For Madilynn's seventh birthday last week, the only thing she wanted was to have her ears pierced. After school today, I surprised her with a trip to the mall to get it done. She was so excited on the way there that it got to be contagious; Emma, and even the boys, were begging to be allowed the coveted ear-holes.
I finally agreed (for Emma, not the boys) (I told the boys they had to wait until they were old enough to handle being called a punk by all our friends -- and only after their first tattoo), and Madilynn asked for Emma to go first so she wouldn't be so scared.
Emma bravely climbed up on the chair, sat down, and dealt with the pain. For a second. I think it hurt her more than she expected, and she didn't want to have the second one done. I had to appeal to her sense of vanity (by telling her the one earring would make her walk crooked for the rest of elementary school) to get her to do the second one.
As soon as she was done, she was was thrilled, and looked at herself in the mirror at the store for the rest of the time we were there. Madilynn was less than impressed. She immediately started screaming and running around the store, hiding behind display racks as if a crazed ear-piercing monster were on the loose.
When I managed to catch her, I told her that the drama wasn't needed. She could either sit down and do it, or we would leave. She decided to go through with it. Until the girl doing it showed her how it worked.
The running and screaming resumed, and I finally found her under a stack of wide-brimmed leather hats. She was terrified. I told her that I was, under no circumstances, coming back to the mall any time within the next two years (I was only being honest -- I hate the mall). That convinced her to climb back in the chair.
For an entire five seconds.
The look on her face was so classically terrified (wide eyes, ends of the lips drawn way down) that I couldn't continue to let her try. I paid for Emma's and tried not to go all HULKSMASHMADILYNN for dragging me to the mall for no reason.
I fully expected some serious jealousy on on the way home, complete with all the drama my little seven year old girly girl can muster, but it didn't happen. I see no future of pierced ears for the child -- she has been traumatized enough by the experience of watching her sister (who didn't even cry) and doesn't want any part of it -- even for vanity.
My Madi: Can do rounds and rounds of vaccinations just to prove to her brothers she isn't as big a wuss as they are, but she can't sit for some sparkles in her ears.
