He's a believer

Somehow, we managed to avoid the Tooth Fairy business with Max. Amazingly, considering his current avid search for money of any kind, he decided he wanted to keep his teeth, rather than trade them in for cash. I'm sure he still has them somewhere in one of his many "special" boxes. 

I should not be surprised that Marty has been a different story. With the first lost tooth, he was ready to make a deal. When the second tooth fell out, he literally LOST it ... somewhere at the grocery store. I'm pretty sure that's when the Tooth Fairy fully entered his consciousness. When he lost the tooth completely, Max told him the Tooth Fairy wouldn't be able to come and give him a coin. Ever since then, it's been VERY important to him that she would indeed come. (He did get a coin that time, even with no tooth to seal the deal.)

This make-believe stuff is totally new territory for us. From the start of our parenting, we've downplayed the make-believe aspect of Santa, Easter Bunny, etc. Now that they are older, we do talk about various Christmas and Easter traditions from around the world, both faith-based and secular. Belief in magic reindeer and egg-laying bunnies and such has always been a non-issue. Since the Tooth Fairy was no big deal for Max, we didn't really consider how the other kids would respond.

Interesting article about this here, 

and another post that she links to in the article.

For one of Marty's teeth (either 1 or 3), I forgot to put the coin under his pillow. When he came to see me in the morning with his sad story of no coin, I jumped out of bed and told him to wait there. I scrounged up a toonie from somewhere, and slipped it between his two foamie mattresses (this was before the boys had their triple bunk bed). I went back to tell him to search again, maybe the Tooth Fairy was confused by all the mattresses. Sure enough, he found it there and was so pleased. 

The saga continued this week, with the loss of tooth #4. Paul reminded me about the tooth waiting under the pillow. I forgot. Friday morning, Marty came to my bedside, lamenting that "the Tooth Fairy forgot AGAIN!" Knowing full well that she had indeed forgotten again, I said "she couldn't have! I'll go check it out." I made him stay in my bed while I went to "investigate". I went to the boys' bedroom to find Max frantically saying "I thought I grabbed a toonie, but it was only a loonie!" Apparently he had taken the responsibility upon himself. We scrambled to switch the coins (I put it inside the pillowcase), and went back to tell Marty to check again. I may or may not have told him that the T.F. (should we call her Tiff?) had left me a note saying she was afraid he was about to wake up, so she had to be really quick and it may be tricky for him to find the coin.

Oh, good grief. The lies!

He went back, and sure enough - found the coin! That celebration was short lived when he said he couldn't find the baggie with his tooth. I told him the Tooth Fairy had taken it, because it's a trade. He said that no, she hadn't. When he first looked under his pillow, he saw no coin, and the tooth baggie was right where he left it. He put the baggie somewhere on his bed before coming to tell me about the crisis.  I figured Max must have put the baggie somewhere, but he said he hadn't seen it anywhere! Marty's upset escalated, and he said he really really wanted the coin AND his tooth. I said I wasn't sure if that was okay with the Tooth Fairy. He was pretty sure that was how it should be. He even asked me if he could see the note that she left for me, telling me how she was worried he was about to wake up. I may or may not have told him it was sent in an email and I deleted it because she told me to. 

It's a slippery slope, I tell you!

Paul was getting ready for work and joined the discussion. Soon after that, Marty came to me with a letter Paul had helped him write ...

He taped the note to the side rail of his bed. I'm sure he hoped, prayed, and dreamed last night that his wish would come true.

Sometime after the fiasco began, a quick search near his bed revealed the baggie with tooth inside on the floor. I hid it away with his previous trade-in tooth and contemplated my next falsehood step.

This morning, I was awoken by a super excited boy telling me that he had been given something very special from the Tooth Fairy. A baggie taped to his bed with a note, a secret and a surprise. Max helped him read the note, and this is what it said:

February 8, 2013

Dear Marty,
Thank you for your letter. I am very sorry for the mix-up about your tooth. Can I tell you a secret? There were so many kids to visit that night, I sent my helper to your house this time. She was AMAZED by the triple bunk bed. I told her it was there but she must have been so excited to see it that she forgot to do all the important parts of her job! I heard that you had a hard time finding your coin, and that the bag with the tooth went missing. I have sorted it all out, and am happy to give you back the last TWO teeth that you have traded in for coins. From now on, I will let you keep the tooth and still give you the coin. But if something makes you worried that there has been another mix-up, don’t fret! It will all get figured out. 
I think you are almost ready to start brushing your teeth on your own. You should talk to your Mom and Dad about that.
:)
The Tooth Fairy

He beamed all day, and tonight ... he brushed his own teeth.  Maybe this Tooth Fairy hullabaloo is worth it, after all. What say you?

Now I'm hoping he doesn't hear the truth before his tender little believin' heart is ready for it.