children

Emma at age 6 with her first lost tooth

 

I’m going to go ahead and spoil it for you—*I* am the Totally Terrible Tooth Fairy.

I play Santa with the best of them—cookies, carrots, different wrapping paper, the whole bit.  I am a great Easter Bunny.  Baskets and presents with chocolate and candy all wrapped up on Sunday morning.  I even enjoy being Ellie our Elf.  But the Tooth Fairy?  I am an epic fail.

First off, my kids knew about the real identity of all of these characters by the time they lost their first tooth so my first fail is I didn’t even give them a chance to believe—even once—that a fairy with a wand was taking their teeth and leaving them money.

But even so, I played the part—or at least tried.  But goodness, I am Totally Terrible.

The problem is two-fold. 

One, I never have cash.  Why have cash when your debit card is so much smaller and faster and documents all your spending for you?  I don’t know.  Maybe so you can be a more effective tooth fairy, that’s why. 

Two, I cannot remember to do anything unless it’s in my phone.  I have reminders for the trash, for the dentist, for the doctor, for the library and yes, to be the tooth fairy.  But you have to remember to put in the reminder—and sometimes I fail at even that.

So, I have been known to leave a stack of quarters under their pillows.

I have been known to steal cash out of THEIR OWN WALLETS and stick it under their pillows in hopes that they don’t count ALL their money until I have a chance to replace it.

I have been known to forget for THREE NIGHTS to be the Tooth Fairy.  Emma will not let me live that down and every single time someone loses a tooth, Emma’s all, “One time the Tooth Fairy forgot for THREE DAYS.”  She says it with conviction and wide, round eyes directed right at me.  Hmph.

 

All of this is known when Lexi loses a tooth last week at the Frozen premiere.  She’s chomping away on popcorn and Reese’s pieces and leans over with a tooth in her hand, “My tooth!  I lost a tooth!”  The three of us run to the bathroom and rinse out her mouth and wrap up the tooth in paper towels.  I stick it in my jacket pocket and all the anxiety starts about BEING THE TOOTH FAIRY.  Remember, remember, remember,. 

We do manage to remember to get the tooth out of my jacket and under her pillow that night. The next morning as we’re getting ready for school, I realize that yes, once again I have become the Totally Terrible Tooth Fairy and forgotten my duties.

So, the kids are milling around the living room and I remember I actually have a few dollars in my purse.  I can still pull this off!  So I slink over to my purse, slowly reach into my open wallet and sneak out a dollar bill. I don’t even look as to not draw attention to myself.  I walk back to Lexi’s room, steal away her tooth wrapped in paper towels and tada!  I have managed to pull this off.

I walk back in the kitchen, situate myself by leaning on the counter and as if it has just occurred to me and say, “Lexi!  Have you checked to see if the Tooth Fairy came last night?”

She jumps up and says, “No!!” She runs back to her room and rummages around and I hear her starting to skip down the hall.  “I got a Lincoln!  Fiiivve dollars!”  She skips into the living room and I’m thinking $5?  How did she get $5?

“Really?!  The Tooth Fairy gave you $5??”  I am truly surprised because what did I do??  I suddenly remember a sole $5 I had and of course that is the one I silently snuck out of my wallet.  *sigh*  “Wow, that was really something!”  And truly, The Totally Terrible Tooth Fairy, that was.

 

Oh, but it doesn’t stop there.

Emma lost her very last tooth on Monday.  It’s been wiggly for weeks, but she will leave a loose tooth in there until it literally falls out on its own.  She had an orthodontist appointment on Monday and they pulled it out for her.

Even though I’ve made a Totally Terrible Tooth Fairy, it was sad to see the end of that era come for her.  It made me think of how she got her very first tooth at 4 months and all the times she cried getting in those molars and the time she threw a basketball at the wall in PE and it came back, hit her in the mouth and knocked out 3 loose teeth at once in 1st grade.  (It’s ok to laugh, I do). And yes, I thought of that one time I forgot being the tooth fairy for THREE DAYS.

So, Emma puts her tooth under her pillow on Monday night and explains she wants Ellie our Elf to deliver the money for The Tooth Fairy.  That’s perfect, that’s one less night I have to figure out how to be Ellie the Elf.  And ya’ll, we remembered!  Ellie was propped up on the pillow beside Emma, dutifully holding a few dollars—since it IS her last tooth.

I wake Emma up early Tuesday because I’m so proud we remembered.  “Emma!  Look!  Ellie delivered your tooth money!”  She wakes up with a big smile on her face.  She’s always known Ellie and the Tooth Fairy are us but she still delights in it.  I wistfully think of all those moments again and get a little sad we’re saying goodbye to this dance.

But I did it—I remembered the very last time and I’m going out on a high note.  Maybe I’m not such a Totally Terrible Tooth Fairy after all!

A few minutes later, when I’m still internally patting myself on the back, we’re in the living room getting ready for school and Emma says, “Mommy, why did the Tooth Fairy leave my tooth under my pillow??”

*sigh*

So close, y’all.  The Totally Terrible Tooth Fairy, indeed.

 

Seven or 8 years ago I was walking down the hall with a coworker.  Emma and Lexi would have been about 1 and 3.  My coworker had young teenagers at the time and I admitted that having older kids frightened me—I wished mine would stay young.  She said, “Oh, but they’re fun. It’s fun to watch their personalities and opinions come out and watch them become their own little person.”  I nodded but thought, no really, I like mine small.

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One of my first career aspirations was to be a 4th grade teacher.  I loved my 4th grade year and always thought 4th graders were the best.  They weren’t new to elementary school so they held some confidence but they weren’t the over-confident 5th graders ready to move on to middle school and crushes.

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When Scott and I were first married, we helped out with our AWANA program at church.  I worked with the 1st and 2nd grade kids for awhile and then settled into 3rd and 4th grade girls. I loved my girls.  They loved pens and notebooks and most importantly, their teacher *ahem*.  They aimed to please and we had a really fun time together.

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All that said, it shouldn’t have surprised me that this past year with Emma has been the best.  I love my daughter no matter what, but there’s something about this age that, as a mother, fits me like a glove.  Emma isn’t perfect and sure, that personality coming out can be a bear sometimes and we’ve had unexplained tears already but overall?   It’s been the best.

She’s old enough to take care of herself but young enough to still want me by her side while she plays school—where she’s practicing to be an elementary school teacher.

She loves it when we lie together at night and read. We both hold up our books with our right hands and pick at our lips—hers a xerox copy of mine–with our left.

We have dance parties and she talks about how that boy looked at her at school today and then plays American girl for the afternoon.

She sits in my lap and we play computer games together.  We high-five when we score well and complain when we don’t.

She invites her friends over often and it’s just as fun for me as it is her.  We both miss them if they don’t come over for too long.

I overhear her mimic me and tell Lexi that something she said wasn’t polite or she nearly cries at a hurt animal. 

She has fierce opinions about fashion (mainly ones that don’t match well) but doesn’t care much yet if her hair gets brushed.

This year has just been downright fun with her and I realize my coworker was right all along.  I can’t even bemoan another birthday is here today because it’s nothing but a joy to watch her grow.  Maybe in a few years I’ll be wishing she was little again but for this year?  We’re having too much fun to think of it.

 

Happy Birthday to my Emma Grace.  Eleven is heaven!

Dear Lexi,

When I saw that picture of us on the back of the camera in September, I nearly lost it right there standing on your school playground.  Who were those strangers?  Who was that little girl and who was that momma hugging her?

I get so heads-down with this parenting thing–making lunches, going to teacher conferences, planning dinners and doing laundry–that I sometimes forget you and I have a relationship.  Just me and you.  Mother and daughter.  And the little girl in that picture looked way older than I remembered the last time we took a picture together.

In that picture, I feel the days slipping like sand.  I want to get my head out of the day to day and really look at you, look at us, and appreciate what’s in front of me.  I’m scared I’ll look at a picture of us 10 years from now and just wonder who that grown girl is in the picture. I don’t want to be so busy with mothering you that I forget to be your mother.

You’re 9 today and I can hardly stand the thought we’re halfway done with our time.  You tell me you don’t want to grow up and I need to find out who to call to stop time for you.  I can’t bear the thought of you not being with me every day.

You’re such a joy.  Such a joy.  Such a frustrating, dramatic, picky, creative joy. 

You’ve come so far this year.  I was worried for a few years there.  You were losing your mind a little lot over the little things and I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.  But let me say, you’ve grown in the most wonderful ways over those years.

I think it’s just you have a little leader heart in there and it was stretching and growing and finding its place.

I watched you during your party this weekend with your friends. You had it all planned out and you followed through.  I watched as you had your friends’ rapt attention in the living room, all of them listening to your direction, raising their hands for a turn to talk. 

You’re going to be wonderful leader one day.  I don’t know if you’ll lead your own littles or be our President.  Yes, I really believe you could.

When I was in middle school, a girl walked up to me in gym class and asked me why I smiled so much, how is it you’re happy so much?  I’ve never been quick on my feet when I talk and was still so shy then.  I must have mumbled something and moved on.  I think about it all the time how I wish I would have told her it was Jesus.  Jesus is the reason I had hope and love and kindness and joy in my heart that let me smile all the time.  I regret so much that I didn’t lead her back to Jesus.

And so I hope for you when you’re leading those people—because you will—you’ll remember to lead them to Jesus.  Have no regrets.  Be bold. Love Jesus.  And help them to do the same.

Happy Birthday, baby girl.

Love,

Mommy

 

Emma went for her first adjustment nearly two weeks ago but I’m just now getting around to giving you an update.

I thought I would tell you why I’ve been dragging on this particular post, but then I thought I might just show you.

 

Hey, Emma, let me get a picture of your teeth!

 

Emma! Take your shirt off your head!

Seriously, Em, come on!

 

This would only take a second if you’d just smile! 

Let’s go over in the shade.

 

Emma!  Let me see your face! Ok, 1, 2, 3, GO!

Annnd, smile!

 

Emma!

A real smile!

 

Put your hands down!

 

Open your eyes!

 

Look normal!

Close enough.

 

Sheesh.  This was not our first attempt either.  Keeping up with these updates may not be in my wheelhouse.

 

To recap progress:

 

Before:

 

After expander:

 

First week of braces:

2 month update:

 

The good part:  As you can see, it’s totally changing her looks. Her front gap filled in within the first month and her teeth are lining up quickly.

I’ve been amazed but she has had VERY little pain.  She didn’t complain at all after her adjustment and has only complained a time or two about one of her bottom front teeth hurting under pressure.

The bad part: the fun of cleaning them with all the new fancy tools has lost all appeal which has meant more yelling *ahem* reminding and work from me.

What’s next: she gets her expander out at the end of the month at her next appointment and honestly, she was disappointed to hear it.

Thoughts so far: Besides the cleaning, this has been a very pleasant experience and I think we’re well on our way!

 

Now someone please tell me their kids are just as hard to photograph!