I knew Sophie would not be disappointed to learn she needed glasses. But I was a little surprised when Annabelle asked, plaintively, “Can I have some glasses, too?”

She’s not having trouble seeing. She’s just a slave to her own particular brand of fashion — inspired in part, she acknowledged, by Harriet the Spy. Turns out she’s not alone; Claire’s (the accessory store of choice for the tween and pre-tween set) actually stocks non-prescription glasses. Since we have not had luck yet, finding Sophie the real thing, we headed to the mall tonight. The girls picked out matching pairs.

Both are thrilled. “I can see better!” Sophie announced at dinner. I don’t know about that, but I’m hoping this $7.50 investment will help teach her over the next few days how to take care of glasses, which you can’t toss around like, say, an iPad.

I’m on a quest to find just the right glasses, after a multi-pronged disaster at Lenscrafters. Cate suggested the glasses made just for kids with Down syndrome. I’m thinking about it, but the selection is so narrow. Not much personality. I suppose fit trumps fashion in this case, but still. I have to admit that I hate for Sophie to look like all the other kids with Down syndrome in their standard-issue glasses. (And standard-issue haircut, which she also has. At least you seldom see anyone — particularly a person with Down syndrome — sporting a purple sundress with white duct tape polka dots stuck on in February.)

Annabelle eyed the turkey sandwich on her plate and asked, “Can I have just a tomato sandwich in my lunch sometime, like Harriet?”

Absolutely. That is the kind of nerdiness I can embrace.