The Tooth Fairy Flops Again

I am a failure.  A complete failure. A flop.

At least when it comes to this Tooth Fairy business.

Before we get going, let me tell you that the kids in this household have been informed as to the true nature of "The Tooth Fairy".  However, it hasn't seemed to disturb the magical quality surrounding the "fairy" visits.  Rather, it is quite the phenomenon that this mother of theirs can sneak little coin-laden baggies under their pillow without waking them up.  Magical indeed.

Unless she forgets.  Unless she forgets, two nights in a row.


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It was 7am.  It was time to get up and get moving.  I went in Brandon's room and turned on the light.  He abruptly sat up in bed and yanked his pillow away.

And looked.  Looked at nothingness.

Then he turned and looked at me.  And I looked at him, all the while calling myself a pathetic excuse of a Tooth Fairy.

"No Tooth Fairy.  The Tooth Fairy still didn't come," was all he said.

I grimaced, sighed and said, "Sorry."

While he sat in bed holding his tooth, I hurried to my room and got the customary coin baggie.  He was still sitting in his bed when I returned.

"Sometimes the Tooth Fairy comes during the day instead of the night," I said.  With my left hand I thrust the baggie under the pillow, all the while gesturing with my right.  I don't think I fooled him.  "Check under your pillow now," I said, smiling.

With a small little grin, he lifted the pillow and claimed his prize.

And held it out to me.

"Here you go," he said.

I frowned at him and asked, "What?"

"The money.  Remember, yesterday when I broke the register vent?  You said you were going to use my Tooth Fairy money to help buy a new one."

Oh, yeah.  That.  I totally forgot.

Yesterday, while I was getting ready for bible study, I heard a loud crash from the girls' room.  I went in and found one of the beds all cattywompus.  Apparently, Brandon had been jumping on the bed (and he KNOWS he's not supposed to jump on the bed), and sent the leg of the bed through the floor register, breaking both the leg of the bed and the register.  His punishment for disobeying was to forfeit his Tooth Fairy money.  I must have chosen well.  He was deeply grieved and repentant   And then I went and forgot.  But he didn't.

Bless his tender, honest (and sometimes disobedient) heart.