Sunday, Two Steps Back

Today, we have moved from distancing herself to outright rejection and defiance.  She does not want to be around us.  After breakfast, we had just a few minutes to kill before meeting with our travel group for the scheduled events.  We went upstairs (a beautiful carved spiral staircase), and there were some really nice paintings in the hall.  (For sale if you are into 5 figure prices.)  I motioned Wynn to come see, and she shook her head and sat down in a chair.  So we looked at the paintings and returned.  She was gone.  We couldn't find her for several minutes (she blends in with the population here-lol), and then I saw her - back down the stairs and headed out the front door of the hotel!  She came back in by the time we got down the stairs to retrieve her.  She sat as far away on the bus as she could, and when we got to the shopping center, she did her best to disappear, and it was taking all of our efforts just to keep her in sight.  The guide said she would stay with Wynn, and we could just shop and give her some space.  Thank God for Helen!  Wynn chattered away at her.  (She did tell the guide she would like to have a birthday party a day early because we leave too early on her birthday to do it that day - but not a party with her mom and dad!)  When we returned to the hotel, we needed to walk next door, a connected building actually, to use the ATM.  As Wynn went to enter the hotel, we told her to come and beckoned to her that we weren't going in yet.  She told us no, turned, and walked into the hotel.  So we went to the bank.  She can't even get up in the elevator, much less into the room, without a key card, so I thought maybe a little worry would be good for her.  The ATM exchange was very quick, and we found her by the elevators with all three guides, to whom I explained that she had been defiant.  On the way up to the room, she turned her back and stood facing the elevator corner.

I'm not sure what to do about the disobedience.  There is the language barrier, the fact that she is used to (forced) independence, and the fact that she has not had the last 14 years practicing listening to us.  She's also large and old enough I cannot physically force her to do much (nor would that be productive at all, I know.)  There will, however, be consequences.  For example, there will be no phone privileges tonight.

What are those 5 stages of grieving again?  Denial, anger . . .