4 Golden Eggs

4 Golden Eggs
our children

Monday, June 13, 2011

The Tooth Fairy pays a visit (twice in a week)

 I suppose this is common when one has triplets. Two of our children lost one of their baby teeth in the same week.
First, Ben lost his. It had been wiggly for some time. The baby tooth was literally hanging on by a thread of tissue. He would wiggle it with his tongue and fingers all the time. It wouldn't let go.
Finally, he asked me to pull it out.

 I've never pulled out a tooth before. I've pulled out plenty of splinters of wood from hands and feet, plants from tangled hair, and klinkers from noses but, not a single tooth.
I hesitated and then reached right into his little mouth, got a hold of that baby tooth and pulled straight up. It came out so easily. We both were a bit surprised. He was thrilled. I was too.
 The Tooth Fairy is real in our home. She has a whole back story created by our children. She is married to the Leprechaun, she is small and wears pink and purple. She uses the teeth for her car. Her car looks like a tooth. She has a bag of gifts and money. The story of the Tooth Fairy changes with each lost tooth.
 Ben was proud of his lost tooth. He showed it to everyone. He put it in the Tooth Fairy pouch and under his pillow on his bed. He went back to look at it a number of times and eventually, it got lost. This worried him so much. Thankfully, it was found again and at that point I told him that I would take care of it for him until bedtime.
 I was busy making the delicious chile rellenos I grew up eating at one of my favorite (since closed) Mexican Restaurants in So. Cal. (some of you will remember the unique Gay and Larry's in Rubidoux). It is a process making these and I had the chiles, cheese, cornstarch, and batter laid out on the stove counter top. I carefully placed Ben's tiny tooth down on the same counter top but, away from the food and went on cooking supper.
 Of course, you know what happens next. As I'm cleaning up, I must have swept up the tooth and dumped it in the trash. We all enjoyed supper and it was time for bed. It is then that I realized my mistake. I tried to hide it from Ben as I'm sifting through the trash. Charlotte picked up on it right away and notified Ben. I told Ben that I would find his tooth and that I would place it in the Tooth Fairy's pouch and put it under his pillow. I told him to write a note just in case. This is what we wrote together. "Dear Tooth Fairy, My Mommy lost my tooth. Please leave a gift anyway. Thank you, Ben"
 Later, when everyone was asleep, I searched through the trash again. I searched a long time and finally gave up. Something similar happened to our oldest when he was losing his baby teeth. One fell down the sink drain. We left a note for the tooth fairy and she left him a note and gift in return. In his note, he wanted to know the Tooth Fairy's name. I came up with Klepta Dente'. Grant remembered this and has told his brothers and sister what the Tooth Fairy's name is. I had to do something!
Klepta Dente' left a 'calling card' informing Ben that she had found his tooth. He got a token gift too. All was well in the world once more!
Three days later, Charlotte lost her first baby tooth. It never left my sight!