Entry FeedBefore we were married, Husband I took a marriage course on the strong recommendation of the priest who was going to marry us. I think it was prerequisite to him performing the ceremony. We had already been living-in-sin for three years, so we wanted to do whatever we could to stay on his good side.
We both really enjoyed the course, and came out with a plan for our marriage - fighting strategies, mission statement, rules for our kids, division of household chores, the works! (I need to find that contract somewhere because I am pretty sure I didn't sign up for 99% of the laundry!)
One of the things we discussed was if we had daughters, when they would be allowed to pierce their ears. Husband's family is Canadian, CANADIAN, CAKE-CANADIAN, if you know what I mean. They seem to see a girl piercing her ears a right of passage for preteens (there was a letter to the Today's Parent editors in a recent issue saying how our girls our growing up too fast and their cover model child shouldn't have her ears pierced.)
I come from a more ethnic background. My ears were pierced before I spoke, so I know that I didn't ask for them to be done. I think in some cultures it is considered a way to differentiate between girl and boy babies, so it is often done around 6 months old. Honestly, I was never a fan of those bald little heads with earrings and those silly elastic headbands. Then I had a bald baby girl who was often called a boy, and I was tempted.
Husband and I had reached an agreement. We would allow our daughters to have their ears pierced (single hole - not cartilage) when they asked. We would not do it when they were babies, we would wait until they expressed an interest and actually wanted to have it done. I think we both thought this would come sometime between age 9 and 13.
Daughter must be an early bloomer. Friday night at 8 pm she decided that she wanted her ears pierced IMMEDIATELY. She asked, she didn't demand. And since we had already decided almost a decade ago our position, I said it was OK with me if it was OK with Daddy. Daddy told us to go ahead, but he didn't want to come and watch. I knew that he thought I would be home an hour later with Daughter's ears still hole-less, likely with a crying or hysterical little girl.
Instead, I came home an hour later with a little girl with pretty blue cubic zirconias in her ears to match her eyes.
I considered taking her to the local tattoo and piercing parlour (isn't there one in ever neighbourhood nowadays?) but my goals wasn't to scare her. So we went to Sherway, our closest mall. At 8:30 pm there was no one in People's Jewelers who could pierce and Mappins was recommended.
At 8:40 we arrived at Mappins, 20 minutes before closing time. The woman who helped us was AMAZING! She got down on one knee to ask Daughter her name, her age, and if she really wanted it done. She exclaimed that three was the perfect age to get your ears pierced, and took Daughter by the hand to pick out her first earrings.
This woman showed tremendous patience getting the location for the earrings just right. She starts with a marker, and then the special gun. I had her correct each marker dot three times. Daughter got the hiccups, and I thought we were in trouble, but they went away when the first earring was shot into her ear.
Daughter was a little surprised and upset by the pinch, but the saleswoman quickly grabbed the other ear and put the second earring in place before Daughter could think too much about what was going on.
PERFECT! Two little earrings, 25 minutes and $45 later. Daughter was stoic and determined. She didn't flinch, and never even considered crying. This is were my Husband's stubbornness gene really pays off - once my children have made up their minds, they just go for it.
I am still getting used to my little baby walking around with earrings. It makes her seem like such a big girl! I was so proud of how she handled herself, and I think she looks cute.
What a great shot! Now I want some pink earrings..or maybe purple.