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| Toothy treasure |
This morning I made a very significant transaction at the
bank. I withdrew 10 one-dollar coins. That should hold us for a while.
Because as I understand it, a dollar coin is the going rate
for lost teeth. This tooth fairy's got the goods.
But this mama isn’t ready for any of it.
A lot has changed in the last month. Amelia graduated from preschool. She
started “big kid camp,” which she loves. She rocked her ballet recital. She can carry the dog without (my) fear of (him) falling. And
just yesterday she announced that she'll be taking showers instead of baths, and
she will not be needing my help.
There were a few tears at the graduation, but otherwise I
think I kept it in perspective. Proud mommy, a million photos, visiting
grandparents, celebratory lunches and hovering outside the bathroom door notwithstanding.
The next milestone is one I don’t know how I will handle.
It’s that damn tooth, just barely hanging on, wagging around and taunting me
every time Amelia opens her mouth. She’s so proud of it, so excited. She’s
expecting that when it falls out, she’ll be able to do all kinds of tricks,
like stick a straw through the space and drink milk with her mouth closed. Look
out, she might sell tickets at camp.
I’m expecting that when that tooth falls out, a big one will
replace it. An adult tooth. My baby’s
whole face will change. She’ll have a big kid smile. She’ll chew her wedding
cake with this incoming tooth. It will still be with her when she’s an old
woman. She didn’t even grow her first tooth – coincidentally, the one about to
leap - until she was more than a year old, so they’re still white and so cute and barely
used. All they’ve ever chewed is pasta and cheese, let’s keep them a little
longer!
I know it’s crazy, she’s growing and she’s excited and she should be and I’m
proud of her. So I’m going through
the motions. I made a tooth fairy pillow with a little pocket, so the tooth fairy can retrieve it, conveniently hanging on her bedpost, without waking
the slumbering (ha!) Amelia. I smile when she wiggles it. I make up stories
about the tooth fairy and her house full of teeth. I tell her about losing my
own teeth. And today I went to the bank. The tooth fairy appears ready.
But I’m hanging on more tightly than the tooth.
Want more Mess? Check out my blog over at Charlotte Parent Magazine, or visit my Etsy store, Made by Mommy!
