Even the Tooth Fairy got hit by the bad weather

Big news again - John lost a front tooth on Monday. I think of the front teeth as much bigger deals than the other teeth. Maybe because they're more obvious; maybe because there's a song about them; maybe because when the grown up teeth come in, they don't quite seem to fit the little person's face so I miss those tiny front teeth a little more than the others.

Regardless, lost teeth = payday for most kids, and John is no exception. Except for when the Tooth Fairy doesn't arrive the first night... and then again the second night. By Wednesday morning when the tooth pillow still held the tooth and was conspicuous in its lack of holding money, there was one very disappointed little boy that appeared downstairs ready for school.

And one set of parents who felt really, really badly about that Tooth Fairy not showing up. I asked John if maybe he thought she had to go to the bank because she ran out of money - it got a laugh, but that was short lived. Daddy tried to reason that maybe she had a hard time getting here because the weather has been so bad. I mean, if the airlines can't get in and out of Arkansas, maybe the Tooth Fairy couldn't, either.

Turns out Daddy was closer than Mommy, because when John came bouncing downstairs this morning, he held this in his hand:

Who knew that snowball season was also high season for lost teeth? But the note wasn't the best part of it for John. Maybe the Tooth Fairy felt guilty, but she came through in the end.

When you're 6 years old, $5 is big money. The bar has been raised, Tooth Fairy - unless you can explain that $5 in a note next time, too.

Tuesday was Toothday

There have been a couple of wiggly teeth for several weeks now, but on Tuesday after school, one finally made its exit.

I was greeted by a whirling blur of little boy on Tuesday evening when I got home from work to show me the new hole in his mouth, and then Wednesday morning the same bundle of energy burst into my room to exclaim that the tooth fairy left $1.75!! Much discussion about whether some teeth are better than others and that's why you get more money followed, interspersed with Mommy's thought that maybe you just get whatever the tooth fairy can find in her pockets. Hey, it's possible she has pockets. I mean, where does she put all of those teeth she picks up?

John now proudly displays a new hole in his mouth, a thrill for any 1st grader that gives bragging rights at school for at least a day. Just one more sign that my little man keeps growing up, day by day, despite my occasional desire for him to just stay little.

Wiggle wiggle, tug tug, and then...

Finally!! John FINALLY lost his first tooth!! At school, no less, warranting a visit to the nurse for the tiny plastic tooth case that is the envy of kindergartners everywhere who have yet to lose that first tooth.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that the age of 5 years, 9 months is late to lose your first tooth. In fact, it strikes me as a little bit early. But John has had this thing going on for several weeks where his two bottom teeth right in the middle front started growing in. Behind his baby teeth. Because they hadn't fallen out yet.

Weird.

What is it with baby teeth that makes me nostalgic? When you think about the biology behind losing teeth, it's frankly a little bit gross. Small piece of calcium, dentrite material, nerve and blood exceeds its "good 'til" date. Rather than making a graceful and painless exit, it hangs on while the small owner sticks (usually) filthy, germy hands into his mouth to wiggle wiggle, tug tug. Eventually, sufficient germ infested manipulation has occurred, and the tooth comes out.

Enter misty eyed nostalgia. Especially for the first lost tooth, I exclaim how big the small person is getting, and talk of the tooth fairy becomes topic #1 at the dinner table. Suddenly it's not about the body expelling a now-useless part, it's about getting paid. Cash money, please.

In this case, my little man is stuck using the pink tooth pillow I made for Caroline because 1) he's kid #2 and kid #2 always gets the short end of the stick, and 2) he was in possession of extra teeth for so long I kept figuring I had one more weekend to get a tooth pillow made. Oops.

I have it on good authority that the pink tooth pillow will still result in cash money.