Finally Lost It

Selah's first tooth came out today. Alan pulled it out tonight by wrapping a piece of dental floss around it and just pulling a little. She has been waiting for several months now for her teeth to start getting loose. Several of her friends have been loosing teeth, and she frequently would ask us to check to see if she had any loose ones yet. A week ago we discovered the 2 bottom ones were pretty loose.

She was anxious to get it out and she was very brave about the whole thing. We went across the street to our neighbor's house, who happens to also be our friend and the kid's dentist. Selah wanted to show her the tooth and how loose it was. Our neighbor offered to pull it right there, but Selah wanted to do it at home. She told us it was for sure ready to come out! She gave us several different ideas of ways to pull it, and Selah chose the floss method. It was pretty painless and really pretty calm. Maybe she was distracted with me hovering over Alan's shoulder with the camera clicking away. (I doubt it.)

Before we came home and pulled the tooth out, Selah and I were walking outside. Out of the blue she said to me... "Mommy, do you want to know one of the reasons I think you are the best Mommy in the world? Because you tell me secrets like about the game with the Tooth Fairy."

We decided long before we had kids we would not do the whole Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, etc. thing. I will admit, in the beginning this was 100% Alan's conviction. In fact, we got in a HUGE fight about it. It took me quite a while, but I ended up agreeing with him. For us it's about being honest in everything. Believe me, I understand how fun and exciting it is. I believed in Santa until my cousin Heather broke the news to me in the 4rd grade. I was devestated. After I got over the shock of there not being a Santa, I remember feeling foolish for believing it in the first place. "And the good in that is???" said Alan in the middle of our tiff.
For our family, we have told the kids that it is a game people play with their kids. Selah obviously feels pretty cool that she's "in on the secret." We still do all the same stuff, gifts under the tree Christmas morning, Easter baskets full of goodies, money in exchange for the tooth under her pillow. The only difference is they know it's from Daddy and Mommy, and they still think it's great fun. It has since become my conviction, 100%.
So, about 9 years after one of the biggest disagreements in our marriage, I get that reminder that in times like this, trusting Alan's convictions and his leading of our family is a must. My 6 year old confirmed that in her declaration. In the end, listening to my husband not only led us down a path that we are most at peace with in this aspect of parenting, but to her it has made me the best Mommy in the whole world!