Toothless

One day at the end of February I was brushing Tessa's teeth after being out late with her, and there was her bottom tooth, wiggling in all its bottom-tooth glory. I was shocked and wondered if she'd maybe hit her mouth on somthing at a birthday party earlier that day or something. But no, no one could remember any instances at all. She was so excited, dancing around, thrilled to pieces. We warned her not to rub it in Caden's face, because he's older and has not yet lost a tooth. The other kids were in bed already, and as she said her prayers that night she said, "Thank you for this thing that is happening to me. And please help the other kids to be happy for this thing that is happening to me, and that some day it will happen to them too."

I completely expected her to lose it that night, or the next day ... but no. Some how she became frightened of "this thing that was happening" to her, and she refused to touch or attempt to wiggle her tooth, and she'd burst into tears if we suggested we try. For 7 days she let it just dangle there in her mouth. I can't imagine how annoying that must have been. Finally, the next Saturday night, I was again helping her brush her teeth, and I said to myself, 'This is crazy. It's time to come out." So I took the bristles of her toothbrush and pressed on that tooth, and with no effort at all it popped out into her mouth. She bolted up and grabbed it, shocked and amazed, then the glee returned and she was so happy to have lost a tooth! She immediately began listing all the people she must tell immediately. Too bad it was already 9 pm.

So we're trying to get to bed, but it's just too exciting. Tessa decides she doesn't want the tooth fairy to take her tooth, she wants to keep it. But she also wants money. So the clever girl decides to leave a note:

Under the pillow it goes.

I'm sure that night the tooth fairy was wondering what the going rate for teeth was. I think she used to get a dollar when she was a kid, but she was also older when she lost her first teeth and had a better concept of money. Then I think she realized she only had a one and a twenty dollar bill. So I think that's how it came to be one dollar.

The next morning ... thrilled with that dollar!