The Tooth Fairy Strikes

The last few months before Christmas my 6-year-old had been getting antsy. She was one of the last kids in her first grade class who had not yet lot her first tooth. She kept asking me when she would finally lose a tooth, and though I continued to assure her that eventually she would, I could tell that she was beginning to wonder if she’d ever receive a visit from the tooth fairy.

Then luckily, a few days before Christmas, she finally lost that first tooth. Of course my daughter had to write a long letter to the tooth fairy with very specific questions that had to be answered. So that night, half-asleep, I wrote a note back answering her questions. Questions like, “What do you do with all those teeth?” and “Do you know Tinkerbell?” I left a pinch of fairy dust under her pillow along with two gold coins and the note.

Mission Accomplished.

One week later and she had another loose tooth. But unlike her first one, which we discovered was loose and fell out on the same day, this second tooth would be a pain in her mouth for several weeks. But finally last night she lost the tooth (with a little help from some string). And of course, because I had set the bar high with the first tooth fairy visit, my daughter expected more fairy dust, more money and another letter. Which I did.

I tiptoed into her room with my tooth fairy goodies and saw that the tooth box we put teeth in under the pillow was no longer under her pillow where we had left it. It was now on the nightstand.

So I slipped the loot under the pillow and opened the box to retrieve the tiny tooth. With only the light from her night-light to guide me, I carefully swiped my finger in the box. Nothing. I carefully lifted her pillow, trying not to wake her and blow my cover, and slowly drew my hand across the sheet trying to find the tooth. But still, nothing.

I felt around both the floor and the nightstand and came up empty. No tooth.

Finally, knowing I was only moment’s away from waking up my toothless little girl, I gave up. There would be questions though if she found all the stuff the tooth fairy left her AND found tooth, still there.

The next morning, like clockwork, I heard my daughter squeal and come downstairs after finding the goodies left for her by the tooth fairy, but no mention of the tooth. I thought I was home free until later that morning she yelled for me. She had found the missing tooth in her room. “Mom! The tooth fairy forgot the tooth! What happened?”

Thinking fast I said, “Well she must’ve dropped it after she got it from under your pillow.” “I didn’t leave it under my pillow” she replied. “I took it out after you kissed me goodnight. I put the tooth box on the nightstand and put the tooth on top so it would be easier for her to find.”

In my mind I could picture in slow motion the tooth flying across the floor as I opened the box in the dark the night before. “Well, no big deal. You can leave it for her tonight.” I said.

The moral of the story? Well, there isn’t one. It’s just a reminder that the random silliness of it all is what makes parenting the funniest gig in the world.

photo credit

About the author:
Meghan H. Harvey

Meghan is a mom of two living in the beautiful San Francisco bay area. In between running around with her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, she writes, blogs, eats lots of chocolate, and drinks lots of coffee. You can find more of her highly caffeinated and chocolate tinged musings at Meg's Idle Chatter or the Silicon Valley Moms blog. You can also find her hiding from any domestic duties on Twitter as @meghan1018.

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