Craziness!

A few weeks ago I was driving my kids to school. Because....it was FREEZING and I didn't want them to wait at the bus stop. So I am in the car with all my kids and Bo tells me that his friend's mom told him she didn't like Bo because he was crazy. Bo told me this very matter of fact. Like it was just the way it was and he was not affected by it. 

(I realize that his words and interpretations may just be his own version. But still...this is the conversation we had.) 

Me...(Annoyed because I really adore Bo) "Well maybe I will go have a chat with this kids mom." (which I actually probably wouldn't do)

Bo...."Then she wont like you either."

Me...."I don't really care!"

Me...."Bo! You are not crazy!"

Him....completely not a care in the world....."Yes I am."

Me....."Well...not after you take your pill." 

*crickets*  

Because he is a little crazy. I admit it.

Here is the thing. I am in debate in my head whether or not it is okay to protect our own children at the expense of one of God's children. I can see not playing with a kid because of a certain situations or certain influences...but then I can't see it. They are just kids who need love and help as well. Do we really just protect our own at all costs?

Part of me says YES.

And part of me with the beautiful crazy child says no. NO. We grab a hold of all the children and love them. Bad influences or not. But then I think yes. I want to protect my kid and not have them have any bad influences or be around any kid that is going to take away from the best experience my kid can have on earth life. But then part of me says NO. We grab hold of all the children and do the best we can to protect ours...and theirs. 

These are just some thoughts, I have no answers. I am learning though...that writing my blog helps me be less depressed. I have quit a little bit because I feel sort of judged, or lame, or annoying, and I have some very deep feelings to write but I don't know if I want it out there so I just have quit blogging. But I think writing really helps me be less depressed. 

Back to my inner struggle...

Recently at college we had a speaker, who was a kid, come and talk about how he suddenly became paranoid schizophrenic. And he started doing odd behaviors, really odd behaviors. Really odd that I don't want to share because he is in our community and it might be private. This amazing kid lost all his friends. And parents told their children not to hang with this kid because he was so odd. And I can see how one might have thought this person was on drugs or what not. But he lost all his friends. And he was a kid. And he needed friends. And he had a mental illness.

Do we protect our own and hurt others? I really don't know. Do we actually tell children, do not be friends with that kid? 

I wasn't really mad at this mom who said that about Bo. If that really is how the story even goes. And Bo seemed completely   un-bothered by it. If he really is I am not sure. I actually am pretty convinced he is not bothered by it. 

But it made me think of that annoying French article that circulates FaceBook. Basically about how ADHD is really just parents not disciplining and being good parents. 

And THAT ANNOYS me.

Because I have a child with ADHD. And while it is true I may often be parenting him badly, he has ADHD. It is a BRAIN DISORDER. Kids with ADHD are often three years behind in maturity. Although their brain is consistently progressing. I can see that with my sweetie.  He is not crazy behaving because he has bad parenting. I could totally discipline him better. And you will just have to believe me (or not) when I say, in order to get him to settle down, or not make little spazy noises, I would end up abusing him. Because he cannot control himself like that.

 If you see him at church and he is wiggly and I am half way holding him down and petting him and not taking him out for a spanking like people may believe I should do....his pill hasn't kicked in yet or his pill just isn't a perfect fix. And he has ADHD. And I literally cannot discipline it out of him even if I try. So I don't try so much. I just love him. 

I have seen this before anyway. With my two other sons who are pretty mello guys. They out grow it, not ADHD, but spaziness.

Bo has a brain disorder. Not a bad mother. And if you don't want your child to play with him because he is crazy...that is just mean.

I want to talk about what is special about my kid. I wish you guys could see him at home. I wish you guys could see the amazing things he spends his time doing....

He and his ADHD brain are constantly figuring things out. And if you don't believe in medicine you need to meet Bo before his pill kicks in. Or talk to his teachers if I have forgotten to give it to him. (I race to the school when that happens) They testify he is not the same kid.

He plays and keeps himself busy all day doing really hard puzzles, organizing his Pokemon cards over and over, coming up with the most intricate questions full of detail and thought out concepts. He is SMART. 

Today he spent about two hours spelling his name on his wall in Christmas lights. He worked dang hard to get it right. His room looks like it is on fire because of all those blinking lights. Look at his scary step stool!

See his awesome name?

The other day he was asked to wash the walls by his dad. He stapled a wash cloth to this piece of board and he washed like that....So creative!

Also.....my kid makes one heck of a mouse maze for our pet mouse that Kate saved from the snake. Bo spent hours figuring this masterpiece out all by himself. And then he played with "Winter" for a good couple of hours. This is over kill of pictures...

He used paper towel rolls, sun chip bags, tinfoil boxes, anything he could find that would work. Serious guys, he is such a lovey dovey.

  

Justine loves Bo. Bo is fairly grumpy with her at this point. He says she bugs him. Justine really mothered him a lot and so she can't understand. I think it is him trying to grow up and be part of the boys in the family.