not of anyone's opinion of me or how I do things...The main thing is that my children feel loved by me....they love me...I spend my time trying to make their lives better and no matter how misunderstood by the rest of their world they always know that Daddy understands and even if he becomes upset, angry, or demanding that once Daddy has a chance to regroup all will be taken care of...and that's the bottom line!....Jeff