Tooth Fairy Fail

I'm a terrible mother. I don't deserve my fantastic, long-suffering kids. It's true. The latest example of my incompetence is when Tabitha lost her second tooth on Halloween night. The poor tooth decided to commit suicide rather than be subjected ANY further to the relentless candy assault. Instead of making sure that it ended up in safe place for the rest of the evening, like a good mother would, I did nothing and it got lost... forever. I told Tabitha it didn't matter and that the Tooth Fairy would come anyway and inspect the hole in her mouth to verify that a tooth was, indeed, lost. So she climbed into bed, put her empty tooth pouch under her pillow and went to sleep happy. Meanwhile I started the big post-Halloween clean-up.

I was awakened early the next morning by Tabitha... who was standing beside my bed in full school uniform. She looked concerned. "Umm, mummy," she began, "I don't want to worry you but the Tooth Fairy didn't come last night." WORST MOM EVER! It was only her second tooth and here I was acting like it was her twentieth! I sprang out of my bed in into action. "That can't be true!" I lied. "You go brush your teeth and I'll check." Thank heavens my purse was nearby! I scrambled to get it all done but by the time she'd finished with her teeth the coin was safely in the box in the pouch under her pillow. "I'm sure it's here Tabitha," I said shamelessly, "try looking again." She found her coin and was happy but, like an idiot, I couldn't let it go at that. I proceeded to make up a massive, complicated excuse about why she hadn't seen it in the first place. I told her it was because she'd lost her tooth on Halloween night which was one of the only nights of the year (the other being April Fool's Day) when the Tooth Fairy got to play tricks on kids. I went on and on about how Tabby was just getting the TRICK before the TREAT and how the Tooth Fairy had loved getting a chance to fool her.

After patiently listening to this long and convoluted story, Tabitha simply said, "No, mummy, I don't think that's it!" I was terrified. Had she caught me in my own web of deceit? Now what?! Luckily she jumped in with, "It was dark when I checked the first time so I probably just couldn't see properly." Trust HER to apply logic to the whole situation!

Anyway, I feel awful and repentant but I've learned my lesson and I'm sure I'll do better next time. I only hope she doesn't look back on this situation later in her life and judge me too harshly!