The Toothfairy

Im not sure what it is exactly about the tooth fairy, but she has caught me slippin' at least once with each of my children. I don't know why, I just seem to let it slip my mind repeatedly.

Now we can all start pointing our perfectly manicured fingers and commenced the endless mom shaming. Or, maybe just for once we can just realize none of us is perfect. Maybe we can learn something here, and maybe we can even have a laugh.

As I stated this has happened on at least 2 occasions to me. I'll be the first to admit, my short term memory is horrendous. So, not setting a timer of some sort was my first mistake. The first time it happened I panicked and didn't really know what to say or how to handle it. I'm sure I mustered up some half-assed excuse to appease my son until I could call Gramma and ask for some advice. I don't recall whether or not Gramma was overly helpful, but I did end up weaseling my way out.

I had found a page of white price stickers I had in my photography portfolio. They were the perfect size to fit right on the face of a Canadian 2 dollar coin. So I got my pencil case and found a pen with the smallest ballpoint I could find and wrote: "I'm so sorry, I was sick last night. - TF"

It was so tiny I figured it looked pretty legitimate. My mother agreed so the following night I set myself a timer and set the coin under his pillow. Luckily for me the magic of a child's imagination is a powerful thing. We may have been a day late, but I think he made an extra dollar.

Fast forward about five years...

Beanie's turn to look up at me with that terrible look of disappointment.

"Why didn't she come? She forgot me?"

Oh dang, not again. This time I was a little quicker on my feet. Another 5 years of ups and downs had prepared me a little better for this moment.

"Actually baby," I explained to her "she was here. I saw her."

I told her I had sat with the tiny fairy and persuaded her to leave the tooth behind. I told my daughter I noticed she had been doing a great job keeping her teeth clean. I praised her diligence and told her I wanted to keep the tooth for myself as a memento. I asked her how much she thought the tooth fairy was likely to leave her for it. After some thought she decided about a dollar. So I offered to buy it from her myself for $2. It was her choice to take the money or to put the tooth back under the pillow for a second chance at the fairy.

My little entrepreneur took the money and ran. Saved my ass and stared a new tradition in my house. Now I keep a glass vial of all the lost teeth on my dresser. A little morbid, I know but what can I say. I'm a mom, Im a little gross.

Point is we all tend to feel the need to be almost super human when it comes to our kids. It can leave you feeling burned out and a little crazy at times. Just remember you are not alone. We all make mistakes and there is no right or wrong way. As long as you show up, that really is half the battle. Feel free to leave a comment about a time your kids made you feel a little less super and a little more human.

-Dash