Ear piercing. DRAMA. Here's the whole story.

While it's fresh on my mind, I suppose I should tell the story.

Ellie decided ONCE AGAIN that "Today is the day!  The day I am going to get my ears pierced!"  She decides this on the most random days, but being the good mama I am, I agreed we could head out to the mall (again) to see if today truly WAS the day!

We bid dad farewell, and Gabbi grabbed a Sprite, and we were ready to roll.

Yep.  Just doing a little tooling around the  mall... yessirrreee... today is THE DAY!

Ellie gets up in the chair, all chill like, chooses her earrings, and is talking to this lady like they go way back to high school or something.

She is really so comfortable that I am starting to think it myself, that this might just be THE DAY!

This was our third attempt.  And none of the attempts were ever my idea.  I really couldn't care less if or when she gets her ears done.  I mean, one less thing, right?!  No need to shop for earrings.  No need to do all that "care" to the new holes.  No worrying about keeping those puppies open.  Nope.  I was in no big hurry for this event.  But Ellie Sue continues to bring it up, so... I obliged.

I kinda suffered a little grief after I posted this pic on facebook.  But, I suppose I should have put as the caption, "This is when the lady WIPED ELLIE'S EAR WITH ALCOHOL!".  She hadnn't even started the process.  This gives one a wee glimpse into the drama that is Ellie Sue Groves!!

Now when I said I didn't care whether she did or didn't, I meant it.  However, IF we ARE gonna get earrings, I VERY MUCH care where those little puppies are placed!!  I obsessed over whether the dots were in the right spot, even with each other, etc.  And then, I showed Ellie the dots with a big ol' handheld mirror so she could see where there would soon be earrings.

She was feeling it there for a little while.

But don't let this smile fool ya.  SHe was about to have a meltdown!  NOT captured on camera!

Enter Gabbi...
"I'll do it!".  Ok, are you sure you wanna do this, Gabbi?!  We'd not even had the whole "pre-discussion" at ALL!

So, here we go again, alcohol wiping, dotting and obsessing, and Gabbi is just smiling away!

She was ready for the "Click". ... or so she THOUGHT!

and I'll tell you right now.  I WAS NOT ready for this.  This is my BABY!!  And I had not emotionally prepared myself for this one having this done!

We asked them to double team so they'd only have one "click".

ANNNNDDD... CLICK!

This baby turned ghost white in that chair! She had NO IDEA that the click would hurt!  She just locked eyes with me, and I was so sorry for her.  I picked her up out of the chair, and she draped over me, lying her head motionless on my shoulder.

I walked her around, whispering to her how proud I was of her, and then I took her to see herself in a full length mirror.

Here is that moment!

Yep.  Things were much better right about now.

And lucky for Ellie... those earrings they had loaded in the gun didn't go to waste.  I chose 4mm czs for Ellie.  I think I would've gone at least a size smaller for Gabs.  Ellie has big old earlobes.  Gabbi's are tiny!

But, as it is... she has 4mm CZs for the next 6 weeks, at least!!

and because she was so brave, I pretty much let her get whatever else she wanted in that store.

Not sure why, but she wanted these!

I was seriously still so shellshocked from the experience, that I just said, "sure, whatever".... omg, my baby has EARRINGS!!   Like, through the ear earrings!!

We went into the mall and shopped a while, and about 2 hours later, we are having a very late lunch, then heading home.  Ellie declares, "I'm ready to do it.  I mean it this time.  I really will!"  And so forth and so on!

By now, my phone is dead, and I cannot believe that I am going to miss this monumentous occasion!  My friend, Tara, happened to walk in right about then.  She said, Let me take it with my phone.  Soooo... they once again loaded those guns with 4mm CZs, alcohol prepped her ears, made sure the dots were even, and Miss Priss insisted that she sit in my lap.

And again... HYSTERICS!!  Tara was motioning to me that she would come over and help me just hold her down.  I sort of tried to keep her arms down for a split second, but decided I could NEVER do that to my kid, so rather than have her hurt (even for the nanosecond it takes to pierce ears), I just gave up.  We walked to the counter, and they said, "That'll be $62."  I nearly sh*t down both legs!  "HUH?"
"Yes ma'am.  You have to pay for the earrings because they are no longer sterile once we loaded them in the gun."  She says, "Well, YOU can wear them."  Ummm, NO!  I MAKE all of my earrings, and 4mm CZs just ain't how I'm flowing!  Ok, NOW, I am kinda getting HOT.  And I think Ellie could tell. Here was my threat...
"We are NOT coming back to get your ears pierced, not one more time, until you are SEVEN YEARS OLD!!"
That must've done it?!  She said, "I can do it now."  I know those ladies must've thought we were nuts.  I looked at them very empathetically and said, "Seriously, it's just up to you!".   They were so kind and tried one more time.  THis time, it was as simple as "One, two, three, CLICK!".

And then she had a few tears fall, cause let's face it, to say piercing your ears doesnt' hurt just isn't being truthful.  I NEVER told her that!  I just kept saying, "It's over really, really fast".  And that IS the truth.  So, about as quickly as she was crying afterwards, just as quickly she was over it and SMILING and posing... for the girl who worked at Claire's Icing who took pictures with her own phone and then texted them to me.  THAT, my dear friends, is SERVICE!

and so goes the story of the Groves Girls and their ear piercing.

We now experience nightly drama with the turning of the studs, but I remind them it is a necessary evil if they want to get new earrings in a few weeks.  Wish us luck when these come out.  I'm told that is just about as dramatic!  UGH!

Being a girl mama can be a wee bit trying at times... but oh so rewarding too!!

MO