We went back for another appointment last week (we go in every two weeks), and Eenie is really pleased with the progress she is making.  In fact, she told me the other day that she is not sure she wants to get better because vision therapy is so much fun.  It seems like play to her and she likes the individual attention and the sensory opportunities they give her in therapy.  I am glad that she hasn't put the label on herself of being "learning disabled", because she is really very bright and just needs a little help in a few areas.  If she saw herself as "LD" I"m afraid it would be hurtful to her emotionally, so we've worked really hard to present this whole thing in a really positive light, so that she understands everyone has areas they struggle with and require extra help.  Vision and sensory issues are just her areas.

She is working really hard on her home therapy each day.  We have only missed one day since we began, and we actually did part of her exercises that day.  She was just too tired to finish them.  Bad planning on my part, as I decided that because she had a friend over to play that day, she could wait until after her friend left to do therapy.  Unfortunately for Eenie, she was so wound up and physically and emotionally exhausted from the day that she just did a couple of the exercises before I excused her.  Her friend was here from sun-up to sun-down, and we went to the zoo in 100+ degree heat, so I understand her exhaustion.  I was pretty exhausted myself.  From now on, I will have to insist she does her therapy even if she does have a friend here.

Her friend was planning to spend the night.  We normally don't believe in sleep-overs, but this was her cousin, and we've been trying to minister to her, so we thought about letting her spend the night last night.  It became obvious to me halfway through the day, however, that the girls were just not meshing well and that a sleepover was not a good idea for them that night.  Fortunately, I talked to my sister-in-law when she came to pick my niece up, and she was very understanding about everything.  The girls were begging us both right up until the end to sleepover at one home or another, but, strangely enough, right after my niece left, my dd thanked me and told me she was glad that she wasn't going to be spending the night since it hadn't been much fun that day. 

Part of the problem was that my niece and my daughter have very different tastes.  I guess next time, I need to sit them down and come up with a list of activities they both like to do so that they can each have fun.  My niece is very strong-willed and if she doesn't want to play something, she will go off and do her own thing, and my dd is hurt.  So my dd will give in every time just to make her guest happy, and after awhile she gets tired of it.  I can't blame her!  She has been trained to prefer others above herself and I realize that is a good thing, but I'm worried that her people pleasing ways will get her into trouble some day, since she may not have the discernment to know when she should stand firm.  I told her that it is okay not to give in sometimes as long as she tells her cousin lovingly and is willing to accept that she might have to play by herself for awhile. 

I don't know how other parents do it!  Having my kids play with other children is exhausting to me because I moniter things very closely.  I also hurt when my kids hurt and wish things were a little different.  If the kids went to school, I guess they'd just have to moniter themselves, but I don't feel right about that.  I keep a pretty short leash at this point--especially now that I realize what issues are present.  The SID creates many social issues, and even though my kids are very social and crave interaction with other kids, somehow they always leave disatisfied.  Hopefully, things will improve through training and therapy and lots and lots of prayer.