Lost but Not Found

 

Drue lost her first tooth! (Ok, it was last month, but we are still excited). She is a late tooth loser apparently. Reese had already lost her first tooth at this age. A lot of Drue's friends have been losing teeth this year as well. I haven't done much research on the topic but I heard somewhere that if you were late getting your teeth, you'll be late losing your teeth. So I passed that along to her for some consolation.

She was my 10 month old baby with nary a tooth in her head. Shortly after, when I weaned her (I will never feel comfortable using that word in normal conversation) she woke up with half her set of teeth breaking through. She wasn't fussy, drooly, or exhibiting any other signs of teething. It was the weirdest thing. Sure, she may have gnawed on a bannister spindle or two, but I didn't really think twice about it. One day she had no teeth. The next, specks of pearly whites peeking through her little pink gums.

Also, her teeth are tiny. The tiniest teeth I've even seen in a child's head.

A few weeks ago during Tate's Cubby award night at church she was talking to me and I noticed that one of her bottom teeth was kinda sticking out funny. "Is your tooth loose Drue?" I asked.

"Nope," she said confidently.

I stuck my finger in there and, sure enough, it wiggled, ever so slightly. She was beyond thrilled. She'd been waiting for this moment. Throughout the rest of the ceremony she wiggled it. The whole rest of the night she wiggled it. And this continued on for days.

Apparently, it's a big deal where you lose your teeth nowadays. Reese lost one at church, Salty Iguana, home, and various other places she'd be happy to recount for you if you ask.

Drue was really wanting to lose hers at school. They get a little necklace with a tiny tooth shaped holder for their tooth.

When I went to pick her up from school a few days later she came running up to me, beaming, with a tooth necklace around her neck. "Oh my goodness!" I said, "Let me see!". She smiled and, sure enough, had a tiny whole where her tooth used to be.

I was still gushing over this momentous occasion when her teacher walked up to me and said, "I am so sorry".

Uh oh. I figured she was about to tell me that Drue's tooth had fallen out as a result of getting punched in the face by the little bully boy in her class. Thankfully, this wasn't the case.

They were at recess when her tooth fell out. So her teacher got her little necklace. Apparently, it didn't latch completely and when Drue was running over to show one of her friends, her tooth fell out of the necklace into the rocks on the playground. I have replayed this scene in my head a few times. If it were in a movie, I'm sure it would have happened in slow motion with tear evoking music playing in the background.

Her teacher felt so bad about it, she was down on her hands and knees sifting through the tiny pebbles for Drue's even tinier tooth. I assured Drue that she could write a note to the tooth fairy and everything would work out fine.

That night she sat down and started writing. She explained, in detail, what had occurred and even put the name of her school so the Tooth Fairy would be certain where to look. She read it out loud to me as I was putting her to bed. At the end she said, "P.S. Give it to me".

"Huh? Give you what?" I asked cautiously.

"My tooth," she clarified.

"Uh...that's not the way it works," I explained. "She takes your tooth. She can't give it to you. She leaves you money."

Drue was bound and determined that she wanted the Tooth Fairy to give her her tooth just for a little bit and then she would leave it out for her to take when she was ready.

Didn't see that one coming.

I stated a few more times that I was sure the Toothy Fairy wouldn't be able to leave the tooth and that Drue should fully expect to find a nice shiny golden dollar in the morning.

As luck would have it, Drue placed the letter at the foot of her bed. So I laid the golden dollar on top of it, instead of having to sweat it out, trying to slip it under her pillow, holding my breath the whole time and hoping her big hazel eyes didn't pop open.

Poor Druebie. Nothing is easy with her. Nothing seems to go the way she expects it too. She woke up in the morning, saw the golden dollar on her letter and the tears started to flow.

She was very disappointed the Tooth Fairy hadn't delivered her tooth to her. (I had predicted this reaction, and yes, even contemplated leaving one of our beagle's teeth or Reese's teeth under her pillow). What? You don't keep your pets' teeth when they fall out? Odd.

I thought I had her somewhat settled down when a whole new flood of tears came. "What are you upset about now?" I inquired ever so comfortingly.

"Reese's golden dollars had a picture of the Tooth Fairy on them! Mine has a picture of a man on it...of John Adams!".

That's our Druebie. Pays attention to the smallest detail. Nevermind that she confused Sacajawea with the Tooth Fairy.

She has moved on from this disappointing experience and is excited to watch her new tooth growing in. I just hope her next go round is a little less traumatic for all of us.