the tooth fairy

Ryan- 6 years, 2 months (lost 1st tooth)

Ryan lost his first tooth. About a week ago he ran into my room excited and nervous because his “tooth was shaking.” He was really excited about it. I told him that he wasn’t allowed to lose it. And if he lost his tooth before his very first picture day I would glue it back in…but he wiggled it nonetheless. He lost it at school and was very excited when I picked him up at Nana and Papa’s that day. He had it wrapped in toilet paper and carried it carefully in a ziplock baggie. But then it wasn’t even talked about for the rest of the night…so needless to say the tooth fairy kind of “dropped the ball.” It wasn’t until the next day when he came grumbling out to the car that I realized what he was upset about. I brought him the dollar bill she left, and explained that she had put it on his t.v. so it wouldn’t get lost. It didn’t satisfy him though…he only got a dollar, and apparently Ben Ben got TWENTY FIVE CENTS! I've attached a picture of his new imperfect smile.

It reminded me a little bit of when Chelsea lost her first tooth. We put it on the dresser so it wouldn’t get lost and in the morning we saw what the toothfairy had done. It was a big tadoo with a card from the toothfairy congratulating her on doing such a great job brushing her teeth, and sugarfree gum, and $5. The next time she lost a tooth we put it under the pillow, as is custom, and she got a dollar. And then the third time, when it was time to leave the tooth again, she said she didn’t want to leave it under the pillow, she wanted to leave it on the dresser. Because when she left it on the dresser she got $5, gum and a card….but when she put it under the pillow she only got $1! Like there was a secret spot in the room that inspired the tooth fairy to be more generous! It was priceless.