And let the pain begin.

This post has nothing to do with childbirth or football, two subjects that I am familiar with, and can both be quite painful. This has to do with vision - not overarching "what am I doing with my life" vision, but vision - the kind that requires glasses for me and the rest of my family. The pain comes in small steps at first - one eye exam and one pair of glasses. Then it turns into sports goggles and later on contacts, and who knows, maybe surgery at some point in the future.


So we took our first steps toward better vision on Thursday. I took the little guys to the eye doctor for the very first time. They had toys in the waiting room, so they didn't "explore" the hundreds of pairs of glasses they had near the waiting are. Good first step. The boys got to ride up and down in a cool chair before the nice man measured something about their vision - and both got to see the other's GIANT eyeball on the screen. Now if that isn't cool I'm not sure what is.


Then we went back to the toys and played some more, this time only mildly irritating a couple that was waiting to have their ride in the cool up and down chair. You see, we didn't choose the quiet toys or books, we chose the Jack in the Box, the old fashioned kind, and played it over and over and over and over again. (I know - my kids were deprived of this Oh So Annoying toy as little guys.) Yeah, good waiting area, and still no broken glasses.


So it was finally our turn and we went into the room where the doctor did the eye exam. She was a pro. She has four kids of her own and knew exactly how to get and keep their attention. Sam went first and then Ian followed. Both did a great job and again got to ride in a cool chair. She had them look at a 3-D fly, which really fascinated Sam, and read lots of numbers and letters, and even some shapes. She looked at their eyes through the microscope (and showed each of them the other's eye) and they thought the entire thing was, well, ho hum. Problem is, going to the eye doctor just isn't so exciting.


The exciting part for me though, is the complete lack of pain. Neither child needs glasses, and we didn't pay a penny for the visit. So, while Tom and I are pretty much both blind as bats, so far so good on the little guys.


Max heads out there in two weeks, but I'm not holding my breath. A few weeks ago he said "Hey Mom, I can't really see out of my right eye." Geez kid. This is the stuff that you are supposed to tell you mother well before school starts...sign...and so he pain begins...