Best Mother Ever

By the way, I just found out that I'm the best mother ever.  My seven year-old told me so just a few minutes ago.  No, really.  I'm sure there's plenty of reasons why, but the precipitating cause du jour is that I let her close her pierced ears for the second time. Two years ago, God knows why, I let Nora have her ears pierced at the age of 5.  It could have gone well, but it didn't mainly because she has no stomach for blood, puss or crust. Are you with me? So when her ear became infected the first time around, she freaked out and screamed when you came toward her with so much as a cotton ball. She begged me to let her close the holes. Now anyone who knows me at all, knows that I am frugal to a fault. The fact that I paid for pierced ears, and would no longer have pierced ears to show for it KILLED ME. But it was the lesser of two evils to not have to navigate Nora's tears and irrational fears that she was going to die from her ear infection. So around Christmas time (2010), Nora told me that she was ready to have her ears re-pierced. We deliberated over it for two months until I conceded. This time, she didn't get an infection. She kept them in for a long time and asked to change earrings a week ago. Let's just say, it didn't go well. Her older sister came through and changed them out for new lady bug studs. Then, yesterday morning, Nora asked me to change them for her. Based on the history, I was nervous and afraid to hurt her. When I tried to insert the new earring, I couldn't tell which hole was the right hole (the second piercing was actually a better aligned version of the imperfect first). I panicked while Nora had a nervous breakdown. She went to school with only one earring in. She had a bad day at school. Her teacher called later to tell me that she cried for me. But really, Nora admitted, she cried because she wanted to put an end to this earring fiasco, and close them once (or twice) and for all. Today, she came home and said she had decided that she just wants to close both holes. I sighed, and told her o.k. with one condition. I would never have her ears pierced again. One day, when she has her own car, money and cotton balls, she can decide to pierce them again. I'm out. She was so relieved. And of course she told me what I already know, that I'm the best mother ever.