ear aches & temper tantrums

When does it stop? The temper tantrums and screaming, the uncontrollable sobs and feet stomping, does it ever stop? My four year old has serious issues with waking up from the car ride home. This is a trip we take every day, a trip that she has been taking since day one of her life. Every time we get in the car to drive home she falls asleep, without fail. And every time we pull into the parking lot she wakes up screaming, almost without fail (I get lucky every once in a while and she wakes up smiling. These moment are far and few in between.) When she wakes up screaming she is usually pulling on her ears. Here is the conversation that took place during this tantrum:
Mommy: "Olivia why are you crying?"
Olivia: sobbing and pulling on her ears
Mommy: "Do your ears hurt?"
Olivia: "Yes"- still sobbing
Mommy: "Which one hurts?"
Olivia: "They both hurt" - still sobbing
Mommy: "Maybe we need to go see the doctor"
Olivia: "No, thank you" - still sobbing
Mommy: "Well if you are crying this much, then they must really hurt and I think we should go see the doctor"
Olivia: "No, thank you" - the sobs start to subside
Mommy: "Are you sure?"
Olivia: "No, thank you. I want to eat the tomato" - it was on the counter. I know random. And the sobbing stops.

These are the daily happenings in our life.