Yesterday, 4pm or thereabouts and I sit in the Attic to stitch a little something.
Blue felt, old vintage button, pale blue embroidery thread.
I recall from a long-forgotten part of my brain how to stitch blanket stitch.
Enjoy doing it enormously, this little bit of quiet stitching.
Think it quite neat in fact.
I have a companion up in the Attic, watching my every move.
It is Little Man, waiting patiently for me to finish the sewing.
And in his hand he is holding something very precious.
Something white and pearly.
Yes, it's his first baby tooth.
It fell out during PE, was wrapped carefully in a blue paper towel to bring home.
He is 6 years and (almost) 2 months, and his best friend has already lost 6 of her teeth.
So this loss has been a long time coming, and is greeted with the deserved excitement.
I tell him how vividly I remember this tooth first appearing.
How he was exactly seven months old, 31st March 2003.
It was an Event To Be Remembered.
Just as this day is, 21st October 2008.
He puts the precious tooth carefully into the little hand stitched pouch.
He is concerned that the Tooth Fairy might not be able to manage to undo the button.
Because she will be very small and delicate.
But in the same breath he declares there's no such thing as the Tooth Fairy.
Kids at school say It's Just Your Mum And Dad.
But what time will the Tooth Fairy come, will it be Midnight like Father Christmas?
How will she know when to come, how will she lift the pillow up?
She must have Strong Magic.
But it's Just Your Mum and Dad that do it.
????????
He teeters on the edge of disbelief, I see him wobble.
Yet he knows the Tooth Fairy will surely come if he Believes.
And if he doubts her then she might not come.
And the bottom line is that he truly wants that money.
Yes, his mind is made up.
She will surely come at Midnight.
She will exchange the pearly white for a shiny gold.
And I'm informed matter-of-factly that the going rate for a pearly white tooth is now £1.
It was 5 pence when I was a child.
The precious tooth is safe in it's little pouch.
We wait for Daddy to come home, so he can share in the excitement.
Examine the tooth, examine the hole that it left behind.
See the adult tooth already there and waiting to grow.
The little blue tooth pouch is put under the pillow at 5.30pm.
All ready and waiting.
Run up numerous times to check and double check.
It's still there, ready and waiting.
* * * * * *
6.20am this morning or thereabouts and the scampering of feet into our bedroom.
The little blue pouch no longer contains the tooth.
There is shiny gold coin, just as expected.
Big smiles all round, because she came (and "she" almost forgot)
But there's no such thing as the Tooth Fairy you know.
Its Just Your Mum and Dad.
But still he wonders what the Tooth Fairy does with all the teeth she collects?
And she must be very VERY rich because he has 19 more teeth.
And that's gonna make Twenty pounds total.
He teeters and wobbles on the edge of disbelief.
And I will him to carry on Believing.
That's the cutest tooth pouch ever! Oh, how I love all things tooth fairy. It's like a year-round season to me, since I never know when my kids will lose their teeth. Not that I'm wishing for them to fall out. It's just cute how the whole thing works. They lose a tooth and they place it under their pillow. The next day, they see a dollar in replacement of the tooth, and then we go visit the dentists in Jackson, TN. Ooh, I think I'm gonna make a tooth pouch later. Thanks for this!
Posted by: Kathy Frederickson | March 21, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Having no children myself, all my reminiscences are of my own childhood.
My first tooth got lost, as it fell out in the swimming pool, so the tooth fairy went swimming to get it.. she must have succeeded, because she left the 50p (see, inflation in action!) under my pillow exactly as expected!
I love the little blue pouch you made for the tooth.. I may have to do something similar in years to come!
Posted by: Dawn | October 05, 2009 at 09:25 PM
This is such a touching post. I have two boys, ages one and two and a half and these days seem so far int he future for us. And I know someday they'll be so far in the past. Sigh.
What I'm saying is, lovely post. You made me tear up a little.
Posted by: elizabeth of course | November 06, 2008 at 08:23 PM
Found my way here via the Magpie files, and your comment about yorkshire pudding on her post about scones.
But I love the story of the tooth: our little girl, Boo, is 6 in a couple of weeks, and she's waiting and waiting and waiting for her first tooth to come out: her best friends, 9 months younger, lost her first about two years ago, and has a mouthful of gaps. Boo thought that she had a loose tooth a few weeks ago, but it's done nothing since then, leading me to suspect that it was just a false alarm.
By the way, I wrote a few words about yorkshire pudding this morning on my blog --- the secret, I found, was to use enough eggs in the batter. For 12 individual puddings in a muffin tin, I use 5 eggs....
N.
Posted by: breadbox | October 28, 2008 at 11:44 AM
I have thought about this since I first read it.
My children still 'believe' in the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny and Father Christmas. They are 16 and 18. They have never at any stage spoiled the game and I realise now that they have done it to make me happy. And that knowledge is even sweeter than the game itself.
Posted by: AliceC | October 24, 2008 at 07:11 AM
That's just wonderful.................. so very touching, all the anxiety and elation............. If little man wants to find out exactly what happens to his teeth......... well he can find out in 'Diary of a Tooth Fairy', by Alan Durant............ Amazon have it!
You're a rather wonderful Mum, making that little pouch................ it's all a very charming story...............
Posted by: vanessa | October 23, 2008 at 10:22 AM
That was the sweetest story! Made my eyes well up with tears of nostalgia. It's been close to three decades since I played the tooth fairy. Ahhh
Posted by: Kathy | October 23, 2008 at 05:20 AM
Oh Lucy,
How sweet Little Man is, loved yesterdays braclet story and todays tooth adventure. I told my Miss L that the fairies used the little teeth to build their houses.
Yes I love to have flowers around as well.. My roses are just staring to come into bloom. The magis of Spring.
Kathryn
Australia
Posted by: Kathryn | October 23, 2008 at 12:34 AM
Oh just lovely! My boy was well into his sixth year before he lost one and into his seventh year he has still only lost 2 so far! Don't worry little man, the tooth fairy is very patient!! t.x
Posted by: kitschen pink | October 22, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Wonderful! My B has one on the verge - I can hardly bear the exctiement already! Good for you for encouraging the magic, that's what childhood's all about isn't it?
Stephx
Posted by: Steph | October 22, 2008 at 09:14 PM
That was lovely Lucy x
Posted by: Anna | October 22, 2008 at 09:00 PM
Oh Bless! Gosh, that feels like a life time ago since I had to play that part with my son! He used to have 20pence back then! x
Posted by: Andrea | October 22, 2008 at 07:28 PM
Such a sweet story. The going rate for a tooth was a silver sixpence when I was small!
Posted by: simone | October 22, 2008 at 07:10 PM
Having four children to sort out and numerous teeth, our tooth fairy occasionally did forget [oops]. But she made up for it by writing a letter in curly handwriting the next day. Actually somehow there were two tooth fairies - Elinor and Marianne. Then the tooth loser wrote back - quite a correspondance! As to what happens to the teeth - there is a lovely picture book showing how the fairies use the teeth to make into fairy piano keys!
Posted by: liz | October 22, 2008 at 05:59 PM
Awwww, Lucy, your little pouch is so cute and lovingly made and your story is very sweet. Thank you for helping bring back little memories of when my children were little...it made me smile just remembering that special time.
Posted by: cathleen | October 22, 2008 at 03:37 PM
The first precious tooth that Jack lost fell down the floorboards when we were looking at it, I was far more upset than him and did consider jamming up the floorboards and finding it. After I'd consoled him with the fact that the tooth fairy is so small she can easily fit down the gap I had to console myself that at least a little part of my boy will always be here (along with all the rest in my jewellery box - yeuch, what are we supposed to do with them, I can't bring myself to throw them away!)
I will post about the grannies soon but they in no way even measure up to your beauties!
Julia xx
Posted by: julia | October 22, 2008 at 02:47 PM
So very very sweet. It's a moment of Mama passage, that first tooth isn't it?
And in France, it's a tooth mouse, not a tooth fairy. We had a two nation visitation one summer thanks to the lovely hotel owner where we were staying.
I was so relieved when that one came out, as baguette+wobbly one was proving a tad awkward!
Posted by: Ali | October 22, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Oh bless, I love the little purse you made him, I imagine he was so excited to go to sleep, my older two were quite late losing their first tooth. Max whos 9 does still believe and hasnt started questioning me...yet! Naughty tooth fairy has failed to turn up on two occassions tut tut, luckily both nights were v bad rain...phew....do you know she leaves a little something extra if that happens to say sorry.
Enjoy your day....Claire x
Posted by: Claire-serendipitylovesnewyork | October 22, 2008 at 01:03 PM
Arrh cute, a day to remember love those proud Mummy moments! Love the pouch you stitched. Well done for creating magical moments!
Sarahx
Posted by: sarah | October 22, 2008 at 01:00 PM
Ah, lovely. And clever old you! Our tooth fairy has to search and search (when she remembers to come, she is a bit flakey).
I always feel a bit sad when they start losing their baby teeth, not least because they are so lovely and pearly. Sigh.
Posted by: Mrs Be | October 22, 2008 at 12:53 PM
What a beautiful post! I have two Big Men in college, and it brings back wonderful memories, including sweet letters to the Tooth Fairy that now, they may not admit to have written.
Posted by: weedwacker | October 22, 2008 at 12:26 PM
oh that was so sweet can I admit to a little tear in eye ?! i did cry when my eldest lost her first one as well :-) all we want for christmas is her two front teeth as both missing at the moment!
lovely lovely lovely x
Posted by: Lesley | October 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM
My boys (now 11 and 8) were also intrigued as to what on earth the Tooth Fairy did with all the teeth she collected. Under pressure, and with lightning speed, I responded as any quick-thinking mother would...The teeth are all the little bricks that are used to build the fairy castles at the bottom of the garden where all the fairies live. Sometimes bigger adult teeth come out too, so the gnomes have to help the fairies lift those bigger 'bricks' into place. They still believe (that their mother is a loony probably) and humour me constantly!
Andrea, Perth, Australia.
Posted by: Andrea | October 22, 2008 at 11:47 AM
This is so sweet. Believing is very important. I still believe a little bit at age 37! I love the little pouch you made, it's very cute. Good job the tooth fairy remembered!
Posted by: Fiona | October 22, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Aww I love that he still believes, bless him. I'm sure little lady will now be rooting around to follow in the footsteps of her brother?? We checked J's on Sunday night and still not a wobble in sight!
Posted by: Nicola | October 22, 2008 at 11:12 AM