My second daughter, Lilly, got her ears pierced this weekend. It was a present for her 9th birthday, which was in September, but she had to wait until soccer season was over.

Lilly has been chomping at the bit to get her ears pierced since before her older sister, Maggie, got them pierced for her 10th birthday last January. Maggie really had no desire to get her ears pierced until she was nearing 10, and she’s still not sure she really likes it. She misses her old earlobes, she says.

But Lilly is my girlie girl. She likes everything feminine — fancy dresses, Barbies, nail polish, jewelry and makeup. If I hadn’t signed her up for soccer last spring — before she realized she would have to put off the ear piercing — she probably would have refused to play.

But the time finally arrived and Sunday, off Lilly and I went to the mall. She was so excited, she didn’t even care that a sharp object was going to be shot into her ears. And she didn’t even flinch. After it was done, she looked so grown up admiring her earrings in the mirror.

Then she insisted on riding the merry-go-round.