The Real Story...

... and the awful ending.

So, here is a picture(one of only 8 that survived my broken camera) of my beautiful Allison just moments after she had her ears pierced a mere 10 days ago. Yes, those are tears falling from her eyes. Yes, she is checking to make sure they didn't actually cut off her ear lobes because she swears it felt as though they did. Yes, this was a right of passage kind of thing that she had to wait for so that it could be a momentous occasion because her mom is weird like that. Yes, it was all for nothing.

NO, you did not misread that last sentence. IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING, and this mom is upset! This whole thing was ridiculous.

Ok, I will attempt to calm myself and explain. Here goes.

This weekend was not only Blake's season opener, but also Allies. One plays baseball, the other soccer. They are both incredibly talented. When you've got 3 kids you take turns. Thats just the way it is. So when mom and dad are watching one game, then grandma usually attends the other. Something like that. This weekend we planned to be in Dallas weeks before Allison's schedule was released so we went with Blake and next weekend I will make Allie's game. Something like that. Sometime before noon on Saturday I received a phone call from a very broken hearted Allison. I'm talking sobbing. Crying so hard I could barely make out the words. I'm thinking her foot snapped off and is lying out on the field or something similar, but thats not what happened. What did happen was that her coach took out her earrings. Those sparkly little things that cost me $54.oo!( that's beside the point). Those sparkly little things that we waited her entire life on. Those sparkly little things that we cut her hair off so that they would show. Those sparkly little things that made her 11th birthday the best ever. Yeah, those things. He TOOK them out and WOULD not allow her to play with band aids covering them like the girls on the other team. Yeah, I'm a little upset. He told her she HAD to remove them or not play and that she HAD to play. So, I'm thinking, kids can play with hard casts on their arms but not with little tiny stud earrings? Go figure. I've coached in this league for a few years. I've had numerous little girls with freshly pierced ears wear little brown band aids over them for the game. This isn't a competitive league. Its city league soccer! I mean come on, you pay your $35 and anyone with any level of talent can dress out and play ball. Its not that big of deal.

BUT, those little sparkly earrings in Allie's ear...THAT was a big deal. To her and to us. To her friends and her cousins who knew how long she'd been waiting to have them done. The soccer game didn't matter one little bit, but those earrings did. Now I have a broken hearted daughter (who didn't have the best piercing experience) who is terrified to have them re-done and swears that she'll just wait until she's older. She cried her self to sleep last night, but still doesn't want to endure it again. She's scared that if she does it again that her coach will make her take them out again and it wouldn't be worth it. She's sad and that makes me sad, or mad, or whatever you want to call it.

So deep breathing. That's what Blake and I are practicing because his heart is broken for Allie too. He's ready to have a word or two with her coach and I'm trying to calm him down and let him know that I'll handle it this week. Blake is protective like that and he won't stand by and allow anyone to hurt Allie or Ashley. He's the nicest guy in the world until you hurt his sisters and then you better watch out cause he might not be that big but his heart sure is.

What is the life lesson in all of this? I'm not real sure. I feel awful for not being at her game cause I guarentee you that she would have played and she would have worn those earrings. I mean the referees are like 13 years old and too scared to blow their whistles when the ball goes out of bounds. There's no way they would have convinced me to make her remove those earrings. Nope, don't think so. That is sounding so rebellious, and I guess maybe it is, but Allie's heart is broken and that makes me upset. As you can tell I'm still working throughthis whole thing. Today I'm going to remove her new jewelry holder and all of her new earrings from her bedroom because it makes her sad when she sees them. It makes me sad too cause most of her gifts this year were earrings.

On to other matters, Ash is feeling better and we have her feeds up to 30cc an hour! So exciting! We are going to slowly work our way out of this latest mess and get her off that TPN. Her face is really puffy and swollen today(thanks to that little thing called SVC) and her eyelids are super heavy, but she's happy. Sitting in her cube chairs reading a book about butterflys and watching Wonder Pets. This episode is about a baby armadillo and she just looked at me and signed baby. That cracked me up. She doesn't know the sign for armadillo(and neither do I), but she heard them say baby so she signed it and pointed to the armadillo. Smart girl. She has lots going on this week. Physical therapy, evaluations, make a wish inquiry, etc, etc. Lots to do. I'm so glad she seems to be feeling better. Her coughing is much better.

Well, I've get going. I'm picking Blake up early from school today to do a few things and then taking him on to baseball practice. I'm supposed to be there in an hour and I haven't finished getting Ash and I ready yet. Life is busy, blessed and busy. That's how I like it. By the way the Tarheels played some really good baseball this weekend and lost yesterday in extra innings by 2 runs. A heart breaker, but great experience. Its going to a good season. Have a great day. Trish