We left for OKC on the morning of the 22nd, (only) five hours behind schedule. We had skipped breakfast in the effort to keep shoving stuff in the car, so we pulled away from home half-starved. After a quick stop at the Starbucks down the street, we dug into the stash of snacks. Rylan and I had shopped for the trip the day before, and had picked up a dozen of the velvety soft, slightly chewy cinnamon rolls from the Great Harvest Bread Co. with the plan in mind that we would eat them for breakfast. So we passed out the rolls and dug in. I was on the phone with my mom to let her know we were finally heading out of town, when I heard a shout from the far back seat. I looked back and saw Rylan looking stunned, excited and a little scared, as she triumphantly held out a tooth. We pulled over on a side street, and congratulated Rylan and took some pictures of her new smile.
What I love best is that we were all there with her when it happened - even grandma was on the phone! And that night she got a hug from her grandparents in Oklahoma, who were excited that they would be hosting the Tooth Fairy in their home.
Tooth Fairy? (Gulp). I had intended on making a special little pillow for the sole purpose of keeping a tooth safe and secure until the Tooth Fairy arrived to take it. And what is the standard exchange rate for first teeth? I know we went through this whole process with Jordan, but I don't even remember it now... And ever since his mother spoiled the whole Santa Claus/Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny thing when he was at the tender age of barely nine (yeah, I'm STILL pissed about that), we didn't do the tooth under the pillow thing anymore.
After consulting all things Google, we settled on $4.00, but golden dollar coin procurement would have to wait until the 24th, when the banks were open. So, on the 24th, with kids in tow and a long shopping list to contend with as well, we visited bank after bank in search of coins - which was so much fun, considering all of the holiday traffic. I think we visited seven banks in all, in the effort to secure four measly coins. They must be a hot item during the holidays.
Rylan and I worked on her letter to the Tooth Fairy late that afternoon, and agreed that taping the tooth to the letter would be okay - that way it would not get lost. (And bleary-eyed parents would not have to fish for it).
So the society of Mythical Figures had to work overtime on Christmas Eve, with both Santa AND the Tooth Fairy visiting on the same night. The Tooth Fairy arrived, fist-bumped his pal Santa, and made his way to Rylan's bedside with the four coins wrapped in tissue paper (which seemed like a perfectly fine idea at 1 a.m.), and made the exchange. (Yeah, you read that right. Santa is a SHE, and the Tooth Fairy is a HE, in our line-up of parental duties).
Early the next morning (too early in my opinion), I heard the crinkly sounds of tissue paper as Rylan discovered her package. (I still remember that feeling of excitement, when I was her age). I heard her fiddle with it (probably trying to figure out what it was), and then a gasp as realization hit. She carefully opened it and counted out her coins. She made no mention that the tooth was gone or anything like that - she was just so excited that the Tooth Fairy had left her money. She proudly showed her little brothers the coins, and Owen was visibly impressed and excited for Rylan.
And Rylan swears that the toothpaste and toothbrushes that came out of the stockings that morning were left by the Tooth Fairy... And not the Tooth Elf - Santa's personal dentist, as we have led her to believe.
And the other tooth? Still hanging on. Maybe Valentine's Day?
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