Tooth Fairy in training

A couple of days ago Emma lost another tooth. Bit into a caramel apple and it popped right out. Of course she was SUPER excited about getting money that night from the tooth fairy (I think we're going broke because of these teeth...but thats another story). So, even though it was the afternoon, I told her it was ok to bag it up and put it under her pillow.

Well, fast forward 5 hours and its now bedtime. We've said prayers, brushed teeth and read books. Lights are out. Then, Dave starts to hear a bunch of commotion coming from Ben and Emma's room. He hears Emma jump down from the top bunk, panicked whispering, and doors opening and shutting. He goes in and finds Emma crying at the edge of her bed, clutching her little baggie. Ben is nowhere in sight. That is never a good sign.

"Whats going on?" Dave asks. Emma holds out the baggie which contains one penny. No tooth in sight. Just one little penny. She is devastated and starts crying harder.

Then Ben walks in the room, big smile on his face and walks by Dave to climb into bed. Suspicious, you say...and you are right! Dave asks Ben whats going on. Ben just smiles and says he helped the tooth fairy today. Wanted to make sure Emma got her money. So, now Dave is torn between many emotions. He wants to laugh (and does), but also feels bad for Emma, and doesnt want to get mad at Ben (I'm tellin ya, they don't make enough parent handbooks on stuff like this!).

By this time I am in the room. Dave asks Ben where he put the tooth. "I hid it" he says. "Ok, where did you hide it?" we ask. He puts his finger up to his chin and contemplates a while. "I really forget now, I'm not sure". Not suprisingly this sends Emma into fits of sobbing, and Dave and I out into the hall to get all our laughs out in secret. So begins Operation find the tooth. "Ben, think back to where you might have hid it." I say. "Well, it could be in my treasure box, or under the bed, or maybe its just somewhere on the floor. Visions of me vaccuuming an hour ago flash through my head and I cringe at that thought. We look and look. Dave starts to look for old teeth we could play the switcheroo with. Finally, we find the tooth (on the floor under Ben's dresser), and things calm down.

After tucking Emma back in, tooth safely under the pillow, I kneel down to say goodnight, again, to Ben.

"So, that was pretty crazy, right?" I say to him.

"Yeah", he says shrugging his shoulders. " I don't know why she was crying, I gave her money."

"Maybe you're gonna be a tooth fairy someday." I say.

"I'm not a fairy mom". He says. Can't argue with that one.....