Today's Tool Time hits the floor as Al talks about the various manual methods one can use in trimming and laying down carpet. As usual, Tim is one step ahead of him and designs his own version of the porcupine, crossed with a lawnmower, and turns wheat Berber into shredded wheat Berber. At home, Mark sweats about a letter the school sent home for him. Before Brad and Randy have a chance to steam it open, Tim and Jill get it, and are both equally shocked about Mark's first letter from school. He swears he didn't do anything, so they'll have to find out from the teacher tomorrow. The question is, who would go to the meeting? Their hectic schedules, up to and including taking Brad and Randy to extracurricular activities and Mark to the doctor take up almost the whole day, but Jill confusingly sorts it all out so all Tim has to do is take Mark to the doctor, and make dinner. So after Al gives a painfully boring lecture on the history of linoleum on Tool Time, Tim hurries home to take Mark to his appointment, just as Jill passes through to get the other boys. She reports the teacher meeting went fine, but that Mark seems to be inattentive in class lately for some reason. Both parents are baffled as to why this is, and Tim couldn't get any answers out of Mark, who vehemently stated everything was fine.
Upon returning home from the doctor, where Mark went to get his flu shot by the way, Tim reports that kids in the waiting room prevented him from playing with the blocks, and that there were no new developments with Mark. Jill criticizes Tim for his approach and suggested she could have done a better job at getting a confession out of him. However, Miss High and Mighty couldn't get Mark to talk either. Whatever it is, it's obvious he's too embarrassed to let his parents know. It seems like it has something to do with him wanting to be moved toward the front of the class, or at least that's what he tells Brad. He says he can't see the board, so he'll have to get glasses. Why is he afraid of getting glasses? Because then people will call him a dork, and two sure bets are his older brothers. Fortunately, Wilson overheard the conversation and manages to build up the little man's confidence by showing him a neat trick involving looking through a tiny hole poked in a piece of paper, and holding the paper up to your eye enables you to see better. Having to hold two pieces of paper to his face showed Mark that glasses are a better alternative. And so, he gives in and allows Jill to take him to the optometrist. He comes home with a new pair of glasses, and the only one who mocks him is Tim, making a great example for the boys. Brad and Randy were surprisingly supportive, and they assured him not to worry about any heckling at school, because only THEY reserve the right to call him a dork.
Maybe you or somebody you know was faced with getting glasses in school, and the ever-persistent fear of being called "dork", "geek", and "four-eyes" hung over your head. Not me, though. I never had to wear glasses, and if anybody insults you for wearing them, it just shows how petty they are, or jealous. And what is up with "four-eyes" anyway? I never understood that one. Tim's "goggle-face" was a new one for me too. Now, even though Mark chose glasses for this episode, he is seldom seen wearing them again. Apparently he decides to go with contact lenses, which I personally would never go for. You ever try to put one of those things in? Creepy. But, to each their own. The Eyes Don't Have It is a great episode with lots of humor and heart. The situation may be familiar to some people, and foreign to others, but to both, this one is worth checking out. Also, when comparing performances in the earlier and later shows, Taran Smith was far better in the earlier shows as a boy than he was a teenager. I don't just pin that on his acting ability, it's also the fact they never gave him anything to do. I mean, a goth? For reals?
Upon returning home from the doctor, where Mark went to get his flu shot by the way, Tim reports that kids in the waiting room prevented him from playing with the blocks, and that there were no new developments with Mark. Jill criticizes Tim for his approach and suggested she could have done a better job at getting a confession out of him. However, Miss High and Mighty couldn't get Mark to talk either. Whatever it is, it's obvious he's too embarrassed to let his parents know. It seems like it has something to do with him wanting to be moved toward the front of the class, or at least that's what he tells Brad. He says he can't see the board, so he'll have to get glasses. Why is he afraid of getting glasses? Because then people will call him a dork, and two sure bets are his older brothers. Fortunately, Wilson overheard the conversation and manages to build up the little man's confidence by showing him a neat trick involving looking through a tiny hole poked in a piece of paper, and holding the paper up to your eye enables you to see better. Having to hold two pieces of paper to his face showed Mark that glasses are a better alternative. And so, he gives in and allows Jill to take him to the optometrist. He comes home with a new pair of glasses, and the only one who mocks him is Tim, making a great example for the boys. Brad and Randy were surprisingly supportive, and they assured him not to worry about any heckling at school, because only THEY reserve the right to call him a dork.
Maybe you or somebody you know was faced with getting glasses in school, and the ever-persistent fear of being called "dork", "geek", and "four-eyes" hung over your head. Not me, though. I never had to wear glasses, and if anybody insults you for wearing them, it just shows how petty they are, or jealous. And what is up with "four-eyes" anyway? I never understood that one. Tim's "goggle-face" was a new one for me too. Now, even though Mark chose glasses for this episode, he is seldom seen wearing them again. Apparently he decides to go with contact lenses, which I personally would never go for. You ever try to put one of those things in? Creepy. But, to each their own. The Eyes Don't Have It is a great episode with lots of humor and heart. The situation may be familiar to some people, and foreign to others, but to both, this one is worth checking out. Also, when comparing performances in the earlier and later shows, Taran Smith was far better in the earlier shows as a boy than he was a teenager. I don't just pin that on his acting ability, it's also the fact they never gave him anything to do. I mean, a goth? For reals?
