I know my daughter has spent too much time waiting for the Tooth fairy when she stops checking to see if the Tooth fairy even bothered to come. What is sad is the Tooth fairy finally came, thanks to the late night laundry fairy who saw the Tooth fairy box sticking out from underneath her pillow, and now she doesn't even know.
When I woke my daughter up for school this morning, she got out of bed and instead of checking under her pillow, she got dressed and went up stairs to eat breakfast. I didn't want to take away the thrill of discovery by reminding her to look under her pillow, but at this point, I am beginning to wonder if she will? I should have had a clue that she had given up from our recent conversation about where the Tooth Fairy was and why she hadn't bothered to show up?
"Mom, does the Tooth fairy take vacations?"
Distracted by an article I was reading in the paper, I looked up. "What?"
"Does the Tooth fairy take vacations?"
I looked at her a little confused, but then she smiled at me and I saw the big gap where her two front teeth used to be and I started to say, "Shhh.. ooot!" Oops! That giant gap in her smile reminded me of the tooth that fell out how many days ago? She has been waiting for the Tooth fairy for how many days? I tried to go back in my mind. It was after Halloween. Halloween was Wednesday. It was the day of my conference with her teacher. That was the first. November first. Its now November fourth. Three nights. I came up with my best viable excuse, "Halloween. Halloween is the Tooth Fairy's busiest time of year. All of that candy. Caramel, Skittles, gum.... teeth are popping out all over the world. The Tooth fairy is just backed up."
She's wasn't buying it. She shook her head, "Mom, everyone knows the Tooth fairy is magical. She can make it around the world in a night, just like Santa Claus."
"Then she must be on vacation?"
My daughter bowed her head, there may have been a tear or two, and then even I felt her pain. How had I let this happen? Why couldn't I remember something as simple as a lost tooth? And just when I thought I couldn't feel any worse, the words came out of her mouth, "Mommy, could you just pretend to be the Tooth fairy and leave me some money under my pillow. I was really hoping to go to the book fair at my school this week?"
How pathetic! My seven year old is asking me to "pretend" to be the Tooth fairy. How bad is that? If only she knew. Actually, I am surprised that with an older sister in middle school, she doesn't question more. In fact, now that I think of it, my middle school daughter has never even asked the question of whether the Tooth fairy is "real or not." I am going to believe that it is because she knows better.
Since I had failed miserably at making sure the Tooth fairy came in a timely fashion, I did what any good mother or should I say, guilty mother would have done. I told my daughter I would make sure she would have money for the book fair at her school. She was so relieved. Her face regained color. She perked up and went off to look at the book catalog with a marker in hand to circle books she wanted to buy and I felt some of my guilt dissipate.
Now, here we are on Tuesday, November 6. The Tooth fairy has finally made it after five nights, but my daughter doesn't seem to care to check. Now my question is: Does she care as much about the Tooth fairy coming now that she has money for the book fair? Who knows? I am however curious when she will discover her tooth is gone and money in its place? Now I am the one, waiting to see!
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