Amy and I have always done a pretty good job keeping up with the childhood traditions -- Easter Bunny, Santa, the greatness of Big Papi, etc. One area of struggle for us, however, has been the Tooth Fairy. Sure, when Tyler lost his first tooth, we were all over it. After a strategy session of exactly how we were going to pull it off, I came home from work in the middle of the night with a dollar coin, planned my path through the various toys on the floor, had an emergency escape route in case he woke up ... and pulled it off flawlessly.
Since then, we've struggled a bit. The first time the Tooth Fairy was 'too busy' to make an appearance, she was out having a few too many drinks with Mr. Tooth Fairy, allowing us to deal with Tyler's surprise and disappointment with a healthy hangover. Will, too, has had the bad fortune of losing a tooth on a night 'the Tooth Fairy had so many other kids to visit' that she didn't make it, but she was SURE to come back the next night.
And then there was Will, after Mia lost her first tooth about a year ago, slipping into her room and swiping her loot before she woke up. Amy thought it was hilarious, which was fortunate for Will, because I was about to introduce my foot to his rear end in a not-so-friendly manner.
Which brings us to last week, when Amy hugged Mia and her diamond (that HUGE, HUGE, ROCK that someone special had given her) hit her front tooth and knocked it out. This was front tooth No. 2, giving her that insufferably cute Jack-O-Lantern look, since front tooth No. 1 came out about two weeks before on the way to school. At 1 A.M., unable to sleep, I realize the Tooth Fairy had not visited, and I had to wake up Mrs. Tooth Fairy just to confirm. No, the visit had not taken place. So I dutifully get the money, go into the room and feel around for the plastic bag containing the tooth. No bag, though she is curled up, protecting one tiny area of the pillow. Mia is a light sleeper, so going for the tooth might be difficult.
No problem. I figure I'll go watch a Sopranos and give it a shot in an hour. After Tony makes me proud of my Italian heritage, I try again. Same problem, although this time, I reach under anyway, and find nothing. Dilemma. Tooth must be wrapped in the blankets somewhere. Hmmm. I'm going to leave the money anyway, and then see what we can do in the morning.
So what happens in the morning? Mia finds the tooth, but no money. After Will is interrogated, I go into her room alone and discover the money wrapped in the blankets. Rather than try to tell her it really was there, I figure we'll just give it a shot the next night.
Amy insists the Tooth Fairy needs to give Mia a make-good for the previous night's debacle, and goes to get a bag of Skittles at 10 p.m. (Mr. Tooth Fairy was watching a Vanderbilt game and wasn't going to the store for a bag of Skittles.) I slip in, and AGAIN can't find the tooth. Nothing. Amy tries. Nothing. Tries again. Nothing. At this point, I was ready for the Tooth Fairy myth to end. But we formulate a plan. Go in early in the morning, and swipe the tooth as she is waking up. Skittles are in place, money is in place, tooth is still missing in action (Mia's tooth is MIA. Get it?). When the time comes, I go in and notice the Skittles are already on the nightstand. Ugh. She found the prize, and the tooth is still here. But then I do a quick search and the tooth had slipped between the headboard and mattress and fallen on the floor. I grabbed it quickly. Mia celebrated her Skittles and money, probably not fully believing in the power of the Tooth Fairy ('I sort of woke up when you were tucking me in, but I went back to sleep' she said), but happy just the same.
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