I May Need to Rethink this Tooth Fairy Business

Our oldest son, W, is seven. A little over a year ago he lost his first tooth and I thought I was a darn genius for the Tooth Fairy gift I left him. I had read stories and statuses of children getting like $5 and $10 bills from the tooth fairy and that just wasn't going to happen in our house. Especially not with four kids and four mouths full of teeth. So I came up with the oh so brilliant idea of a re-gifting tooth fairy. You see, I have two big boxes in my attic full of my "vintage" LEGO Star Wars sets. And by vintage, I mean about 12 years old and no longer made. That night when he lost his first tooth, the tooth fairy left him a shiny new $1 coin and one of my LEGO kits. He was thrilled and that made me happy.

Two nights ago he lost his sixth tooth. And by lost, I mean my husband yanked it out because it was dangling. For every one of the six teeth that have come out, he has received one of my LEGO Star Wars sets and a $1 coin. Because once you start something, you can't stop. Now in theory, this is not a bad idea. It reuses old toys in the attic, costs me nothing (except the $1 coin) and makes the child very happy.  I still think it is a good idea... if you have just one child. Maybe two.

After the tooth fairy placed the recent prize under his pillow is when it hit me. I don't have one or two kids, I have four. I know I have enough LEGO kits to get through all of W's baby teeth - but then what do I do with the next three kids? I am not running out and buying new LEGO sets for all of them, but if they don't get the same things their big brother got, they will be devastated. I have completely set myself up for disaster. I wish I had started off with just the $1 coin and no toys at all. Me and my big ideas.

So now I am rethinking this and trying to come up with a better game plan. What do your kids get from the tooth fairy?

Our First Visit From the Tooth Fairy

Friday night was a big night for us. Our 6 year old finally lost his first tooth! I say finally because the darn thing has been loose for a good 2 months and just refused to come out. Then I noticed the new tooth already broke through behind it so we spent the last 2 weeks coaxing it out. Our son was not too thrilled with the pulling and prodding my husband and I were doing. Then, with a little nudge from daddy, it came out and he was ecstatic! We rinsed it and placed it in a litle box and he put it under his pillow.

Now Friday night is sleep over night in my house. This means that the 6 year old, who had his own room, goes in and sleeps in his brothers' bedroom. (The younger 3 share a room - not recommended by the way). Normally they horse around and make a lot of noise for a bit, and somehow the baby falls asleep through all of it, but not this night. No this night everyone was tired and ready for bed. There is an xtra twin bed in there and as I was tucking him in he says to me:

"Mommy, make sure you leave a note under my pillow so that the Tooth Fairy knows that I am having a sleepover with L & J!"

It was just such a sweet moment and it melted my heart. Moments like this make the rest of the insanity more than worth it.

Now the Tooth Fairy is my kind of lady. During the night she went in our attic and took out one of my small Star Wars Lego kits from many years ago. Yes, mine. And I still have them in boxes so they look new. See the Tooth Fairy is smart and all about Reusing. So she placed it under W's pillow along with a shiny new $1 coin.

The next morning I was awoken by an excited boy next to my bed. "Mommy, come in my room so I can show you something." So I pull myself out of bed and make my way down the hall to his room.

"Look, it's a Star Wars Lego toy!!!!! I didn't know the Tooth Fairy had these!

Yes our Tooth Fairy is a pretty cool chic who digs Star Wars. Now if only I really had wings.