J's New Look!

When Elijah and Josephine had their well-child visit this spring, they tried to check their eyes. The pediatric eye chart has an upper-case E and it points different directions, to a different thing on each side or top/bottom, like a bunny, clown, etc. In my mind, they're outdated charts. They had no idea what those pictures were, and had no idea what the nurse meant when she asked what the E was pointing towards. So they couldn't check their eyes. The doctor recommended we go see a pediatric opthalmologist, in case they have lazy eyes, or need glasses, etc. Best to treat that sort of thing before they need to use their eyes for school.

Since then, we'd been noticing, while practicing our letters this summer, that Josephine really squints and has to get up real close to a book (like 3 inches away) to look for letters. Our concerns were confirmed at the eye doctor's office this week. She needs glasses. But the doc said that she shouldn't need them permanently, it's due to lazy-eye, and should correct with glasses.

That day after we left the clinic, we had to stop at Walmart to pick up a few groceries. I had her try on a few pair just to see what they had, the cost, etc. She was very excited to try them all out. She was sitting in the cart, and I'd put a pair on her and wheel her to look in the mirror and she'd start diva-dancing in her seat in the cart. Very cute! She's very excited. (I wonder how excited she'll be when she realizes she has to wear them all the time. I was always annoyed by mine starting when I got them in the 2nd grade.)

Elijah, on the other hand, was very sad and dejected when I told him that he didn't need glasses. He sat in the cart with his face down and pouting the rest of the grocery trip. Poor guy. I had to talk to him and explain that his eyes are really good and he doesn't need them, but Josephine can't see very well and needs extra help. I don't think he gets it - thinks it's totally unfair that J gets glasses and he doesn't, but he'll be OK. We left him to have fun with Dad on the final glasses-shopping outing.

So then we had the fun of trying to find just the right pair. My criteria: cute, but sturdy and with a warranty, because she is only 4 years old, after all. Josephine's criteria: pink (it's her favorite!). Although, given the fun she had while trying them on, I think she'd be happy with just about any color (as long as it was fairly girly). Her nose is flat and wide at the top though, so the sturdiest of frames don't fit her face right. So we had to go with ones with the little bendy nose pieces. That made it a little more difficult, but I think we ended up with some cute ones.

We just got them tonight. At first she was lifting her chin way up so she could see under them. I told her she has to look through them, not turn her head like that, so she got used to that. She left them on too. I told her she has to wear them except for when she sleeps or takes a shower. We also got two cases - one for at home, and one for her to leave at daycare to keep them safe when she takes her nap there. She thought that was pretty cool, then started naming all the people she wants to tell that she got new "sunglasses". (Yah, we're wroking on calling them "glasses" instead of "sunglasses".)

She loves them because they're pink. (Don't tell her they're really purple! The bows are darker purple around her ears, but very light in the front, so we're calling them pink with a little bit of purple.) What do you think?I think that they make her look older though - the only thing I don't like about them. But, stinkin' cute, right?! :)