The Tooth Fairy

I try to be a good mommy. Try to remember important dates, fix booboos, navigate the endless stream of chatter, cries and screams, train them on cleanliness and godliness, kindness and patience, discipline and love, hug and kiss, confirm and reaffirm, encourage gifts, point out talents, expand their experiences, involve them in sports and music and the arts as well as educate them......ON AND ON AND ON

But, there is one thing I keep forgetting - The Tooth Fairy.

The dag on Tooth fairy. Come on, can a parent get a break. My daughter lost her front tooth. thankfully , the babysitter pulled it out (cuz I am squeamish about that type of stuff). But when I got home she had a golden smile on her bright face and a new, highly anticipated and well deserved, spacious gap. Adorable. I kissed her and we wrapped up the tooth, sealed it in an envelope and put it under her pillow. And she went on and on and on about her tooth and the tooth fairy and a million and one questions. To which I nodded my head as I trudged through our nightly routine.

I tucked in kids, washed dishes, cleaned up the kitchen and family room. then I loaded clothes into the washer and dryer. Finally, i ate dinner. sighed. took a breath. willed my body out of the seat to the computer to finish a book review and a submission that were due. Around 2 oclock, i did one of my many nightly house checks. I finally passed out about 3 am

At 7 am I heard cries. within minutes my eldest daughter stood over me, her young voice assuming an authoritative but quiet tone, like when someone is announcing there has been a death. "Mommy. Mommy."

"huh?" i couldn't quite get my eyes open yet, and my daughter was so close to my face that she appeared to be a blur.

"Mommy, the tooth fairy forgot all about Lauren. She just didn't come. And Lauren is so upset."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I rolled frantically out of bed. how could I have made this mistake. Oh my goodness. When I got to her room she was completely devastated. I tried a "oh she will come tonight" tactic, which my older daughter quickly ruined.

"No, mommy. the tooth fairy came to me the same night. it has to be the same night or not at all."

Biting my tongue and being careful not to roll my eyes or glare at her in frustration, i convinced Lauren to go wash her face and brush her teeth while my other daughter rubbed her back. I calmly walked to my room, closed the door and tore through my closet looking for money. Tucking it in my hand, i darted back to her room (unseen by her and, thank god, my oldest daughter). I slid the 5 dollar bill in her pillow case.

head down, chest vibrating hiccups of sadness, Lauren walked slowly back into the room, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"did you check your bed?" i asked

"Yes! Yes! Yes! She forgot me..."

"I just have never seen that happen before?" I sighed, hand to my chin. "Lets check everything once again, ok"

Both girls tore the bed apart.

"I know what we forgot." I snapped my fingers, a look of complete surprise coming over my face. "Sometimes, the tooth fairy will put her gift inside the pillow case. You know, for those wild sleepers who move their pillows around at night."

hope dawned and spread like sunshine. Four big round eyes stared at me as if given a second chance. They shook all the pillows and finally, at last, the five dollar bill floated easily onto the bed and both girls yipped for joy. The smiles I got that morning were worth my entire life.

A crisis avoided.

Until this morning, when I had to do the entire charade again (this time hiding the money inside a book she keeps under her pillow) after I forgot to make my deposit last night and she and her sister awoke at the crack of dawn today....

the tooth fairy is ruining my life!!