Giant pencils on key chains and puffy stickers, Oh my

We had a big celebration around here the other week.  I couldn't let my sweet girl turn 7 without posting pictures of her big day.  She had thought long and hard on how she wanted to celebrate and what she came up with was:

 

Getting her ears pierced and fancy dining.  We talked about a party, but she is a girl who knows what she wants and she insisted she didn't want a big party.

 For years now, Steve and I told her she could get her ears pierced (if she wanted) when she was 7.  I figured by that point she could decide if she indeed wanted to go through the pain and responsibility. This is what my mom had done with me and I like to think I turned out ok.

We invited her good buddy, Lila to be moral support.  Lila and Olivia are true partners in crime.  Lila is in second grade and O is in first.  They were in the same pre-k/kindergarten classroom.  Then Lila moved up.  This year, O got moved into the same classroom.  The girls have become fast friends.  I truly love their friendship. They are a great match, two peas in a pod.

 

O was brave.  And all smiles.  She declared that day to be the *happiest day of her life, so far.*

 

The girls then shopped around Claire's Boutique for awhile.  (Is there really anywhere else for an American girl to get her ears pierced?)

 

I stood back and tried to get out of the way.  I felt like I was in some kind of weird dream where my daughter and her friend giggled over the sparkly hello kitty press-on nails... and then I realized, nope, it's just the beginning of the rest of my life.  Somebody get me a refill on my Xanex, please.

 

We ended with fancy dining at the Cheesecake Factory.  The girls were so excited and chatted and checked out the bathroom and the cheesecake case.  They talked about earrings and diaries that had locks on them at the store.  I basically re-lived my 1st grade year all over again. 

 I know there is a distinct possibility (dare I say certainty) I will take these words back but, I love watching my daughter grow up.  I love her choice in friends.  I like the friend she is to others.  I am not taking for granted the fact that she wants me around right now.  I know there will be a day she will ask me to want me to drop her off a block away from wherever she is going.  She will purchase a diary with a lock on it to keep ME out. 

I know I will do things that she will roll her eyes at.  I will embarrass her (and sometimes it will not be on purpose.)  Now I need to go work on figuring out how to pick locks... it might be a good skill to have one of these days.