Friday, April 30, 2010

Just in case you ever forget...

Maria has been losing teeth like crazy lately - about five in the last couple of months. Well, we had an "incident" with the tooth she lost last week. She came into our bedroom Sunday morning looking very distraught, and said "Mom, I don't know how this happened, but the tooth fairy didn't come last night!" Oh, crap!! I had forgotten to take her tooth and put the money under her pillow! Bad Mommy, bad Mommy!! Shoot. "She was probably super busy last night or something, honey - it is spring break, y'know", I hedged. "What does spring break have to do with it?", Maria challenged. Darn it - the kid is too smart for her own good. "Well, maybe more kids are losing teeth because they are home during the break, and playing more outside, and so more kids lose teeth" - I was really reaching here, but she seemed to accept that as an explanation. "I'm SURE she'll come tonight", I promised.

So, the next morning, she comes into our room, looking even MORE upset. "Mommy, she didn't come again! I don't understand..." Crap, crap, CRAP! How had I forgotten AGAIN?!! Rotten, horrible mother. "Are you sure?" I was stalling. "Yes, I checked!", she said. Well, a little while later, I sent her downstairs to get me some diaper covers for Edward. While she was down there, I quickly made this:

It didn't scan that great - some of it got cut off, and I had to retrace the outline, but you get the idea, a tooth-shaped note from the tooth fairy. I put it under her pillow, along with a crispy new dollar bill.

Now I just had to get her to discover it without being obvious. "Maria, are you SURE you left your tooth there last night? Maybe it fell down behind your bed or something and the tooth fairy couldn't find it" She took the bait. She went to check on her tooth placement and gasped as she saw the note and money. "Mommy, mommy - she came!! She must have been hiding outside my room early this morning and waiting for me to leave, and then she came in!! Look at this note - it is SOO cool!" I think this is the most excited she has ever been about the tooth fairy - huh, maybe I should forget more often...or maybe I should just count my lucky stars that I got away with it this time.

Anyhow, so if the tooth fairy every "forgets" to come to your home, just try this trick and give your kids a cheap thrill. Hey, it worked for us!

6 comments:

tarryn said...

Oh, I need to do this. We keep forgetting about Seth's tooth. In fact, we forget about almost every single tooth that falls out at our house. I don't think our kids ever expect the tooth fairy to actually come on the first night. This is a great idea!

Adria said...

Oh that is SO adorable! Good job Mommy! I was just picturing Maria's face during all of this. :) I'm so glad that you fixed it so that she can enjoy getting dollars from the tooth fairy. And crisp ones are the best.

The Tolboe family said...

That is too cute. I can just it all playing out. Gavin is about to lose his first tooth. What a fun exciting time in their little lives!

Taunya said...

That has happened to us before too. What a smart idea to put the note with the money. I will have to remember that for the next time our tooth fairy forgets again.

Also, thanks for the kind comments on my blog. You made my day!

Cort said...

This is a seriously cute post:)I love your blog. I'm always thoroughly entertained with a good laugh or moved to tears.

Eight is Enough said...

I must say I am horrible at remembering to be the tooth fairy. We have used all sorts of excuses: put the money behind the bed and tell them to look again, it is the tooth fairy's night off, the tooth fairy didn't get the memo about us moving, the tooth fairy didn't get the memo about the kids switching bedrooms and couldn't find the right kid, the tooth fairy is sick with a toothache, it is tooth fairy spring break, the tooth fairy is training a new tooth fairy because she wants to retire and visit her grandfairy's so everything is taking longer, etc.. The tooth fairy communicates with me through ena-mail (enamel for all those who don't get my dorky humor) so I am able to relay messages. The kids usually just roll their eyes at me, not much innocence in this house.