A Tooth & Its Demise....

A month or so ago, Bergen went with his Dad to visit our awesome dentist, Dr. Corte McGuffey. The appointment was a regular cleaning. No big deal, right? So I thought. The time they were gone kept getting longer & longer & I was wondering what in the world could be keeping them. I quickly found out. Bergen got home, talking a mile a minute trying to tell me the story of what happened at the dentist. After making him take a breath so I could understand what in the world he was saying, the story came tumbling out to the shock & amazement of the entire family! He even had a very impressive visual aid!!

Here is what happened: upon examining his mouth, Dr. McGuffey found Bergen had an adult tooth on the bottom that was coming in behind his baby tooth, therefore, not pushing the baby tooth out like it was supposed to (can we say welcome braces someday?). So, the baby tooth had to be pulled. My baby had to get not just one shot, but THREE shots in his mouth!! I am SO glad it was his Dad who took him & not me. DJ said at one point, Bergen saw one of the needles & his eyes got as big as saucers as he opened his mouth as wide as he could!!

The tooth he brought home,was impressive to say the least. It was HUGE! Since the adult tooth neglected to give the baby tooth the needed boost, it didn't wear down the root of the tooth like normal. As Bergen said, his tooth looked as big as a dog's tooth.

So, now to the sad part of the story, at least for this Mom, anyway. Bergen decided to not put his tooth under his pillow that night (thankfully for this unprepared Tooth Fairy) because he wanted to wait & show it to his Papa Doug who was out of town at the time, & then to all the Aunts & Uncles we would be seeing on Thanksgiving. A week or so after Thanksgiving, unbeknownst to me, Bergen decided to put his tooth under his pillow. What is it with boys & communication? The Tooth Fairy obviously didn't come. He thought she didn't take his tooth because of a dark spot still left on the inside of it & she makes a very big deal out of taking only the clean teeth. So, he decided to soak his tooth in water in a white cup in the kitchen....maybe it would come clean....again, this is all happening without the knowledge of me the Mom.

Change the scene to right after lunch, & I am cleaning up the kitchen. I pick up a cup with a little water in it, wonder who's it is, promptly dump it down the garbage disposal side of the sink, put the cup in the dishwasher & move on with my day......the inside of the cup was WHITE!!! I couldn't see anything. But at this point, I am still in happy bliss & oblivious to what I have done...

Change the scene again to after bedtime. I am still up downstairs, ordering a couple Christmas presents online. Bergen comes down & is looking around the kitchen....the conversation goes likes this: "Mom! Have you seen a cup around in the kitchen with water in it?" Me: "Um, I vaguely remember one, but I dumped it awhile ago...you will just have to get a new one...& can you please get back to bed?" Berg: his face now contorting into sadness & tears....& panic....he can't talk for the sake of starting to cry.....he covers his eyes.....& I am wondering what in the world is wrong with this child?! Then, the story comes tumbling out.....how he put his tooth out & the Tooth Fairy didn't take it...I explained the weather had been very snowy & windy that night, so she probably never made it here ('Oh, I didn't think of that,' he says) & "Why didn't you tell Mom & Dad you were going to put the tooth under your pillow?" Then he told me what was in the cup. His tooth! His tooth I wanted to add to my collection of teeth...to compare it's enormity to his other tiny teeth.....his tooth that was now ground to a pulp & long gone into the city's sewer system. "What is going to happen now?" he asks me. "What about the Tooth Fairy?"

Later on, we find out from his Daddy that while he was in the third grade, he lost his tooth at school...lost it on the playground. His teacher noticed him upset & asked what was wrong. She then proceeded to write a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining what had happened to DJ's tooth...& the Tooth Fairy honored it! I think some grandma in Loveland still has this note in someone's baby book.

So, we proceeded to write a note....Bergen wanted me to write my confession on the note also....I had to confess to the Tooth Fairy! I have never confessed to a Priest, much less a Fairy!!! Is there a sin somewhere in that? So I did...I told the Tooth Fairy about my mistake......I poured it all out on paper, much to the relief of my 8 year old son.....& then to bed we went.

The Tooth Fairy is a very understanding lady, let me tell you. Instead of just the normal dollar bill & pack of sugarfree gum, she added a special treat of a candy bar since he had gone through so much with the tooth to get it out & then getting it under his pillow, which of course never happened. She also left a very nice note....reminding Bergen to give his Mom some grace....I mean, help me out here....apparently, it happens all the time....according to the Tooth Fairy, that is. Has it happened to any of you?