Emry's First Tooth

Like so many kids, Emry has anxiously awaited loosing her first tooth. We’ve read books on it. (I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve read Fancy Nancy and the Too-Loose Tooth.) We had a “tooth bag” waiting for it. And we have garnered a whole trove of information from other kids who have lost their teeth already.

 

But Emry’s teeth are slow in getting loose. She’s had her bottom right tooth loose for months now. Slowly it has gotten looser and looser, but never to the point of being ready to pull. Most times she completely forgot it was loose. Which was the case on Saturday in the apple orchard. But one bite out of an apple, and she very clearly remembered. 

 

She walked up and down the rows, apple in one hand and other cupped over her mouth, telling me it hurt and asking if I could pull it yet. One look at the tooth now twisted sideways told me I could pull it, but I told her to wait until it stopped hurting. Once it did, I had only to push it with my fingers and out the tiny tooth came. She was delighted.

 

It was the subject of conversation for much of the rest of the afternoon and evening. Mixed in with just the strangeness of missing a tooth was the queries of the tooth fairy. Was she real? Or was I the tooth fairy? Would she really come? Was she real? Would she leave a note with the money (like Maddie’s tooth fairy)? Was she real? This was the main question, for Emry was certainly not convinced that tooth fairy existed. Still, the tooth went in a small bag and was slipped under her pillow. Better to make the attempt and gain some money than not try at all.

 

Well, the next morning there was both a note and money under her pillow. (It was a bit of a close call as I remembered just as I went to bed…) Still, she asked if it was me or the tooth fairy. And told me the tooth fairy’s handwriting looks a lot like mine. I wondered if she would notice that. Still a dollar is a dollar. And the tooth next to that one is getting looser…

 

That night at small group, Ethan was telling the other boys all about Emry loosing her tooth and the tooth fairy coming to give her money. 

 

“My mom and dad are the tooth fairy,” 5-year-old Judah responded matter-of-factly. 

 

Emry was not in the room when this discussion took place, so later that evening as they were getting ready for bed, I heard Ethan tell Emry excitedly, “Emry! Mr. and Mrs. Peycke are the tooth fairy! Judah said so!”

 

Emry didn’t respond vocally, but I have a feeling she sent him one of those “yeah-right” looks she can do so well. Ethan doesn’t catch them half the time, so he’s convinced. Mr. and Mrs. Peycke are the tooth fairy.

 

Does that let me off the hook?

 

Emry and her missing tooth.