One Tooth Less

**

It's milestone time, and it's a big one.

Alex lost her first tooth and could not be more thrilled!! She's been talking about it, playing with it, and staring at it for three days. She even tried to take a picture of the little loose tooth.

She was playing with/biting on a string, trying to create a tea pot when the tooth just fell right out. She was so excited I thought her head might actually explode.


Well, until Daddy mentioned the blood. Then she started to cry.

(Oh, Daddy...,)

She recovered quickly and showed off her new trophy to her sister.

By the end of the day, Rachel was a bit 'over it,' as you can see from the photos...,

I think Lil' Ray was ready to pull her own tooth out so she could get a little attention and a visit from tooth fairy too.

Speaking of the tooth fairy - gotta run. I've got a job to do.

**

A few minutes later…

OK. Soooo NOT sly.

BUSTED!!

It started off OK.

I sneak in, grab the special little tooth pillow, bring it out, and switch the cutest little baby tooth you've ever seen for 2 gold dollar coins. Feeling sly, I slip quietly back into the girls’ room. I quietly reach up to lift her pillow and slip the special surprise in to place. I accidentally touch her hand and up she pops! Wide awake and very curious.

My heart leaps and I catch my breath. Maybe she won’t see me – as I stand there stupidly frozen at her bedside.

God if she finds out about the tooth fairy you know her faith in Santa and the Easter Bunny will be on a weak tether. Seconds away from smashing the magic of her childhood, I drop the pillow and kick it under the bed. It's sticking out just a bit - but it should be OK.

"Mom, what are you doing? Checking to see if she's been here?"

And she lifts up her pillow. Nothing. She looks at me. Puzzled. She lifts the pillow again. Nothing.

"Hmm. Maybe it fell down - let's turn the light on and look for it," she says.

Ok - maybe I should have taken this route - but it seemed to me that it would cheating.

"No hun - we don't want to wake up Rachel."

"Mommy?" Ray's sweet little voice.

SH*T.

These two usually sleep like they've been drugged. What the hell??

"But Mommy? Why did she take it and not leave the treat?"

"I'm sure she took it and will be coming back with the treat. I'm sure she didn't forget and it's not lost. Maybe we just scared her away with all the noise. Don't worry. I'll bet it will be here in the morning."

"OK. Well come and remind me in the morning. OK?"

"OK."

"Mommy? Mommy? Can I have my dwink?"

"Sure Ray."

God - I'm never going to get to bed! The job of tooth fairy is not easy.

Off I go again. Waiting for the little ones to go back to sleep. Wish me luck.

**

12:40 a.m. and Alex is still awake. Lying still, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tooth fairy.

I’m going to bed. She’ll find the little tooth pillow in the morning.

**

5:45 a.m. and her head is now actually exploding. Mine is just too bleary eyed to think straight.

“Mommy!!! Mommy!!! She was here! She came last night and we didn’t even KNOW!!”

“whaaa?” Numb from lack of sleep.

“The tooth fairy, Mommy. The TOOTH FAIRY!! She came! She came! It was right there the whole time. It was on the floor. By my bed. She came! You have to come out. Come out to the living room. It makes noise. Come out and let’s see what it is!! Come on!! Shhhh, don’t wake up Daddy and Ray.”

Her excitement is contagious. I’m up and scrambling after her, with wonder and anticipation—what could possibly be in that little box tucked so neatly inside the pillow?

The gold coins put her over the edge! She’s so happy if she grinned any harder I think the rest of her teeth would have fallen out.

**

This was a GREAT day to be a mom.

**