Pre-teen

Cinderella's twelfth birthday is speedily approaching. She's counting down the days. Not only does this birthday fall on a year when she gets a "friend" party instead of just a "family" part, her big number twelve has many other important things attached to it.

In our church, when you turn twelve, you become part of the Young Women program. She's excited for the activities where she can learn and grow, and increase her testimony in Jesus Christ. It will be a great experience for her, and one that I loved when I was a girl. I'm really excited for her.

Some of the "twelfth birthday" things, though, I am a little sad I agreed to. But, when she was eight it just sort of seemed that it would be forever until she turned twelve. So, I have agreed to let her wear make up and get her ears pierced. She cannot wait.

Yesterday, she was asking about getting her ears pierced. Where would we go? when would we go? how long would it take? And then she asked the question that I thought just might get me out of this one: "Mom, does it hurt very much to get your ears pierced?"

"Oh, yeah. It hurts quite a bit. You know, you don't have to do it, just because we said a long time ago this was when you could get them pierced."

"I know," she said, "But how bad does it hurt? Like you hit your head, or scraped your knee, or what?"

"Well," I exaggerated, "It sort of hurts like someone is poking a gigantic hole into your body with a super big pin. It hurts a lot. But, not for too long. It just kind of stings for a couple of weeks until it heals. It's pretty yucky, though. Worse than braces." I thought that could persuade her. I know I'm a mean mom, but it's not like she needs her ears pierced. It won't hurt her to wait a while more.

She looked at me with a grimace on her face. "That's terrible," she said.

Yes! I did it! I think I persuaded her! "Yep, it's pretty bad."

"Well," she says thoughtfully, "Beauty is pain. I guess I'll just have to handle it!"

Darn. So much for thinking she's not willing to sacrifice for her looks. I guess that's why they call these the pre-teen years. The adolescent mindset is settling in pretty quickly after all.