A last/first!

My last baby lost his first tooth!


*sniff sniff*

Shelley

Tooth Fairy

My oldest daughter lost yet another tooth today. I think that makes 10. She'd lost it at school, and the nurse gave her a tiny yellow treasure box to bring it home in. Excitedly she showed me in the car as we drove to ballet, saying...Yay the tooth fairy is going to come tonight! MmmHmm I murmured as I drove. To myself I thought...How much longer will she believe the tooth fairy is real? Isn't she getting a little old for this?

Tonight as I went in search of the tiny yellow box, not remembering for a bit where I'd put it, I thought again, When will she be too old for this? Finally I located the box, helped her tuck it under her pillow, and layed beside her for our nightly prayers. As I kissed her goodnight she said...Mom, I have a question...

And I knew.

She was about to ask.

Before she uttered another word I said... Sweetie, make sure you really want an answer before you ask.

She thought for a second and then...Yes, I really want an answer.

Then she asked.

And I immediately regretted my earlier feelings. Why did I want this to end? Why did I think she was too old? As we talked (she handled the news quite well), my heart ached as I realized the first step out of childhood had just happened for her. What comes next? Santa? Oh please no.

I realize it's a milestone that had to happen, maybe needed to happen, but it's still tough.

Then as I walked out of her room, just a few moments ago she called out...

Mom, you know I'm just gonna forget about this, right?

And I smiled. She wants to hang on just a little longer, and that's just fine with me.

a new era.

we have entered a new era in our house. the era of losing teeth! that's right! ellie lost her first tooth today! she is SO excited!

a couple of hours ago she said "mom, look at my loose tooth!"

for about the 1000th time.

i said what i always say, "yes dear, i know your tooth is loose." as i continued folding towells.

"No, LOOK!" she said, "it's REALLY loose!" so i looked, and sure enough, it was REALLY loose.

she continued to wiggle it for awhile longer, alternating between wanting it to fall out, and not wanting it to, for fear of it hurting. finally she ate a cheese stick, to see if it would fall out, nope. then she tried gum. i went into the laundry room to start yet another load of laundry as she started to chew the gum. suddenly she ran up to me holding something out and grinning REALLY big.

she didn't say a word, just grinned.

and then i saw it, the bloody gap in her mouth where the loose tooth used to be.

"It came out!" i exclaimed, "oh my gosh! let me see it!"

i examined the gap, and then the tiny white tooth. wow. we called grammie, we showed nana when she came over, we showed papa, we told miss dixie about it when she called, we showed daddy and even daddy's employee, mr. vince. we're VERY excited.

i think she feels all grown up now. of course she is almost 5 1/2. i feel a bit nostalgic, she is growing up, but i'm happy for her. she is happier as she get's older. i've always said she is a little adult trapped in a child's body, she hates the restraints of childhood with a passion.

so, now we have a tiny white reminder of the little girl that she is leaving behind, and a gap to show the big girl that is coming. she's starting kindergarten soon, she's learning to recognize words and beginning to read, she's becoming an expert swimmer and starting to learn to dive, she has an incredible memory, and she's growing into her strong willed personality, in other words, she's growing up. it's exciting to watch all these changes take place. it really is exciting to be a mom.

so now we have entered the "losing teeth, starting school, big kid era." or something like that! you can see by her face how excited she is!