You Want What?

"Daddy, can I get real earrings?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can I get earrings that are real?"

I stare at her for a second.

"You mean, you want to have your ears pierced?"

"Yes."

"Talk to your mother."

That's the broad outline of the conversation I had with C last week.  After reading about it in a book, she had decided that she really wanted to have her ears pierced.  With a sharp object.  This is the same girl that has a pathological fear of needles, so I decided on the spot that I was recusing myself from this decision.  After holding her down so the doctor could stitch up her eye, the last thing I wanted was to voluntarily get into this conversation.

As I continued to work in the kitchen, I could see C talking to Holly.  And I could tell that we'd be going somewhere that weekend to get the deed done.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against C getting her ears pierced.  It's one of those things that I really don't have much of an opinion on one way or the other.  It's not the same to me as girls wearing inappropriate clothes or makeup, so I kept quiet and let Holly steer it the way she wanted to.

So on Saturday we headed to the mall.  And after a little shopping, C and Holly stopped into one of the accessory shops, and a few minutes later C walked out with two tiny gold earrings.  She was (rightfully so) very proud of herself.  So for the next  6-8 weeks we will be cleaning and disinfecting and making sure nothing goes awry. 

On a funny note, as we were walking back to the car, C asked how long we had to keep the earrings in.  Holly told her "six to eight weeks", to which C stole a line from Madagascar 2 and replied, "Sixty eight weeks!"  We apparently have a budding movie quoter in the family.  I have no idea where she gets that from.