This week was...well. It was. Somehow I survived it though and we are all still alive to tell about it. I wasn't sure I was going to make it. Either that, or Ira.
I've known since the hosting program that Ira needed glasses. Little One also needed some (though I suspected not as bad) so they both had eye dr. appointments on Tuesday. First, I took Little One and she was super nervous. I tried to explain to her what it's like and that's it's actually really kinda cool. She was super clingy, but did awesome. The dr. let me sit on the chair with her on my lap and that helped a ton. Pretty soon she was doing great and VERY excited to pick out frames. She got some cute pinky purple ones with hearts on them. She should get them tomorrow.
Then I went to pick Ira up from school and take her to the dr. as well. That didn't go over so well. She was mad the whole way there. I told her that even the dr. in Ukraine had said she needed glasses. She said, "Ukraine dr." and then did a gun to her head thing. I told her I'm sorry she thought the dr. there was stupid, but she needed glasses and that's where we were going.
We got there and I'd already filled out the paperwork for her when I was there for Little One. She was taken back to do the preliminary stuff and she tried hard to refuse to do what she needed to. Including the "I don't understand" thing when I knew she could. We were then taken into the actual exam room and she sat there and sobbed (yeah, not just cried) while she played on my iPod as we waited for the dr. He walked in and said we weren't doing well with either girl today. LOL She was a little more cooperative with him than she'd been with the lady that did the other stuff, but she was still had a very bad attitude. Sure enough, her eyes are really bad. Like almost as bad as mine already.
Then came the fun of picking out frames. I had her sit down and the lady asked what her favorite colors were. She said, "Nothing." The lady said she'd pick out something that she thought would fit her and we'd go from there. As soon as she turned around Ira pushed all her hair in front of her face like Cousin It. She refused to try any frames on, so I put them on her myself. As soon as I'd get one on she'd rip them off and make gagging sounds. Seriously?? Are we 12 or are we 2? She was arguing with me the whole time too. Sometimes in English, sometimes in Russian. It's probably good I didn't understand her or I imagine we'd have been headed home to wash her mouth out. LOL It came down to 3 different frames and she REFUSED to pick. I told her I would if she didn't, and after MANY attempts to get her to pick she still wouldn't. I picked some cute blue ones. They go really well with her eyes and look really nice on her.
I heard all kinds of fun things. She doesn't like blue. (Well, she had plenty of chances to pick different ones.) She isn't going to wear them. If I like blue, I can wear them. Why won't I let her get contacts? (We're not dealing with a super responsible child here. I'm not going to do contacts unless she shows me she can take care of glasses first.) She doesn't want to live. Everyone is going to laugh at her. She's going to lock herself in her room and never come out. She won't ever eat. I don't love her, I only love Karissa. She wants Ukraine. *sigh* No, I don't take it personally, but it's still very frustrating.
You can imagine how things went on Thursday when I got a call saying her glasses were ready. Pretty much the same as trying on frames. I had to haul her little hide outside and tell her to knock it off. She is 12, not 2. Getting her to keep the stupid things on was fun too. I told her she had to wear them. It wasn't a choice. If she didn't (or if she lost/broke them) then there would be no discussion of contacts at all. There would be no Wii, no TV, no contact (Russian FB), no friends, nothing. And, I only made her wear them for an hour that first day. I remember I'd get a headache whenever I'd get a new prescription so I didn't want to do that to her.
Having her wear them on Friday after school was fun too. She doesn't want anyone to see her in them so I was mean and made her wear them to my parent's house. I had to pull over 3 times because she kept taking them off. Then she wouldn't put them on when she walked into the house. She finally did though and kept them on for the 2 hours that day. Yesterday she did fine with it was 3 hours so hopefully we're pretty must past that now. Tuesday will be hard because that's the first day I told her she'd have to wear them to school. I'm going to walk her in that day and talk with her teacher. I don't care if she leaves them with her teacher for recess, but she needs to wear them the rest of the time.
I'm getting really sick of all the tantrums. Holy cow. Today has actually been nice though. There was only a small fight to go to church and she's been fairly pleasant since then. Maybe we're on a little bit of an uphill climb now? I hope? I'm not sure how much farther down this roller coaster can go so hopefully we're going up. :) I hope to get pictures when she's up to the thought of that.
It sounds like she has been long overdue for a Mother! Keep up the good work, Mom. She will thank you someday. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! We had the opposite problem. Alex would wear my glasses claiming they help him see when I had already taken him in and his vision was fine.
ReplyDeleteA year later we went in for our second eye appointment and low and behold he now needed glasses. He was thrilled!
Now the novelty has worn off and I have to remind him to wear them but nothing like "the cousin" it scene.
Wow. You have really earned a good Mothers Day. I hope you have one, and I hope in time Ira will realize how nice it is to see!
~Wendy
You're smart to make her wait on contacts. My parents didn't get me contacts until I was 14, and I still had a hard time taking good care of them. When I was 15 I got a pretty bad infection in one eye because of my carelessness (we're talking green pus oozing from my eye) - I'd ripped yet another contact lens from handling it wrong and didn't want to tell my parents because I'd already ruined so many others, so I wore it ripped and scratched my eye really badly with it. Anyway, stick to your guns! I'm no expert on child behavior, but it seems to me what she's going through with this whole huge transition is normal and that standing your ground is the best way to handle it.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, many of us with Ukrainian kids who need glasses have gone through the same thing. Our bribe was Tania couldn't drive without her contacts or glasses. Now she wears them all the time. If we could only get Sasha to wear his. Unfortunately, he only needs glass for his astigmatism so it is harder to get him to wear them.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWendy - You'd think that she'd like actually being able to see, but she keeps telling us she can see fine without them. I know from experience she can't though!
Jeni - I got glasses when I was 9 and didn't get contacts until I was 18. An eye infection is just what I want to avoid. LOL I'm sure it's normal, but man...it's sure not fun! I hate the constant confrontation/contention. Hopefully it won't last.
Julie - I'm sorry anyone else has had to deal with this kind of stuff, but it's still good to hear, in a sick sort of way. LOL I've tried the "You can't drive without glasses!" thing with her too, but she just tells me, "Okay!" Of course, being only 12 driving is still a ways away so I guess I can see where it's not exactly much of a threat. *sigh*
You can tell Ira the girls thought she looked cute in them, 'little one' too. They loved hers with the pink hearts! Ira's really do look cute on her, they suit her face really well.
ReplyDeleteSorry if we added to evening drama at all. I hate when our girls get out of evening routine so if we set you off I truly apologize....hope you enjoyed the brownies at least! :)
Abbey - Thanks. :) You're girls are so cute!
ReplyDeleteYou didn't mess things up at all. It was nice to see you there when we got home! It's good for Ira every time someone new has to see her with the glasses on. She has GOT to get over this somehow and letting her hide away in her room isn't going to help. Thanks for the brownies! I've been wanting some so you must have read my mind. ;)