pierced...

This year I started a new tradition...I call it being "kidnapped" by mom! I have realized with 5 kids that one on one time with me and each child is hard to fit in. We have one on one moments every day, but I love spending a few hours alone with each one of them. The joy of being "kidnapped" is that it happens spontaneously for them. (Disclaimer: Having it be spur of the moment for them is great because I can do it when we have time...I can switch it to another day if the day I planned on gets too full and I don't have a child upset because it didn't work out.)

So on Saturday on my way out the door to go pick Noah up from baseball practice I told Bailey to hop in the car to come with me. She didn't want to so I picked her up and said, "well, you have no choice...you are being kidnapped!" She started crying. Great. Not exactly what I had planned. As a mad Bailey buckled in I tried to remind her that this is a good thing not a punishment...she thought I was just tricking her by saying she was being kidnapped just so she would get into the car...(Sounds like she is too used to her brothers trying to get her to do stuff!) Once she realized that it was her turn to have some fun with mommy she perked right up and was super excited! About a year ago Bailey and I were walking through a store and she saw a pretty pair of earrings. She asked how they stay on your ears. I told her that you have to get your ears pierced and that a piece of the earring fits into your ear. I asked her if she would ever want her ears pierced to which she said NO WAY! I told her that I wouldn't ever make her get them pierced, but that we would consider it if she asked me! For a few months now she has been asking if we could get her ears pierced. So I decided that now was as good a time as any. We drove to the mall and went into the fun jewelry store. She still had no idea what we were going to do. Once she figured out what we were going to do she got really nervous and started to cry. I explained how quick and mostly painless it was and she calmed down. We picked out a pretty pair of earrings and she was still nervous but excited. The ladies did both ears at the same time. They look super cute and she is SO excited to show anyone who will look! She even asked my mom this afternoon when we picked her up in our car: "Grandma, Did you remember that I have my ears pierced?"

Watching the ladies getting the stuff ready.

The big moment. Both guns were loaded and ready.

She didn't even cry...she barely flinched! Super brave if you ask me!

All done and she LOVES them! I had to wait until I was 12 years old to get mine pierced...why didn't I make her wait you might be thinking? Well...I only have 1 girl and so I don't really need to have a rule! I think if I had more than one girl I would probably designate a certain age, but the joy of having only 1 girl is that I don't have anyone else waiting in the wings asking when it is going to be their turn!

I love spending time with each of my children. Bailey is such a sweetheart and a loving daughter. I love her so much and treasure any time that we get to spend just the two of us!