Tyler lost a tooth Sunday and another one is anxiously waiting its turn. When the second tooth pops out, he will have lost four altogether. Tyler decided that he would stay up and catch the tooth fairy. He was quite serious about it, too. He noticed the teeth were wiggling Saturday and when I checked, I was certain that one or both would come out over the weekend. Bright and early Sunday morning the first one came out when he brushed his teeth.
When his first teeth came out several months ago, a few days later he asked me point-blank if the tooth fairy was real or did I place the money under his pillow. I remember being caught off guard because he had seemed so certain that the tooth fairy existed and had been delighted at receiving 2 bucks a tooth. I wasn’t sure what caused his doubt but much like the issue of Santa, I don’t want to rush him through childhood. So I told him that I hadn’t put the money there, that it was indeed the tooth fairy. I was prepared if he really pressed me to fess up. I waited for the questions to start. I figured he would want to know how the tooth fairly got inside and so forth but thankfully he accepted my answer and started planning how to spend his loot.
This time he had a plan to catch the tooth fairy. I’m not exactly sure what his plan was because it was a secret plan and he refused to share it with me. I believe he felt he could simply pretend to sleep when in fact he would be playing possum. However, the best laid plans…
In this case, sleep overtook him before he could catch the tooth fairy. But I could tell that he was serious because he moved the tooth from where I had originally placed it. When I went to retrieve it, I noticed that it wasn’t under his pillow. He had taken it and was sleeping soundly with it clinched tightly in his tiny hand. I was afraid that the “tooth fairy” might actually get caught but luckily, she was able to extricate the tooth and replace it with two crisp one-dollar bills.
It’s times like these that I am so glad I’m a mom. Being able to bring a snaggle-toothed smile to Tyler’s face makes me see what’s really important in life. During times like these I am reminded of how easy it is to be happy. Kids have a way of grounding us and you know what, I’m glad.
See also:
Children’s Picture Book about Losing Baby Teeth