"Don't You Swallow That Tooth!"

I should preface this entry by noting that I am completely freaked out by loose teeth. They give me the heebie jeebies. I should also note that Dex is completely freaked out by blood. He can't stand it, doesn't want to look at it, and needs to have any blood cleaned from a wound and the wound covered immediately.

So Dex and I were home alone a few afternoons ago and he still had one wobbly tooth. He really enjoyed coming up to me with a big, wide grin and wiggling that thing all around - really making me squirm. So he had been enjoying making me squirm and then he got engrossed in a TV program while I started working on the computer. Before long, I heard Dex shout, "Oh no!" I looked over at him and saw he was holding his mouth slightly open with a shocked look on his face. "What is it?" I asked? He said he knocked his wobbly tooth while he biting his shirt (how many times have I told him not to bite on the fabric of his shirt?). "Is your tooth still in?" I asked. He said it was but that his mouth tasted funny. "Let me look," I said.

Sure enough, he must have given that tooth a little tug because it was hanging on by a thread and bleeding. I mustered every bit of motherly love that I could and asked, calmly, "Do you want me to pull that out for you?" Dex was having none of that but by now had noticed the blood on his fingertips that he had had poking around in his mouth. "Is it bleeding!!!??" he asked. I calmed his down by giving him some water and washing off his fingers. He was still refusing my repeated offers to pull it and decided to just go play with some of his vehicles.  I went to the kitchen and got myself some crackers. Dex heard the rustling of the bag and came running, "I want some!"  "OK," I said, "Just be careful and if your tooth comes out, don't swallow it." "OK," he replied. Within seconds, Dex was shouting with relief, "It's out!" "Don't you swallow that tooth!" I shouted as I ran to look in his open mouth. "Where is it?" I asked as I was poking my fingers around in his mouth.

"I swallowed it." Dex said nonchallantly, "Can we go to Culvers for dinner?" We did go to Culvers for dinner and over custard I told Dex he was going to have to explain to the Toothfairy what had happened to his latest tooth.

What he came up with was akin to a confession. I asked if he wanted to add, "I'm sorry." But he didn't, explaining, "the Toothfairy will understand."

Evidently the Toothfairy did understand (but she also supported Mommy and Daddy in trying to help Dexter kick the tooth-swallowing habit).