The Tooth Fairy Exchange

Over the last several months, Madeline's friends and classmates have been losing their teeth, and Madeline was determined to loose one of hers too. In fact, her friend, Elizabeth, lost one of her two front teeth during the pivotal candle-blowing moment at Madeline's birthday party! And at a recent dental appointment (poor Mads fell hard into a coffee table and scaped up her gums. Ouch!), she was told that it wouldn't be too long before hers start to get wiggly. Her excitement was seriously mounting. She couldn't wait.

So last month, Madeline got straight to work after school making a fake tooth to put under her pillow; she and a couple of girlfriends cooked up the idea. She cut a piece of brown crayon to size and painstakingly painted it white. She was distressed when it wasn't dry in time to put under her pillow at bedtime. I suggested she use a white crayon, and she went into hyper-drive with preparations while I put the boys to bed. She wrapped it up in tape, wrote the Tooth Fairy a note (I loved listening to her sound out the words to herself), and carefully placed it in position.

Madeline writes to the Tooth Fairy. I mean "toth fare." So cute.

I, uh...I mean the Tooth Fairy....wanted to acknowledge her effort and enthusiasm, without starting a nightly tradition; who knows what kind of stuff would start appearing under her pillow without warning. I snuck into her room while she slept and made the exchange Mission-Impossible style.

The Tooth Fairy's reply to the fake tooth attempt...

Well, fast forward a couple of weeks and that little ol' tooth popped out one night after we put her to bed! The permanent tooth is already sprouting right up. Madeline wrote another note, only this time, she asked the Tooth Fairy to please let her keep her tooth (and would she mind throwing in a quarter)! It was a happy ending.

 

It reads: Dear Tooth Fairy, I want to keep my tooth. I want a quarter. Love you, Madeline.