The Eye

 This day has been a day of tender mercies and incredible learning.

Miss E had vision therapy today.  Wednesday she got her first set of glasses! Don't have a picture yet... not sure why.  I was so excited for her to "see" a whole new world, however, the glasses weren't as "corrective" as I thought they would be.  Thus the vision therapy today. 

Tender mercy: Neighbors plans got canceled at the last second so she was able to take all my kids while we went to therapy. 

I learned so much about the human eye!!

And my poor sweet daughter's struggles everyday of her life to be able to "see!"

BINOCULARITY: the ability for each eye to consistently and equally input information to the brain.

Fusion: the ability to use both eyes together comfortably for sustained periods of time.

Tracking: the ability to move the eyes accurately to process visual information quickly

Visual Discrimination: the ability to automatically recognize small differences in similar objects

Visual Memory: the ability to store, retain and retrieve visual information

Eye Teaming/Aiming Flexibility: the ability for the eyes to automatically and comfortably make the numerous aiming adjustments needed to maintain clear, single vision

 

Our eyes do incredible tasks, involuntarily, more often then our heart beats every day. That is, unless there is some sort of imbalance. Her eyes can't consistently do any of the above tasks!

When asked what her favorite subject in school is, she will reply reading. Yet it is the most difficult task for her to accomplish!  I can't wait to see her reading explode when she is able to do all of the above mentioned.  Imagine as a reader, you read the word "country," it's a new word, three pages later you see the same word, "country," our brains remember the form of the word, and read from sight the same word.  Miss E's brain can't do that, yet.  She has to sound out this "new" word all over again. 

 

I have been fighting back tears all day! Excitement at finally understanding what she was struggling with, and heartbreak at not knowing sooner.  All the frustrating homework sessions, my angry words at her because she wasn't understanding something her younger sibling could.  Forget that I automatically receive the bad mom award, my heart broke for the frustrations she was having and that I was unable to understand or listen or help her understand why everything was so hard!  She's amazing in my eyes, because she's done so well, and persevered through it alone.

 

This year we are homeschooling all three school age kids! :)  Another tender mercy: going through therapy and relearning all of this at her own pace through homeschool.  I will be able to understand her frustrations, give her the support she needs and watch her grow leaps and bounds. 

Truly the Lord is in our every day lives, constantly there to support and assist us, even when we don't know we need it. What peace and joy I receive from know that.  And what an incredible creation we have been given in the human body!  These things that function and do more than I ever realized they could and needed to do. 

We will be reporting back Soon, with progress :)