toothless tooth fairy

A friend is getting ready for her child’s first tooth loss and posted the question on facebook "How much does the tooth fairy pay?" 16 people answered, and I was shocked at the range. Non parents were up for a quarter or two, but the parents were paying up to $20.00 for a first time tooth loss. $20.00 buys diapers and formula for a week. $20.00, to a five year old is a gold mine, and can buy 20 toys at the dollar store that will only get stepped on.

Our tooth fairy is cheap in comparison. Not as cheap as those non parents, but a lot cheaper than $10 or $20. Our tooth fairy brings $1.00 for each tooth, no matter when or how it is lost. There have been times when the tooth was not placed under the pillow (ADVISEMENT: Teach them to put it next to the pillow, less likely for the tooth fairy to wake them). Instead a note to the fairy on how the tooth was lost.

Twins are odd creatures. Each, individuals in their own right, sometimes my mirror image boys have similarities that are on the verge of eerie.

T1 lost his first tooth in the summer before Kindergarten. We knew he and T2 each had a loose tooth, but his was looser. One day while eating lunch at preschool, his bottom left central incisor fell out. Not knowing any better – he swallowed it. When I came to pick them up that day, he was distraught – how would the tooth fairy know he had lost a tooth? Would we have to get it out of his stomach? Quickly I soothed him and explained we would not get it out of his stomach, that the tooth fairy understood and would take a note instead. That night, we sat down and wrote a note to the tooth fairy about eating his tooth and would she please forgive him. In the morning, $1.00 was found underneath the pillow, and the note had disappeared. T1 was thrilled – and said he wouldn’t be swallowing anymore of his teeth.

A few days later, I arrived at school to pick them up and found T2, toothless. His bottom RIGHT central incisor had fallen out. This was his first tooth loss. I asked where the tooth was and he said, “Well… it fell out while I was eating lunch, and I swallowed it. But we can write a note right?”

“Yes we can write a note.” I said while thinking how odd that they both swallowed their first tooth, which were mirror image losses.

Other than a dimple in a cute little chin, What's more adorable than a toothless grin?~Azu "Betty" Espezia