Chuck's 'Condition'

Life is anything but dull in our house. Imagine the hours of fun just trying to get a simple family picture for our Christmas cards. First Chuck has to set the camera on a tripod and then attempt to get each of the 5 people in our family to look at the blinking light at exactly the same time all with genuine smiles on their faces. This must all be accomplished without anyone wiggling, yelling and causing tears and a red nose to show up in the picture or without knocking the camera off the tripod while attempting to leap over furniture and get into the perfect spot in the 10 second time-frame allotment. It is almost a hurdle too impossible for us to climb. It was yet another memorable moment to add to our data bank of "Crazy Memorable Mallott Moments".

Miraculously, we took at least one good picture (this was our 3rd attempt) and had a hearty laugh at the rest of them. But it wasn't the kids that caused laughter this time around. It was Chuck. We have come across a phenomenon almost too unbelieveable - yet it exists. While looking at my dear husband's handsome face in the recent pictures, I couldn't tell what way he was looking. I zoomed in for closer detail. And then it struck me...my husband has "Wall Eye". You know, where one eye appears to be looking slightly askew from the other.

In all our years, I never noticed this. His eyes have always been my favorite feature. They're so kind and gentle. Yet upon further evaluation they're also not looking at the same focal point. What's going on here? As we were rolling on the floor with laughter, Chuck decided to name his 'condition'...."Adult Onset Wall Eye Disorder". He's considering starting a support group for anyone else who may be unwittingly beset with such a baffling condition.