Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Tooth Gone?

Back in February, I sent this email and photo to friends/fellow moms...

"I need Tooth Fairy advice!  Rylee has her first loose tooth!  It didn't even dawn on me that we may be approaching that milestone until brushing her teeth one night!  "Oh my!  Your tooth is wiggling!"  (Okay, so what if I hadn't talked to Rylee about her tooth falling out... and then one day, it fell out and she freaked?  Geesh -- scar my child for life, why don't I?!)

Anyway, she knows now that it's a baby tooth and since she's a big kid the baby tooth will fall out and a big-kid tooth will grow in.  (Sorry -- guess I didn't have to explain to all of you how that works.)  She also knows that the Tooth Fairy will come and leave her a... well, a surprise.  Lately she has enjoyed wiggling it -- and any day now, that tooth is going to come out, so the Tooth Fairy has to be ready!

So, now... what "surprise" is the Tooth Fairy going to bring?  I'm thinking that the Tooth Fairy should come up with something fun and unique... money just won't excite Rylee in the least!  Does anyone have any good Tooth Fairy ideas?

Thanks for sharing... and hurry with your ideas!  LOOSE TOOTH WARNING!  TOOTH FAIRY HAS TO BE PREPARED!"

******

I got some great ideas from everyone, decided on what I (I mean the Tooth Fairy) was going to leave for her!  I ran to the store and got what we needed for the exciting event!  I mean, I had to be ready!  That tooth was surely going to fall out IMMEDIATELY!

So, we waited.

We brushed teeth.  We wiggled.  We brushed some more.

And we waited.

Days went by.  Weeks went by.  And STILL that tooth held on.

We brushed teeth (a little harder in the front this time!)  

"Rylee, can't you just wiggle that tooth right out?  Remember, who's going to come when that tooth comes out?"

"The toof fay-we."

"Yes, Rylee!  Aren't you excited?  And she's going to leave you a....?"

"Sup-wise!"

"Yeah, so wiggle that little bugger out!!"

So we waited, and we waited some more.

Now months have passed (and by now I have forgotten where I put the bag of "Tooth Fairy surprises.")  When the kids started getting into playing doctor, "Dr. Mom" started trying to wiggle that tooth out.  Rylee would lay still with her head on my lap, and I would wiggle and wiggle until SHE was to wiggly to lay still...

One day, "Dr. Mom" decided to give it one more try... "Rylee, let's wiggle that.... RYLEE!  Where is your tooth??  It's GONE??!!  YOU LOST YOUR TOOTH!!"

"The toof fay-we!!  Sup-wise!!!"

"Yes, Rylee, the Tooth Fairy can come!  But..."  

I realized then that we didn't have her very 1st lost tooth.  I am the mom that keeps everything ("Jeremy, don't throw that away!  That was the napkin Rylee wiped her little hands on when we went to Sesame Street Live!  I know it's covered with popcorn butter, but keep it!)  In fact, my Mom even got me a cute little keepsake box that has a place for each of the kids' baby teeth.  (Geesh, can't imagine where I got my "keepsake" tendencies.)  So, no 1st tooth.  *sniff*

"Rylee, I guess we'll just have to leave her a note saying we have no idea where the tooth is!"

Before preparing for the Tooth Fairy, we had to capture Rylee's new smile!  The tooth she lost was her upper left central incisor (I missed my calling as a dental hygenist) and you can see her "big-kid tooth" already coming through!

And now, a note to the Tooth Fairy...

We put the note inside the little "Tooth Fairy Pouch" I had made for Rylee. (Okay, so I didn't exactly make the bag, but I will take credit for stitching on the "R" and fairy charms.  I know... my sewing skills never cease to amaze me either.)

Before bed, Rylee put the pouch under her pillow... 

and in the morning, the Tooth Fairy had left a note for her!

Rylee woke up to her surprise... well, surpriseS!  A fairy doll, fairy toothbrush, fairy stickers, fairy plates and napkins, light-up wand, and special Tooth Fairy Certificate!  (And yes, MR. Tooth Fairy questioned MRS. Tooth Fairy about the QUANTITY of surprises... he reminded Mrs. Tooth Fairy that there were many more teeth to fall out in the years to come... Mrs. Tooth Fairy reassured him that only the FIRST tooth would be rewarded so greatly, and that fewer surprises would be left in the future!)

 

Rylee was excited to see that, indeed, the Tooth Fairy DID come (despite not having a tooth to leave!)  However, you don't get that impression from this "I'm-just-waking-up-and-mom-turned-on-the-light-to-see-my-surprises-and-now-she's-taking-30-pictures" look on Rylee's face.

So, Rylee's 1st tooth is gone.  (Literally.)  Thanks to all of my friends who gave me some great ideas (some of which I used, and some of which I am saving for another lost tooth down the road!) 

(Missing: Cute Little Baby Tooth.  If found, please return to Rylee Griffith.  Reward will be given!)