Tappy days are here again

While cleaning the kitchen yesterday, I found Mark's ADD pill bottle hidden behind the toaster. Because the bottle wasn't right in front of his face, I figured he probably didn't take his pill.

Mark confirmed my theory when he bounced into the house after school.

"Hi Mom, what's going on? Band was awesome, no, I didn't do my homework yet, I'm hungry, can I have a snack? HI, FERNANDO!" he spewed in three seconds, dropping his backpack in the doorway and scooping up his giant cat.

I pointed him to the snack cupboard. He and Fernando combed it meticulously, emerging with a handful of granola bars, a bag of freeze-dried apples, and some cat treats.

Mark raced to the couch and opened his math book. Humming and tapping his feet, he attacked both his homework and his snack. Mark asked me at least seven questions, none of them math-related.

"Hey, Mark, did you forget to take your pill today?" I asked casually.

He smiled, looked up and said, "Yes, but I did really well without it! I behaved pretty good, even my friends said so."

"Your friends noticed your behavior?"

"Yep," he said, tapping his pencil on his notebook. "They asked me if I took my pill today."

"Who asked?" I questioned.

"All of them!" Mark answered. "They kept asking me all day." 

I started giggling. "So, uh...all of them, huh? Do they usually ask if you've taken your pill?"

"No," Mark said, absently. "Never."
 
He suddenly stopped writing and looked up at me, realizing what that meant. "Well, I thought I acted pretty good..." he said.

I reminded him it's not a matter of good vs. bad behavior, more a matter of controlled vs. "super tappy," which is how his cousin Nicholas (accurately) describes unmedicated Mark.

"Huh," Mark said, thinking that over. "Whatever, I still did everything I was supposed to."

"Did you call me at lunch?" I asked. 

"No, I forgot," he admitted.
 
He shrugged, put his head down, and finished his math homework...which he then left on the coffee table this morning.

Because, you know...the medicine doesn't change anything at all.

Just ask his friends.