Tooth Fairy... Come On Down!!!! (...finally...)

Well... for those of you that might have thought I was up for "Mother of the Year"... I can promise you that I am not.

Ali has been working on a loose tooth for quite some time. Can I just say it has been OVER A MONTH? One day at the office, she was picking at something in her mouth -

ME: "Ali... you need to keep your fingers out of your mouth." (note: ewwww)

ALI: "But there is something bugging me."

ME: "What is bugging you??"

ALI: "Something stuck to my tooth. I can't pick it off."

ME: "Let me see....."

ALI: BIG "AHHHHHHHHHHH."

ME: "Ummm, Ali. You aren't going to pick that off your tooth - it's new tooth. You know what that means??? You are going to lose a tooth!!!!" (note: don't say "lose" to a child that borders on obsessive compulsive)

ALI: "Really?????" (temporary excitement wears off - fast) "But I don't want to lose it...."

ME: Big sigh. (note: think before you speak, Jennifer) "It will be OK."

Okay. Right. That was a MONTH AGO. This poor tooth was so loose... but once the new tooth started really coming in... it tightened back up. We have explained, lectured, bribed, begged, had the dentist talk to her, given her lots of PIZZA and things that you have to BITE INTO. Nothing. Finally... I told her that if she didn't start to wiggle it - I would. (I really didn't want to be the one to cause her any pain. I wanted TIM to do that... Aren't I nice??) So for the past week, she has really been working it. I explained that you have to wiggle it until it hurts just a little... and each day will get a little better.

Well... I have watched that tooth flop around every day this week. I couldn't believe that it was still there!!! I kept asking Tim to check it... and I hated her going to bed thinking it would come out during one of her head rocking episodes... and she would swallow it.

This morning... I was getting breakfast ready. I look over and she is flicking her tooth with her tongue. (Remember... there is a new one right behind it... so this is really not a good look.) So when I take breakfast over... I say - "Let me just wiggle and see how loose it is today..." She opens her mouth and I reach over with my thumb, and before I can get a full WIGGLE OUT... her tooth flips back at me, over my hand and lands on the table. You should have seen the look on Ali's face. Trying to recover really fast, I said... "Well, look at that! I guess it was ready to come on out!" I scooped up the TINIEST TOOTH I HAVE EVER SEEN... and went to get Ali a paper towel.

There was no crying. Just two little tears at the corner of each eye. I don't think it hurt her... but she was as shocked as I was that it just flew out of her mouth!

We rinsed with some salt water, then of course some clear water... who could eat breakfast with that salty taste??? Ali went back to the table and ate her blueberry muffin.

Right before we left the house - she said, "Can I see the tooth? Did you find it?"

She has been so worried about losing her tooth. She even wrote a special note tonight to be sure the Tooth Fairy doesn't KEEP her tooth. But just to be nice... she drew a picture at the bottom of the note - and TF is allowed to keep the letter.

What a funny girl!

She didn't really get it out fast enough for me to post a really good toothless shot... but she still looks absolutely adorable. All in all, she handled this very well.

I just still cannot believe that the tooth came out when all I wanted to do was a wiggle-check. Poor Ali, didn't even get to pull her own first tooth... but she was a super good sport about it. Mother of the year? Me...? I don't think so!