Let’s just cherish this sweet face while we can because pretty soon it’s going to be covered with a big pair of glasses.
I know she needs the glasses…she’s been squinting to see for a couple years and I’ve just been in denial. The trouble is, although I finally relented and took her to the doctor, we still don’t know how high the prescription should be. You see, somehow she pulled off fooling the doctor (and me) into believing that she could really only make out the huge “E” at the top of the chart. (I guess she really wanted to make sure she got those fancy glasses she’s been coveting.) The doctor wrote out a super strong prescription for her and it was like she was in a candy shop trying to pick out which frames she wanted. She was so excited.

But that night, after a dinner discussion where Dave’s jaw dropped at how high her prescription was, I realized her cheeks were dripping with tears while she was doing the dishes because she’d been feeling guilty all afternoon for pretending. Through sobs she admitted that she really could see some of the other letters on the chart, and she felt horrible about not telling the doctor so.

I have to note that all this happened after the lady cutting Elle’s hair last week told her this crazy story of how when she was Elle’s age she faked it in her eye exam because she wanted glasses SO bad. She got in so much trouble because the doctor could totally tell she was pretending and their family had no money for an eye exam at the time. So when I brought Elle to her eye exam I jokingly reminded her not to fake it like her hairdresser did. The doctor assured me it’s easy for her to tell if kids are making things up. Hmmmmm…really??

Needless to say, I had to put the glasses we ordered for her on hold, I’ll have to get her out of school again and go do the exam all over again. That little stinker. And I wonder: has she learned her lesson through that horrible guilty feeling all afternoon or do I figure out some sort of other natural consequence? Do I make her save up and earn money for the exam? Do I make her wait longer squinting her eyes to receive her beloved glasses? Do I just chalk it up to a learning opportunity and go on? This is totally not normal Elle behavior…I’m so surprised she could pull something like that off. But I guess I underestimated how luring a pair of glasses could be!

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9 Comments

  1. chalk it up to her first lesson. I did the same thing, acted much more blind than I was. I got the glasses, wrong prescription, and walked like frankenstein for a few miserable weeks.

    When I told my Mom she was a little miffed, but I’m glad she understood and gave me another chance to get them the right way!

    On a side note, I did lose my retainer six times and had to pay for the last replacement. I never lost another one.

  2. she will look so cute in her glasses. i felt the same when tristan had to get glasses but they make him extra cute to me. he only has to put them on at certain times but he chooses to ware them all of the time.

    i don’t understand how she could cheat.?.? with tristan he was hooked up to a machine that showed the Dr. exactly what his perscription should be. hmmmm.

    good luck with your next appt. poor thing, it just doesn’t feel good to be dishonest and poor you, nothing is worse than feeling lied to. i think she learned her lesson. 🙂

  3. I think it’s huge that she was the one that told you. It’s not like she got caught and then fessed up. She’s had punishment enough. You are such a cute Mom, and Elle is obviously learning a lot from you.

  4. I am impressed she could pull that off. She is such a doll. I can just picture her with the guilt realizing what she did. It is a great learning experience for her.

  5. That is such a cute story. I’m sure it is frustrating for you, but it’s a fun one to tell years from now. I got glasses at the same age and I was the exact opposite. I definitely saw better with them, but I hated wearing them. My mom even talked to my teacher and had her announce to the class that I was now wearing glasses, upon which I guiltily pulled them out of my desk and put them on my face. Thank heavens for Lasik 🙂

  6. Oh the draw of glasses! Summer got reading glasses about a year ago. She had been having frequent head aches and squinting too, but the optometrist couldn’t find anything wrong. I think there was a little want and need for glasses, its the age.

    PS. Loved loved Gracie’s letter!

  7. Oh the draw of glasses! Summer got reading glasses about a year ago. She had been having frequent head aches and squinting too, but the optometrist couldn’t find anything wrong. I think there was a little want and need for glasses, its the age.

    PS. Loved loved Gracie’s letter!

  8. Thats kindof funny actually…but what a sweetheart for admitting it. She will look super cute in glasses…when I come to AZ this Spring can you do pictures for us? I will let you know way before when 🙂

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