A Potato Head miracle

Remember how Isaac had to get glasses? And then they got smashed? Well, ever since then, he has refused to wear them for more than a minute or two at a time. Over the past couple of months, we tried all sorts of things to convince him to keep his glasses on—to no avail. It seemed that Isaac was doomed to a life of blurry surroundings and crossed eyes.

Then Mr. Potato Head came into our lives:

For those who don't know, Mr. Potato Head is an incredibly well-accessorized individual. And among his many possessions are several pairs of kooky frames, perfect for playing dress-up. All it took was a couple of days of seeing how cool Lucy, Jude, and Dahlia looked in their Potato Head glasses:

And BAM! Isaac decided that he wanted to wear glasses, too. Being a savvy mommy, I instantly traded his Potato Head glasses for his real glasses—and that was that! Today marks 6 full days since Isaac started wearing his glasses full time again, and he hasn't looked back:

Mommy is very happy that her little boy's eyes will no longer be crossing when he watches TV, and Isaac is thrilled to see clearly things that are nearby, such as books and people's faces. And because we invested in a pair of Miraflex frames for him to play in, none of us have to worry about him smashing his glasses anymore:

Thank you, Mr. Potato Head!

In the blink of an eye

Isaac's first week in glasses couldn't have gone better. I would put them on him whenever he was distracted or in a mellow mood, and the second he started to fidget with them, I'd make them disappear until I saw my next opportunity to put them on. With this approach, Isaac quickly grew more and more accustomed to his glasses until, just a week after getting them, he successfully wore them all day (except for during his nap, of course). We were so proud of him!

But then ... Isaac scratched a lens. We're not sure how it happened, but it seems likely that he fell and hit them on a toy when we weren't looking, as the mark on the scratch-resistant lens was pretty sizable. It must have been pretty annoying, too, because, after that, nothing could convince Isaac to keep his glasses on. Naturally, we got the lens fixed ASAP (thanks, Uncle P!), and I thought we were good to go.

I was SO wrong.

This morning, while I was fixing breakfast and Ted was changing a diaper, this is what Isaac did to his glasses:

Note lens and screw popped out of the frame, temple rotated 45 degrees, 
and one cable completely removed from earpiece.

Talk about a horrible way to start the day! We don't know exactly how he managed to wreak such havoc on his glasses (he is not a destructive kid, by any means), but one theory is that he might have yanked them off to burrow into his favorite pillow, and then rolled over on top of them (I found the popped-out lens underneath the pillow). I really can't think of any other way that he could have mangled his wire frames so badly—I mean, he's strong, but he's not that strong.

In any case, we realize that Isaac needs close supervision while wearing his glasses. But the fact is that we happen to live with three other little people who almost constantly demand that we divert our attention from him! If only I could clone myself ...

The better to see you with

Isaac finally got his glasses! I didn't think my little boy's big, blue eyes could get any more beautiful, but I was wrong:

Handsome devil 
(in Fisher Price wire frames with unifit nose piece,
cable temples, and Crizal Avance lenses,
ground digitally to minimize magnification)

 
So far he is tolerating them very well, keeping them on long enough to read books, do puzzles, and perform various other activities that must seem like new now that he can see what's in front of him. Today he even pointed at a photo on the fridge for the first time and said "mama"—I think he recognized me because he could finally distinguish my face in the picture!

Thankfully, the other kids have been great with his glasses, too. Although they initially wanted a turn wearing them, they lost interest once I explained that now Isaac has glasses just like Daddy has glasses. They know that touching people's glasses is a no-no, so they have left his entirely alone. Let's hope it stays that way!

New looks

The girls got a makeover of sorts this morning when I decided that their hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails. I need to work on my technique (perfectionist mom + squirmy girls = way too much time spent fixing hair), but I thought their hair still turned out pretty cute. Check out how adorable they looked sharing their snacks this afternoon:



I am happy to report that we also made progress on Isaac's new look today: This morning one of my mom's brothers—the one who just happens to be in the eye business—stopped by to help us pick out some frames from the comfort of our own home. What a lifesaver! Here's a sneak peek at what our blue-eyed boy will look like once his lenses are ready:

Thanks for hooking us up, Uncle P!

The eyes have it

A couple of months ago, one of Isaac's eyes began to cross every so often while watching television. I mentioned it to the pediatrician at his 2-year check-up, and she recommended that he see a pediatric opthamologist. The diagnosis? Accommodative esotropia. Basically, he is far-sighted and, without the use of corrective lenses, both of his eyes will eventually cross. So it looks like it's gonna be glasses for Isaac!

The doctor recommended a couple of places in town that probably carry frames small enough to fit him, but we haven't been able to check them out yet. I did, however, dig up some sunglasses that Tia Glenda gave us to see whether Isaac would tolerate wearing such an apparatus on his face. Turns out that all four kids LOVE wearing glasses!

Lookin' cool in their shades
(clockwise from bottom left: Jude, Dahlia, Isaac, Lucia) 

Ah, the power of novelty. Anyone have advice on buying frames for a 2-year-old, and then keeping said frames on his face once the newness wears off?