Kelsey's Big Day

For some time, Kelsey has been waffling back and forth whether to get her ears pierced. Normally it's not something I would have considered letting my 5-year old daughter choose, but there are two things that have been in Kelsey's favor. First, she takes pretty good care of her stuff. Second, ever since school has started she's been self-conscious about her short hair and thinking she looks like a boy. I'm guessing it has something to do with some of the other kids. But regardless, I wanted to let her feel like a girl as much as possible. Maybe it's flashbacks from when I was 10 and my sister Beth cut my hair short and everyone thought I was a boy. Either way, I've been a softie and have been willing to get Kelsey's ears pierced. The only problem is that Kelsey keeps chickening out because it will hurt.

This past Friday she finally decided to do it. So off we went to Walmart. Apparently the only woman working on Friday afternoon that was qualified to do it was on break and wouldn't be back for another 15 minutes. We decided to wait it out. After about 30 minutes and JUST as we were about to give up and leave, she came back. We proceeded with the right ear piercing.

After 20 minutes of crying, screaming, wailing, clinging and (on my part) cajoling, we finally left the store with the promise that we would come back the next day to get the other ear done. So after an hour and then some, this is what we had:

In case you can't see what I'm talking about, there's no earring in her left ear.

After about an hour, the pain had mostly faded and Kelsey had decided she was ready to get the other ear done. So off we went to Walmart again, and would you believe that the woman had just gone on break again?? What were the chances? Fortunately, I had another stop to make in Oklahoma City across the street from another Walmart, so we set off for that one and got it done. Not even one tear was shed for this one! Nice.

Then, on Saturday I took Kelsey in for a haircut. She wants to grow her hair back out again and it was really starting to look like a longish boy-do so we needed to feminize the haircut. I think the lady did a bang-up job!

And look! She has an earring in the left ear now, too!