Shark Boy

First came the shark tooth...

Then, on january 16th the tooth fairy visited our house for the first time.  

She visited after I sorted the kitchen trash twice. Why?  Well...it's a bit embarrassing.  My child's first lost tooth.  A treasure!  A tangible memory of my first born's youth.  Jack's dad notices it on the counter in a paper towel.  "Be careful with that" he says.  A jinx.  Later, as he comes into Jack's room for a kiss goodnight he asks, "is the tooth under the pillow?"  The tooth?  What tooth?  Oh my, how did we forget that when it happened like 20 minutes ago.   "No worries", I tell Jack. I left it on the counter.  Let me get it.  

Ah...the foreshadowing worked, huh?  You know what I'm going to tell you happened next.  I came down and saw a sparkly, clean counter.  I ran straight for the trash and found a bundle of paper towels.  Whew.  Except no tooth was in these towels.  Only one conclusion.  The tooth feel loose and is now somewhere in this can.  Why did it have to be a full trash can?

I sorted twice. The level of panic rising with each banana peel.  I did find some journal articles thrown away that were interesting to read but that was just a temporary distraction.  My focus was on the tooth.  Childhood dreams crushed?  Not on my watch!

Okay..I give up.  No tooth.  That's okay.  I can make this work. Clearly the tooth fairy has contingency plans for these things.  We can save his second tooth.  No worries.

But here comes Jack's Dad.  One thing to spin this story to Jack but I can't to his Dad.  So I tell the truth.  I lost the tooth.

"Are you sure?"  He asks.  "Where was it last?"  Right there on the counter. The very counter I've scrutinized and felt every inch of for the last 30 minutes. Yet, there it is. Like a beacon from above was shining on it.  One pearly white baby tooth.

I have my doubts...suspicious of the timing...of my husband's sly smile.  But I'll never know what really happened.  My husband just shrugs and says Christmas Magic.

Of course Jack was asleep by the time I returned to slip the real tooth under his pillow.  He woke to $5.00 and a new loose tooth.  Next one someone else will be in charge of keeping safe.

Congrats on losing your first tooth Jack!  Our little shark boy.