Fairy Dust

I'm not sure what the problem seems to be, but the tooth fairy is quite forgetful or just too busy to visit our home as needed. It seems like repeatedly that fairy doesn't come and my children come into my room the next morning in tears wondering why the tooth fairy didn't come.

How could she possibly forget?

Well, Spencer lost his tooth at school and brought it home in this fun little case. He asked if the tooth fairy was going to take his tooth. I told him if he wanted $$ for it then she had to take it. He told me that he didn't want the tooth fairy to take his tooth.

The next morning, he came in so sad and wondered why the tooth fairy didn't come. My response, "You told me you didn't want the tooth fairy to come!"

He sadly said, "I changed my mind. I put my tooth under my pillow and she didn't come."

Well, I told him that if he wanted the tooth fairy to come that he had to tell me.

Spencer wanted to know why I needed to know

Me: Because someone has to let her in.

Spencer: You've seen the tooth fairy?

Me: Of course! (we are walking on uncharted territory here. I realized my mistake. But I have to tell the truth)

Spencer: What does she look like?

Me: I don't really know. She sprinkles fairy dust and it makes me forget. (I really wish I was quick on my feet.)

Spencer: I want her to sprinkle fairy dust on me. That would be so cool. I don't care if it makes me forget.

So, the next morning, sure enough, the tooth fairy came, left a few gold dollars, and a little trail of fairy dust on Spencer's pillow. It was magical. He talked about it all morning. He talked about it to the crossing guard. To all his friends in his class. I went to lunch with him and his teacher even mentioned how excited Spencer had been to tell all his classmates about the fairy dust the tooth fairy left behind.

The crossing guard told me of the conversation she overheard Spencer had with our neighbor friend and Danielle while they were waiting for me to catch up with the stroller:

Spencer to Emma: You'll never believe what the tooth fairy left on my pillow! Fairy sparkle dust!

Danielle: Spencer, you know fairy's aren't real.

Spencer: I know the fake ones aren't real. But I believe in the real ones.

Emma: Yah, me too. I only believe in the real ones.

Danielle: Yah, the tooth fairy is one of the real ones.

And then I caught up to them and missed the whole conversation, didn't even realize they had had it until the crossing guard told me on the way home.

I love the magic and excitement that things like the tooth fairy and leprechauns and Santa and the Easter Bunny bring. I'm careful. I got sloppy this time. Said more than I usually say. I want their imagination to do the work, not me deceiving them. I made an exception this time because they caught me. The fairy dust didn't make me completely forget . . .