Finally. Mason has been hot-to-trot for past the couple of years now to lose a tooth. Many of his classmates have been losing teeth since kindergarten, and Mason often asked me when he was going to lose a tooth. I'll be honest. During our last visit to the dentist, I asked Dr. H about it because I, too, was wondering why it was taking so long. She just smiled and said he'd probably lose a tooth before his next visit, and she was right.
Sunday morning a week ago, Mason came bounding down the stairs while I was nursing Ellie. There were several things wrong with this scenario. First of all, it was early. Really early. Mason does not get up that early unless someone makes him. Second of all, he didn't have his blanket in his hand. And third of all, he was really chipper and already mumbling a hundred miles a minute. Mason is not a morning person. Before I knew it, he was all up in my personal space asking me to feel his loose tooth. He was so excited. So for the rest of the day, he came to me every five minutes or so for a tooth check.
Mama, is it almost out?
Mama, see how loose it is now?
The next day he left to go fishing in Cocodrie with PawPaw and MawMaw. I was a little sad thinking he might lose his tooth during his trip, and I would miss it so I put a ziplock bag in his suitcase and told him to be sure to save his tooth and bring it home. He came back three days later with that tooth still in his mouth. The next few days passed with little talk about the tooth. I think he thought the tooth would just fall out by itself. When he realized it might take a little push and a shove, he was quick to just forget about it. It probably didn't help that my husband explained to him that his gum would bleed when his tooth came out. I think at one point he offered to tie a string around it and yank it out. Just what every kid needs to hear. Lovely.
And then yesterday I couldn't stand it any longer. When I picked him up from school, I noticed that his speech was a little strange because he kept messing with that tooth. Besides, it was just barely hanging on and sticking way out of his mouth, so much so that even when his lips were closed, you could see that tooth poking through. Well. Maybe I exaggerate. But seriously. Something needed to be done. It's times like these when I really needed my husband to be at home. But he wasn't. So it was all up to me.
Before going to bed, I asked Mason if I could wiggle his tooth. I then asked him if it was okay if I went ahead and pulled it out. To my surprise, he said yes. So I grabbed a kleenex and gently pulled the tooth right out. Mason was so excited and insisted we put it under his pillow for the . . . er . . . um . . . Tooth Fairy.
I hadn't really thought ahead to the Tooth Fairy. But I do know that recently several of my friends' children have been disappointed because the Tooth Fairy "forgot" his (or her) duties. And you would know that I'd spent my last one dollar bill yesterday afternoon during a drink stop at Sonic. I searched my secret stash and found one though. And the Tooth Fairy didn't forget. Mason retrieved a one dollar bill out from under his pillow when I woke him up this morning. And you would know that my husband had advised the Tooth Fairy that she needed to take into account INFLATION. Trust me. A second grader knows nothing about inflation. My second grader, in particular, was rather amused by that dollar bill he found under his pillow this morning. But I know he has the Tooth Fairy all figured out. And that's okay, too.