BABY TEETH

I am working in the garden this morning.  As I attempt to pull the weeds I was suddenly reliving a past experience with Kristy.  It was so sweet, I just had to come inside and make sure it was written down.

When Kristy was about 4 or 5 she was losing lots of her baby teeth.  One day she came running down the stairs yelling, "Mommy, Mommy - LOOK!  I lost my tooth!"  She jammed it in my face and said, "I am going to put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy right now!"  She turned and ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could go.  Just as she reached the top she tripped and fell to her knees.  Luckily she wasn't hurt, but as she reached out to grab the stair railing she dropped her precious cargo.

There were many tears.  And we looked up and down the stairs for what seemed like an eternity.  No tooth.  Heart broken, she said, "Do you think I could just draw a picture of it?"  

Well, being an experienced "tooth fairy" I had a sudden idea.  I went to my jewelry box and dug through the various treasures my children had given to me throughout the years.  I finally found what I was looking for.  Way in the back was my stash of baby teeth.  Surprisingly I must have had at least ten.  And as I grabbed one I was hoping Kristy would not realize it was an impostor.

I ran back down the stairs and yelled, "Kristy I found your tooth!"  She came pounding down the stairs so quickly I thought for a moment she might fall again.  Grabbing it out of my hand, she inspected it and pronounced it her tooth.  She had the biggest grin on her face.  I can see it now.  She turned and walked back up the stairs as if she was carrying a glass full of water.  I don't think she breathed until she got to the top.

Later that evening before going to bed I crept into her darkened room.  I replaced her treasure with four quarters which was the tooth fairy's going rate at the time.  As I slowly left the room I remember smiling to myself.  I couldn't wait to see her face in the morning.