Should've gone to spec savers...

So before we had kids, I had it in my head that they would be short sighted. Not one to dwell on negative stuff, me. But I did.

When I was 10, I would sit at the back of the class and borrow Anna Swayby's glasses with the guise that "it's so fun looking through them". She'd get cross at me but give in eventually. When she didn't or wasn't there I'd make a diamond shape with my fingers and look through the tiny gap and just about be able to make out words on the board. Shocking. Of course the inevitable happened when the nurse came and did health checks on the class. It had not occurred to me until that moment that I was short sighted. It was as much of a revelation to me as it was to my parents, who had no idea whatsoever. Seems all of us were oblivious to my blind-as-a-bat status.

Now the glasses that were presented to me (the free ones, of course) were big and round. And big, did I mention that? Oh and pink. And free. And big. Really big. I hated those babies. (I don't think that style has ever come back in fashion, they were that bad). And my path of shame and humiliation began.

Now before we had kids I was desperate for them to have normal eye sight and not to go through that. But a few months ago we went to get the older 2 tested. The reason? Well when your 8 year old is constantly standing in front of the tv, blocking everyone's view, you kind of sense that something is up. Of course, we did our own tests and thought everything was fine...
"Ollie, what does that say?"
(Pointing at a huge sign saying Exit)
Ollie: "Exit."
"Good. I think you're ok".
But we took them anyway (just to confirm we know what we're talking about) and Ollie needed glasses.

We chose a rather dandy pair (certainly not big, pink or round) and that was it. I actually felt quite excited, he looked so handsome and intelligent. (Makes his eyes look bigger though, kind of glares at me, I need to get used to that.) He also realised how much he couldn't see, he enjoyed wearing them and looking at detail from afar.

He doesn't wear them all the time though I don't think it will be long before he does. We went out as a family the other week (as we regularly do) but he'd left his glasses at home. I told the boys that the first person to spot a bin would get a prize. (The rubbish in my hand, but they didn't know that). Ollie shouted "I can see one, I win!"
I scoured the landscape in front of me but couldn't see one anywhere.
"There, right over there!"
I looked where he was pointing but could only see a green pushchair.
He started running towards it with the rubbish in his hand but stopped before he got there, confused.
I (good mother that I am), laughed my head off and shouted across the park "should've gone to specsavers!" We laughed about that one for quite some time.

Meanwhile I've realised it's not such a big deal if they need glasses. They're good boys, handsome, sensible. Far more important to worry about the TYPE of glasses that they need. It's all about the image.

Lovely.