She Really Got Attention!

The Diva

The Diva's Hand

Yesterday, was the last day of Spring Break (since it was Friday, and the kids will be with their dad until Sunday). To end the week, I decided to bring the kids in to get their eyes checked. Eric had his eyes checked about 4 years ago, and the other 2 have never been to the eye doctor. The kids were nervous and excited. Noel VERY much wanted to get glasses. The boys didn't really, but they knew what I knew, it was most likely time.
We went to Target for their appointments (it is the closest place on my vision insurance). I filled out the paper work as the kids look through the frames to see if there was anything they would like. The boys were indifferent. Noel was in love! Then came the appointments.
Noel was first. She really tried to have problems seeing. When the doctor told her to guess, she always guessed correctly. When he made it a game, she would giggle and be right on the nose each time! No glasses for her, but she is being sent to a specialist for some pressure build up in her eyes. She was devastated!
Next up was Sean. He read the letters down the chart as instructed until her could no longer make out the letters. When the doctor asked him if he could guess, Sean just matter-of-factly told him, "No. I don't know what it is." I could tell this frustrated the poor doctor, but he just kept going. Sean was in that seat the longest of any of my kids. Apparently, he needs glasses for distance, but needs to take them off to read. I never heard of that, but ok.
Last up was Eric. I knew before taking him in that he would need glasses. He has been reading with the book or paper closer to his face and getting closer and closer to the computer screen. He was the main reason I was taking them. Despite his efforts to see, he needs glasses for everything. (Poor kid. It just isn't as exciting at 11 as it would have been at 7.)
We, then, started the task of picking out frames for the boys. They picked out what they liked as my sweet girl begged to get some too. I promised her we would get her some sunglasses as we picked up a few other things we needed at the store. When we were done there came the fun part.
I called their dad to let him know the results of their eye appointments, and he let me know he was on his was to get them for the weekend. Not having their clothes packed yet, I got them each an outfit for them to wear home on Sunday so that we wouldn't have to go back home. I got Noel the most adorable sunglasses ever to make up for her not getting the glasses she was dying for and a few other things I needed to get for the house. Then, I started trying to kill time by looking at the cost of things Eric will need for Outdoor Ed next month. As I was looking at water bottles, it happened. The kids started to play with the weights. Noel picked up a 2 lb. weight and laughed at how light it was. As she was putting it back Eric went to pick up another one and it slipped from his hand. I started to tease him about not being as strong as his little sister when his little sister started crying. She held up her hand. Her finger was already bruising and swelling up. I thought it may be broken and told her we may have to go to the ER. She was scared, so we paid for out things and went home to get ice (I totally forgot their dad was on his way at this point). When we got home, I got a baggie and put ice on her poor finger that by this time was twice as round as normal and put the kids clothes in a bag for them to take for the weekend. Their dad texted me to find out where we were, and I let him know we went home to get ice. He came to get the kids and looked at her finger. He thought the same as I did, and we decided she needed to have it looked at.
She walked into the ER with those adorable sunglasses on to hide her tears, and was treated like the princess that I always tell her she is. When she said the room was cold, they not only gave her a blanket, they wrapped it around her. Several nurses came down to see this cute girl dressed in pink with her "movie star glasses" and asked her what was wrong. Her response was always, "My brother dropped a 2 lb. weight on me finger. He didn't mean to. It was an accident. He just isn't as strong as me." An hour into her first ER visit, they decided to go ahead and x-ray her hand even though by this point they were pretty sure she just had a bruise. About an hour later, the conclusion was just that. It is bruised pretty badly.
That was one long, expensive afternoon!