Background on the kids...

Wow, this has been a really crazy day!  But I promised an update so I'm gonna update you people, damnit!
I want to give a little background on my kids.  Just so you have a little bit of a clue when I say I've had a "crazy day".  It doesn't mean I chipped a nail or spilled my coffee...it usually means I was dealing with a psychotic child!
So here's just a bit of background so you can see where we are at right now and what we've been through with the kids.

Daniel is the oldest.  He is 10 and he'll be 11 in just a few weeks.  He was a perfect little baby!  He only cried when he really needed to.  He wasn't overly demanding.  He slept all night long.  It wasn't until he was 2 when we started noticing he was more hyper than other kids...that he couldn't sit still for ANY length of time.  That he NEVER stopped talking.  He was easily frustrated and he wast starting to become overly sensitive.  When he was 5 he was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD (most people know what ADHD is...ODD is oppositional defiant disorder).  Later on he got a "mood disorder" tacked on due to his anxiety issues.  He is smart.  VERY smart.  When he was in kindergarten we decided to go ahead and have him tested to see if he would get help from the Gifted program at school.  His I.Q. was 146!  Unfortunately, his "smarts" are book smarts.  He is very much lacking in the "common sense" department!  That means he could do algebra when he was 6 but couldn't learn to tie his shoes until he was 8 (and still just prefers to wear velcro shoes because laces are "too hard"!)  Daniel has a lot of pent up rage.  A LOT!  He will randomly just blow his top and start screaming about how he is going to kill us all.  Or himself.  We have tried many different medication combinations and therapy situations.  Right now Daniel is currently on meds to help stabilize his moods and deal with his anxiety but is off of his ADHD meds right now due to some serious side effects he was experiencing.  He has to get his ADHD med out of his system before we can try a different one so he's just a little nutso right now!
Skylar is 7.  Unfortunately I have too much to type about Skylar and she is going to get an entire separate post dedicated to just her!!  She is diagnosed with mood disorder, ODD, ADD, and we are trying to have her tested for sensory integration dysfunction.
Gabriel is 5.  Gabriel was going to be my last child.  We were DONE at 3 kids.  And, I admit, I spoiled the heck out of him because he was my "baby".  Unfortunately, Gabriel was NOT an easy baby.  He had colic and screamed almost non-stop for the first 3 months of his life!  He was on the move very early.  He never really crawled...he just didn't have time to learn how!  At around 4 months old he was scooting around and then at about 9 months he was walking.  He was moving CONSTANTLY.  We knew very early that he had ADHD.  We just knew.  I know there are the swarms of people that don't believe in ADHD or think it's overly diagnosed.  Trust me when I tell you that if you have ANY doubts....you would be a believer after being with Gabriel for only 5 minutes!  Gabriel is a very funny child, though.  And very empathetic.  Unfortunately, Gabriel also is VERY routine-oriented.  He also has some strong anxieties.  Things have to be done a certain way..ALL the time.  When things don't go the way he thinks they should then, OH MAN!  You better look out!  He also has some sensory issues but they aren't usually too extreme.  He is in kindergarten this year and is doing well.  His teacher is great with working with his routines and knowing he needs a lot of preparation if anything is going to be done differently.  He's on ADHD meds that help him get through the school day.  Unfortunately, with his high metabolism and small size, we are not able to keep him medicated throughout the entire day so he pretty wild in the evenings.  (the dose he would need is just too dangerous for his small size)
Kennedy is just 2.  She is VERY smart, also.  She can recognize some words and can count and has an amazing vocabulary....which includes some VERY adult language (I have no idea where she learned those words, I SWEAR!).  She throws some major tantrums but so far she hasn't been identified as having any mental health issues.  She was our surprise baby.  The one we never knew we wanted until we had her.  She is cute and sweet and funny and demanding and spoiled and a little crazy, too!
So, that is my brood.  They are all very unique and I love them with my entire being...but they do drive me completely bonkers most of the time!