Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I promise. If I'd pierced your ears, it would have hurt!

Syd's got a big lip sync performance at school Saturday and it requires a "frilly" dress. Actually, I was told to dress her in "princess prissy," quite a challenge for someone like me who prefers "funky and frou-frou." Despite my prissy limitations, I found the perfect dress.

I thought I'd surprise Syd by giving her earrings to match.

Neither of us have pierced ears. I finally got the courage to do mine when I was 22. They quickly got infected and once I got those things out, I swore I'd never put any back in. My fear must have spread to her in the womb. She says she'll never get her ears pierced -- ever.

So, I picked out some cute clip-ons and some magnetic earrings.

I'm fascinated with the magnetic ones. They look like pierced earrings since they don't have a bar to clamp around to the back. These tiny magnets are super strong.

I had her close her eyes while she sat in front of me. I slid the two magnet-backed earrings onto her and told her to open her eyes. I held the mirror in front of her face and noticed the "What's my surprise" look of amusement was turning quickly...the wrong way.

Her brown eyes were filled with tears. Then the lip went upside down.

"What's wrong?"

sniff. sniff.

"What's the matter?"

"I didn't want holes in my ears," she cried. In writing classes they always tell you to used the word "said" when telling that someone said something because people don't really cry words. Yeah, right. Those instructors have never magneted earrings onto a kid's ears. When I say, "she cried," I mean it.

"Oh, sweetie, your ears don't have holes in them. These are magnets."

No response.

I showed her another pair so she could see how they work. Still, no response.

"You think I pierced your ears, don't you?"

The crying turned to wailing. The nod of her head made those welling tears finally run down both cheeks.

"Your ears are not pierced, I promise." I said. "If I'd pierced your ears, it would have hurt really bad." Well, that slipped out. Now she'll never want them done.

The tears have long since dried and we've played with the magnetic earrings most of the evening. She actually does like the clip-ons. They have a padded backing, one that quite obviously won't leave a hole in her ear.

1 comment:

  1. This is the kind of story you can someday tell her children to get them to laugh when they are scared about something. Love it!

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