Archive for May 26th, 2010

Alpha the Shark

Alpha lost his first tooth on Monday.

It has been loose for a while. So long, in fact, that his adult tooth became quite impatient and decided to appear regardless of the existing baby tooth. Like a shark, he was getting two rows of teeth concurrently.

photo of adult tooth growing in before baby tooth has been lost

He was at school on Monday. It was writing time (or something like that), and he was absent-mindedly spinning his loose tooth. Of course, loose teeth can be spun only so much before they capitulate.

photo of a baby tooth that has been lost

The school was well-prepared for a situation such as this. They have little envelopes with a drawing of a tooth and printing that says “I lost a tooth today” so the teacher can send it home easily. I don’t know, but I could guess, that hockey teams are similarly prepared.

Alpha was pleased to have lost the tooth. If his mouth is closed, it looks like a normal lost tooth, with the gap. He inherited my widely-spaced teeth, so I may have to emphasize that it is the bottom center-right (his center-left) tooth that is missing.

photo of a mouth with a missing baby tooth

(having gaps between teeth is nice because 1. the dentist remarks how easy it is to floss and 2. wisdom teeth grow in with no problems)

Monday night, Alpha put his tooth (in the envelope still) under his pillow and went to sleep. I then exchanged the tooth and envelope for a dollar bill. In the morning, after my wife asked him if he checked his tooth, he pulled the dollar out and waved it around.

Look at that!” I exclaimed, “The tooth changed into a dollar!

Before Alpha could say anything, Beta piped up: “No, the Tooth Fairy did that!

I don’t recall sitting down and instructing the boys in the ways of the tooth fairy, but I know it is mentioned in a book or two that we have. But we’ll just let Beta hold onto that thought for a while.

And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

Exodus 21:27