Never has a child been more proud to lose a tooth.
The tooth fairy wasn't able to come last night since I was at a charity event for work and we told her I got home too late to call the Tooth Fairy and let her know. Truth is, we were plumb out of cash and I don't think a few bucks in dimes and nickels scrounged from the change bowl would have quite the impact of a few crisp dollar bills. Plus, since it was the first tooth, she was expecting something a little extra (having heard from a couple of her friends about their gifts from the tooth fairy).
So tonight we were set for the event. Lauren couldn't believe she was finally getting to use her tooth fairy pillow.
If you think it looks stained and pretty beat up, you'd be right. We've had this for almost 6 years, no joke. It was given to me as a gift at my baby shower and we've kept it displayed in Lauren's room ever since! And the look on her face here? This losing teeth and waiting for the tooth fairy is serious stuff.
Shortly before bedtime, Lauren began asking questions and expressing a small amount of concern over how this tooth fairy thing works. "But Mama, what if I hear her coming in the night? I'm kinda scared." I assured her it would be fine, that the tooth fairy has been doing this for many years and she would not wake up. We put the tooth fairy pillow under her second pillow next to her (since she didn't want the tooth fairy jostling her head), and as I turned the light out to leave the room, Lauren seemed mollified. I could tell by the tone in her voice, however, that she wasn't fully convinced this was for her. I just prayed she was tired enough to fall asleep quickly since once she was out, we would be home free.
No. Such. Luck.
About 15 minutes later, our cherub emerged in full panic mode, her eyes puffy from crying, and tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Mama!", she wailed, "I'm too scared of the tooth fairy! I don't want her coming in my room!"
Leave it to us to have the only child I've ever heard of who's afraid of the tooth fairy. Our sensitive, skeptical soul. The more I think about it, though, it actually could be pretty frightening to imagine a complete stranger (with wings, no less) entering your room while you're sleeping and reaching out within inches of your head. So now, of course, my initial exasperation has disappeared and I'm convinced we have the absolute most sensible child on the planet.
Almost immediately, I told her that if she'd like, once she went to sleep I could call the tooth fairy and see if it would be ok if we left the tooth inside the little pillow on our family room ottoman instead. That way, when the tooth fairy arrived, she could just leave her gift for Lauren there, take the tooth, and never have to disturb our sleeping angel.
I've never seen her little head bob up and down in agreement so quickly. Problem solved. And with that, she was asleep within the next 5 minutes.
So, while the tooth fairy may be taking a somewhat unorthodox route to find Lauren's first lost tooth, the end result will still hopefully be the same. And at least we know our 5-and-a-half-year-old is still a believer in all things magical and fairy (even if it does scare the bejesus outta her).
Can't wait 'till the morning.
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