Returning from Chelan on Friday, we stopped at a fruit stand to pick up some fresh fruit. We got a bag of apples which we were anxious to sample when we got into the car. Tyler eagerly started eating his. About fifteen miles down the road, he told us that his tooth was really loose and ready to come out. He was really excited as we have been waiting for this to happen for about six months. We all encouraged him to pull it out, which he did.
He handed me the tooth which I carefully wrapped in a bag that we found on the floor of the car. We put it in a safe spot so that we would know where it was and it would not be thrown out with the trash. When we got home, it was carefully transferred to a clean Ziploc bag so that it could be placed under Tyler's pillow in anticipation of the Tooth Fairy.
That night, I went into to say prayers with the boys and say good night. The tooth was in a very safe spot under Tyler's pillow. As all the kids were tired, they went right to sleep. When I went to check on them an hour later, I decided I had better check to see if the tooth was still under the pillow. The bag was gone. I tried to move Tyler and his pillow without disrupting him but he finally woke up. I asked him if he had given the tooth to Carter for safe keeping and he insisted that he had put it under his pillow and gone to sleep. I assured him that we would look for it in the morning and that the tooth fairy would come the next night.
When he awoke the next morning, he came downstairs carrying a bag. He had found it behind his bed. He carefully took it back upstairs to put it under his pillow.
As he was preparing for bed that evening, he said to Ryan and I, "Michael told me that the Tooth Fairy is really just your mom and dad and they give you money when you lose a tooth."
Ryan and I looked at each other and then I said, "What would we do with all your teeth?"
His face brightened and he said, "Yeah! Why would you want to keep all of my teeth?" He was glad to have debunked the theory that his school buddy had given him.
He went to bed and went right to sleep. The Tooth Fairy came and placed a dollar under his pillow and took the Ziploc bag in exchange. When she examined the bag further, she noticed that there was no tooth in the bag. There was a small piece of paper, but no tooth. As she conferred with the counsel of Tooth Fairies, they decided that even though the tooth was not present, they would still award Tyler with the prize.
Around 2:00 a.m., Tyler came into our room and woke up Ryan. He was very concerned because the bag was not under his pillow. Ryan told him they would find it in the morning. Tyler kept insisting that the "bag full of money" was not there. Then with a nudge from his wife, Ryan went in with Tyler to prove that the Tooth Fairy had indeed come. He found the dollar sitting under the pillow and showed it to Tyler.
Tyler held it up to inspect it. Ryan in all his 2 a.m. excitement said, "It's a dollar!" Tyler held it up a little higher to see if the faint street light shining through his window would prove differently.
"Are you sure it isn't a five on there, Dad?"
"Nope, it's a dollar."
"A dollar?" asked Tyler incredulously. Disappointed, he put it back under his pillow and went back to sleep.
He has no idea how much money the Tooth Fairy will end up paying for his mouth before he leaves home!!!
She likes to spend time in my bathroom going through my necklaces. I don't usually mind. I don't wear beaded necklaces on a daily basis to clean house, run to the grocery store and take kids to and from school. The problem comes when I want to find them when I need them and I have to think where a sixteen month old would hide beaded necklaces. 
Olivia has showed Audrey how to open the pantry door and so she is able to get whatever she desires on the bottom two to three shelves. On Sunday, I got her dressed and then she went to find herself a snack. She had a choice of flour, sugar, uncooked rice or hot dog buns. She chose the hot dog buns. Wise girl.
This morning, she was playing quietly in the bonus room with Olivia. That should have been my first clue. When I went to proudly see how the girls were getting along, I saw that they had been coloring together. Well, maybe not together, but near each other. Olivia announced, in her most crimeless tone, "Look, Mom. Now Audrey has red hands." She had taken apart a marker that Olivia had been using and despite being "washable" I am sure we will wear the battle scars for a few more days.
