Tooth Fairies

Last night, after dinner, Kel started squawking for the umpteenth time this week that her tooth was REALLY loose. It was that first little molar there on her right side and it had been rocking slightly over the last couple of weeks. She kept saying she could hear roots popping and cracking when she wiggled it, but whenever I reached in for a try, I could barely move the thing. She kept insisting my fingers were just too big and that it was GOING TO FALL OUT AT ANY MOMENT!

So she badgered and badgered about trying to pull the thing out, and I finally said, "If it's that loose, get a paper towel and pull it yourself." Up to this point, I have pretty much been the tooth extractor in the house. Joe usually just sits by reading the paper, nods appropriately when they say, "Dad, it's almost out!" and then he pats them on the head and smiles when they produce the bloody thing after an hour's worth of sweat and tears. But Kel has lost a lot of teeth, so I figured if she was so worked up about it, why not let her try. In reality, I didn't believe the tooth was near ready to come out.

But after about 3 minutes in the bathroom, Kel emerged frantic holding a big ol' honkin' white piece of enamel and had a brand new gaping hole on the bottom side of her mouth. The tooth was out. Well, we wrapped up a piece of ice in a paper towel and held it in place until we got the bleeding stopped and then promptly placed the tooth in the Irish Tooth Fairy box Kel got on the day of her christening. It was given to her from family members now not in her life, people she does not even know really, but the magic of the gift still remains. So the box travels between the girls' nightstands, waiting patiently for the special nights it becomes the keeper of the treasure, the place where the Tooth Fairy comes to reward sleeping children for their bravery.

After we got the tooth all settled into its box and went on with our evening, Syd came out of the bathroom, top tooth in hand, gaping hole to the left of her face. She, never one to be far from the spotlight, had also pulled her loose tooth. I can just imagine how feverishly she must have been working in the bathroom to get that wiggly little thing out of her head! She would not be outdone by her big sister tonight.

So began the dilemma. Who would get the Tooth Fairy box? In my opinion, it is first come, first serve. So we decided to leave Kel's tooth in the box and we used a crude piece of pottery Syd had made on some children's pottery wheel she had gotten for Christmas. It sorta looks like a volcano. I think she tried to carve her name into it at one point, but it really looks more like the word *syrup* or something close to it. If you were really near-sighted and were standing about 150 feet away, drunk and really tired, you MIGHT think it said Sydney. I won't rule it out. I digress...

So we plopped Syd's top tooth in the volcano, placed it gently on the nightstand and went on about the night. After watching an episode of Nashville Star, playing an hour's worth of bedtime round-up and finally getting the girls settled in with glasses of water and kisses on the cheek, the house began to get quiet. It is truly my favorite time of the night, when all the critters are drowsy and Joe and I are on the big, fluffy couches in the living room, feet propped up, PJs on. I love it more than anything and I love to stay up late dragging it out, watching guilty-pleasure movies like Lethal Weapon or Jaws. Last night it was Die Hard 4 -- Is that Die Harder maybe?

As the movie went on and bedtime became midnight, Joe got up. I asked him where he was headed and he said, "I think I hear the Tooth Fairy." I, myself, had forgotten all about her arrival and was so thankful for his memory of the big event. One of my biggest fears is forgetting that the Tooth Fairy is coming and setting the alarm, going to bed and the girls waking up to find that she was unable to make her deposit in their special box. So last night, thanks to Dad, the Tooth Fairy was able to slip in and out without a peep, leaving a little green for each of the girls -- much to their big brother's chagrin. In his words, "How much? That sucks!" Ah, the joys of being the first-born child!

I hope everyone is enjoying the season. I am holding on to each day for dear life, as the time for real life to begin again draws nearer and nearer. School starts in a month -- A MONTH. It makes my heart sad. I so enjoy the days and nights without routine, the spontaneity, casual attitudes and laughter, laughter, laughter. Now that ball season is almost over, the nights with no schedule are my favorites. Dinner around the table, playing in the yard after dinner, catching up on TV shows, playing board games, just being together without anywhere to be is what it's all about for me. Wish I could bottle it and sell it. Enjoy the rest of the summer, people!

~Peace