The Tooth Fairy......

I am the world's worst tooth-fairy.  I am pretty sure I've forgotten more teeth than I've remembered.  I have a special computer font I've picked out to write apologies from the tooth fairy.  Colleen lost a front tooth this morning.  She's been working on it since, in a moment of extreme affection, (!) Shane accidentally loosened it for her a couple of weeks ago.  Colleen was starting to think it would never come out, and I suggested that maybe it was waiting for Daddy to come home (less than a week!).  Anyhow, it came out this afternoon.  She has two different, special, pretty tooth fairy boxes.  Somewhere.  She put it in a blue shiny cardboard jewelry sized gift box that was left over from Christmas.  I asked her where she planned to put it in case "I need to draw the tooth fairy a map"  - the t.f.'s most common excuse for a no-show has been that she couldn't find the tooth .......(her excuse, not mine, I just plain forget.....).  Anyhow, she told me that she would put it on her dresser.  Then she brought it downstairs to show me how bloody it was.  We had a discussion about the size of the tooth fairy, and Colleen's conclusion was that she must be at least 5 inches tall or she wouldn't be able to carry quarters.  She cleaned the tooth off and put it back in the box and, I noticed that Colleen left the box on the side table in the living room.  After she'd been asleep for an hour, I went downstairs to retrieve the tooth and leave a deposit ( $1 in this house is the going rate - we've got a lot of teeth!).  The box WAS NOT THERE.  Nor was it on her dresser.  She and Megan share a full-sized loft bed, and I reached under the nearest pillow, hoping that Colleen hadn't chosen the wall-side, and that whoever's head was on that pillow would remain asleep.  Fortunately, the box was within reach, and I was able to pull it out.  However, the tooth fell out of the box and onto the floor.  Even though I couldn't find it, I can be almost certain that Colleen will step on it in the morning and her illusions will all be shattered.  Maybe I should start composing another tooth fairy note.....

As I mentioned, my husband will be home soon.  I told the kids that they got Labor Day off from school so they could help get the house ready for Daddy's homecoming.  They were all about making yellow ribbons, and signs.  Not so eager for the "labor" part of the day.  Around 11, Colleen said to me, "Mommy, I do NOT think Labor Day is for cleaning the house!".