Tooth, Liberty, and the Pursuit of a Fairy

I was perusing my blog list the other day, reading and enjoying some new posts, when I came across this gem for a "Tooth Fairy Alarm."

Using the reminders on an iPod, you'll never forget (again?) to "see" her when she visits the evening following a lost tooth.

Great idea, right?

But then I'd never really forget such a momentous occasion...right? Me?

Gulp.

Well, it doesn't help that our kids somehow think the Fairy can stop by anytime...not just the night following the tooth's mouth exit.

Remember this time? And how about this one? Sigh. Or even this one among others. It all goes too fast...

Maybe, when the time comes, I'll try this new "alarm" with the smallest guy. Then, I'll hopefully be able to enjoy more visits with the Tooth Fairy...or at least see her. *wink-grin*

On Being Fairy Tooth-ful...

Edward showing off a few "gaps" last September.
Well, it happened again.

*Yikes!*

Our bigger boy lost another tooth...and the Tooth Fairy forgot to call...again. Whooops.

Now, mind you, Edward decided the night he lost it that he was too "attached" (no pun intended) to it to put it out that night. So who can blame the poor Tooth Fairy for forgetting to reschedule him into her busy itinerary? Especially when she didn't even know the actual night he decided that maybe he could possibly part with said tooth.......

But I digress.

Imagine my surprise (and shame) when Edward came down the morning after the chosen evening and said that "she" didn't come...again. Ooops.

He asked me to e-mail her again to remind her again to "come back" for his tooth.

I told him she was "used" to him keeping the tooth several days afterwards and just needed a little "hint" as to when he was ready to give up his tooth. (She only has a little brain...being fairy-sized and all.) And I promised to "e-mail" her.

Sigh.

All better, right?

Nope.

I forgot to "e-mail" her...which meant she didn't come back again.........

Ugh.

So whilst he was busily playing outside and I was busily chatting with Stuart on the phone, the Tooth Fairy paid him a visit and exchanged his tooth for 8 shiny coins.

And this is what she found inside the bag with his tooth:

She (the Tooth Fairy) wrote back (of course) and said, "Dear Edward: I think you will be surprised. Love, The Tooth Fairy."

Oh, the webs we weave...again.

Tooth Troubles

It's a well-known rite of passage in life to lose our baby teeth. They fall out (or, in some cases, get pulled out), and we place them under our pillows for the Tooth Fairy.

My kids have never just pulled them out.

They have to get the tooth to a certain point and then let it just hang by a "thread." (It's really kind of gross.) But eventually the tooth's last thread gives way (or "crumbles in a cloud of dust," as Edward said about his latest tooth's roots), and the tooth is ready for its final pillow presentation.

Emily has lost all of her baby teeth now.

Edward has lost just three...four, if you count the one he just lost this morning.

...

The funny thing about parenting is how easy it is to become nostalgic about our kids.

I mourned the passing of each and every one of Emily's stages. She seemed to grow up in seconds.

I was a bit stronger with Edward and just enjoyed/accepted the passing of his stages as a normal part of childhood, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Until a few days ago...when Edward began wiggling one of his top front teeth.

...

The thing about little kids is that they have little front teeth. It's a mark of age to see a 5-, 6-, or 7-year-old with his/her little teeth. Somehow these little teeth keep the kids younger a bit longer -- at least in my mind.

Then they lose these teeth and have that cute gappy smile for awhile.

Then their big teeth come in, and the kids grow bigger (a. k. a. older) -- seemingly overnight.

It's a rite of passage...

A normal stage in life, right?

And, thus far, I've been really good about accepting these for Edward.

But somehow I wasn't ready for this one. I felt blindsided by it. It was that time already??

*Sigh.*

After all, they grow and change so quickly...in mere seconds it seems.

Dental Dilemmas

"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard...."

Er, um, I guess that should read, the dentist. And, while he's a very nice man, he's not "wonderful" in the I-gotta-go-see-him sort of way.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

I know. I know. I'm the adult. And I must put on the "brave face" -- and the cool glasses to protect my eyes from the harsh rays of the dental light -- for my two children to be a good example to them and encourage them in the art of dental hygiene.

But I don't wanna. (Insert annoying whine here.)

...sigh...

The worst part is that we volunteer for this. It's not a law that you must have your teeth scraped and poked and prodded. It's insurance against dentures...or at least a delay.

I've been intrigued by the idea of sedation cleaning. You know where they lull you into a deep sleep and play nice soft music to cover up the hissing and squealing of the cleaning instruments. You sleep, they clean. Everyone is happy at the end. Plus, you get to avoid having to answer questions with their 58+ tools in your mouth.

"You go to the mountains this weekend?"

"Mmmmhahokeypokey..."

"Is that right? Do you enjoy going to there?"

"Ummmhanogommmommna..."

"Wow! You must have a good time."

I think there must be a prescribed tools-in-the-mouth conversation that they learn while going to dental hygienist school.

Then the same conversation is repeated when the dentist comes to "check" your teeth. (Yeah, we all know it's so that he can charge his $593/5 minutes fee.) Only he likes to have the added hiss-slurp tool going at the same time so that he can't quite hear you.

Still, I guess I'll go. I kinda have to now. Short of leaving the country or having a tragic illness occur, I've missed the please-cancel-before-24-hours time slot.

So they'll poke and prod my teeth and mouth; I'll choose the same cinnamon-flavored toothpaste; and life will roll along afterwards with all of us having cleaner teeth and sweeter breath.

And, heck, where else can I wear such cool glasses?

On second thought...I'll bring my own.

They might not be very hygienic...

*****NEWS FLASH!!!!*****

The Tooth Fairy finally visited -- over 2 weeks late. She came to our house with a book, golden dollar, and card for Edward. (See Friday Firsts and Update.)

And not because he placed his first official lost tooth under his pillow....no, no...our shy guy couldn't do that. He didn't even want to part with his tooth at first.

So we started to spin a story...we just wanted that tooth...

The woven web began when we explained that the Tooth Fairy returns baby teeth once we become adults (So hand it over?)...and that if he didn't put the tooth under his pillow soon she was just going to come and find it herself (Come on! Come on!).

Edward finally relented...but he didn't tell us right way. He just said he knew she'd come and take the tooth off the top of his desk...leaving the goodies behind.

I guess he was right....*grin*

Gotta love that Fairy! You gotta wonder how she always knows...

Tuesday Tidbit Tidings

Happy Tuesday to you!

Since I took a pause in my normal Monday musings to share the sadness our household was experiencing, I decided to do my normal tidbit-update today.

We had a nice funeral for our kitty, complete with prayers, remembrances, and poems from Emily and the vet. We know that all of our loved ones -- furry or otherwise -- are only ours on "loan." We need to love and enjoy them every day! My favorite line in one of the poems: "Remember that angels are not allowed to show their wings on Earth, but there's no rule against whiskers!" She was our gentle, furry "angel." And we'll always remember her.

Stuart arrived home from Brasil on Friday afternoon amidst lots of whoops and dances of joy -- even the dog joined in. We were glad he came home a day early since they were predicting a cyclone in Macae, the area where he was staying. Plus, the following night brought a ground radar failure to Brazil, diverting 11 airplanes to the closest airports, including one in the jungle. (I guess the kids would have gotten their wish for their daddy to see the Amazon Rain Forest.) Yet, there he was at home, safe and sound!

The Tooth Fairy still hasn't visited our house...despite the fact that Emily lost another tooth. Edward still doesn't want to part with his tooth. *giggle* If only we could tell him....

The weather has been kind again and allowed us a few more days of cool weather (read: no A/C!). Amazing for July when we're usually suffering through the heat and humidity... (Of course, I'll probably jinx us now that I'm typing this.) I can hear the PPL employees crying and gnashing their teeth. Perhaps they'll begin doing a heat dance?

Getting closer to the new season of 24...we hope...if the network and critics will let them write and film it. There has been so much bad publicity about this show. "Everyone" felt it was the worst season ever, and the show is going down the drain, etc... Funny how I haven't met anyone who feels that way. (Isn't a popular show allowed to have some "off" moments? I'm just saying...) Oh, well. Down, Susie, down....

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• low airfares

• perfect pool water

• falling asleep in a hammock

• your favorite inflatable beach toy

• sailing

* * *

Growing up outside of Annapolis, Maryland, for a 4-year-ish portion of my life, we lived near a creek (a.k.a. river in PA) that fed into the Chesapeake Bay. Because the creek was so close to our house, my parents (a.k.a. my dad) decided to buy a sailboat.

Prior to my birth, my dad had spent 6 years in the Navy, as an officer on a submarine. He had water in his blood (not literally, of course, or this would be a very different story) and felt he was predestined to be captain of something. (My mom might have felt otherwise.) So he purchased a sailboat and named it the "Kathie B." in honor of my mom -- or to appease her?

I'm not sure we were truly a seafaring family -- my memories are sketchy at best (I was only 5 at the time) -- because somehow we didn't own that boat -- or its successor, the "Kathie B. II," for long.

But I do remember several interesting sailing adventures which included getting stuck in a sandbar, having to balance the boat by running from one side to the next and back again...and being stopped by the "water police."

Apparently, my father hadn't renewed his owner's card on the boat...or hadn't put the new numbers on the sail, or something like that. All I knew was that the "police" had stopped us, and I thought he was being taken into custody.

My famous quote at the time was: "I knewed it. I knewed it. I knewed my daddy was going to get arrested." To which, the "water policeman" burst out laughing and gave a verbal warning instead of a ticket.

Good thing I was such a fan of Adam 12. I know my dad was glad!

UPDATE

Well, the Tooth Fairy didn't visit our house -- more specifically, Edward's room -- last night. And it wasn't because she forgot or got lost.

Just after we tucked him into bed last night, Edward came downstairs and tearfully told us he didn't think he wanted to give up his tooth just yet. He thought he wasn't ready.

We told him that wasn't a problem...to do so whenever he felt ready...

He just needs to be sure to let us know.

Friday Firsts

I decided to take a break in my weekly Friday Funnies to bring you (drumroll): Friday Firsts.

The event I'm about to list actually happened yesterday, but who's checking...

Edward lost his FIRST tooth.

With Emily losing teeth left and right (she's up to molars now, I'd completely forgotten that he was coming of age to begin this dental replacement ritual.

At lunch yesterday, he complained that his one tooth was hurting. When I asked which one, he pointed to one of his lower front teeth. I suggested that maybe it was loose and ready to come out. He wiggled it and sure enough it was very, very loose.

A bit of pushing and prodding during the afternoon had that baby finally falling out by about 6 p.m. -- during dinner, of course.

He decided to save it from the Tooth Fairy until tonight since Stuart RETURNED today (Hooray! Yay! Yee-haw! See: Happy Dance), and he wanted him to join in on the joy and celebration of his first tooth going under his pillow. Sweet little guy, huh?

Emily promptly told him that since it was his first tooth, the Fairy would probably leave him a golden dollar, card, and book -- as she did for her first tooth. Afterall, she informed him, it is a special time.

Way to raise the bar, Emmypie. *grin*

No pressure, Mommy and Daddy. er, um...Tooth Fairy.

Solace-Powered

Today's word of the day:

solace \SOL-is\, noun: 1. Comfort in time of grief; alleviation of grief or anxiety. 2. That which relieves in distress; that which cheers or consoles; a source of relief.

transitive verb: 1. To comfort or cheer in grief or affliction; to console. 2. To allay; to soothe; as, "to solace grief."

Surrounded by unhappiness at home, John Sr. early on found solace and certainty in the realm of science and technology.-- Sylvia Nasar, A Beautiful Mind

Lillian's Lutheranism, with its harsh creed that suffering was a sign of God's favor, solaced her.-- Lois W. Banner, Finding Fran

Solace comes from Latin solacium, from solari, "to comfort; to console."

***

Well, that sums it up for me. Tuesday was a day of infamy here at our house. A day of much-needed solace. It was the day that all of us (excluding Stuart) had our dental appointments.

I don't know about you, but I can't stand going to the dentist. In fact, I hate going to the dentist. There's nothing fun about paying $80+ to have your teeth pushed, prodded, and scraped. I know, I know. The alternative is to borrow George Washington's "wooden" smile for awhile. I don't know...perhaps it would be worth it?

Okay, so this particular visit was "infamous" for two reasons. I'd managed to push off my whole-mouth X-rays with a "fiblette" about possibly being pregnant last time (well, there was a possibility), and it was Edward's first official time having his teeth cleaned and examined.

No problemo, right?

Do you ever wonder why the hygentist insists on chatting and asking questions while she has three instruments and a spit-sucker in your mouth? And where are you supposed to put your tongue?? My tongue feels so confused during a dental cleaning because it always seems to be in the way. And why, when you open your mouth bigger for them to get the 563+ cleaning tools in, do your lips get smaller? Perplexing, really.

Well, the full-mouth X-rays were horrific. (I love that word!) Besides digging into my already-sore mouth (darn hormones!), they kept triggering my gag-reflex (darn hormones!). And there were about 15 of them.

But first came Edward's own time in the chair...

Emily has always been our social butterfly, floating into any social scene and settling herself happily. Edward is the antithesis of "social" -- though not in a mean way. He just doesn't do well in new, social settings...and the dentist's office was no exception.

I'm a bad parent....a very bad parent. Remember all the things you declared you'd NEVER do when you had kids before you had 'em? Okay, okay. So after threatening bodily harm to his cushy tushy if he didn't behave, I realized that might not be the right approach for my little shy guy....so I...

....bribed him. For a $1.97-plus-tax Matchbox helicopter, I got my 5-year-old to sit and have his teeth cleaned and counted. In fact, by the end of my time-in-the-chair which followed his, he was getting rather obnoxious with friendliness.

Call it solace.

Now where was mine?