Firsts

So Amy’s first day at school went very well. She played in the water, found a dead butterfly in the playground, and made cherry buns out of play-doh.

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It also appears that the bittersweet realization that Amy is growing up had obviously not been hammered hard enough into our conciseness quite yet. Why else would fate land us another body blow if not to reinforce the significance of today.

This evening as Amy was brushing her teeth she noticed a little wobble. A loose tooth. Probing it with her finger she discovered that she could flap it around like a T-shirt on a washing line. This caused Kerry to shriek in horror and run from the room completely freaked out.

My wife has a phobia of loose teeth. Who knew.

We weren’t expecting this. And more to the point we hadn’t prepared Amy for this. She became very upset, telling us, quite reasonably, that she didn’t want new teeth because she was quite happy with the ones she has now.

She also got very worried about the tooth fairy. For some reason Amy is convinced that she doesn’t sleep at night - she is adamant that she just goes to bed and waits there until morning. A theory that is very difficult for us to disprove: “Hey Amy wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP! WAKE… Ah, ok. Hello. Just wanted to tell you that you were sleeping”.

So if she doesn’t sleep, how is the tooth fairy going to leave her money under the pillow? We finally settled on writing a letter to the tooth fairy and asking her to leave the cash downstairs instead. Or even better, perhaps she could set up some sort of direct debit system.

Is it me, or does four (ok, nearly five) years old seems a little early to start loosing baby teeth to you? We certainly hadn’t started thinking of it as an imminent possibility. Isn’t there some way that we can slow down this growing up business? Things are moving too fast damnit!

Anyone got a slow motion button or something?

26 Responses to “Firsts”


  1. 1 Xbox4NappyRash

    Considering I lost a baby tooth about 8 weeks ago, at nearly 31 years of age, I personally think she’s just being greedy.

    (And she looks MILES older than in the last pics you had!)

    Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygeia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses…

  2. 2 camikaos

    my daughter K who turned 6 in March and starts 1st grade tomorrow still hasn’t lost a tooth… all of her friends has and she hasn’t… it’s simply devastating for her.

    camikaoss last blog post..in a breath…

  3. 3 VegasDad

    She’s growing up so fast and we’ve all had to the pleasure of seeing it first hand. I think it’s probably making us all feel old.

  4. 4 Deb

    Dan and Kerry, I simply cannot believe how grown up she looks!

    Don’t worry about the tooth. Allie also lost her first tooth before she was five and the dentist said while she was early, that was still within the normal range.

    Great thinking about the tooth fairy and downstairs–take it from the one who has, for about 8 teeth now, reached under the pillow of the sleeping child.

  5. 5 Nat

    The Boy would have been about that age. (Although I think he might have been a touch older.) I know he got his 6-year-old molars very early as well. The dentist called the others in to see…

    Teeth are odd. I wouldn’t worry about it.

    Oh if you find that remote let me know k?

    Nats last blog post..Where the knives lie crossed and waiting

  6. 6 James

    Dan, she is adorable. Tell the Tooth Fairy to give her loads of cash!

    Jamess last blog post..Going Postal!

  7. 7 Gary

    Be very careful with this tooth fairy business, it cost me a fortune once - Amanda had put one of her teeth under the pillow one night and I put a £1 coin - I know, it used to be sixpence, the tooth fairy trade in scrap teeth is horrendous right now - on the table at the side of the bed, and forgot to remove the tooth from under the pillow.

    The next morning she gleefully showed us the £1, and then showed us the tooth telling us that the silly tooth fairy had forgotten to take it and she was going to put it under the pillow again tonight.

    Three nights running that happened until I left a note from the tooth fairy written with my left hand asking if Amanda would mind leaving the tooth in a little box by the side of the bed, box provided herein for the purpose.

    We paid out for far more teeth than she had in her own head, I’m sure that some of them were play-doh ones.

    Garys last blog post..Goodbye, goodbye, we’re leaving you goodbye…

  8. 8 Dan

    Xbox - *cough*freak*cough*

    Camikaos - Perhaps she needs to run into a a few walls or something

    VegasDad - Some of us older than others eh Greg and Deb?

    Deb - Thanks for letting us know about Aliie’s teeth. We were considering just checking with the dentist today, but we don’t need to now.

    Nat - I’m planning on looking behind the sofa for the remote. that’s where all our other ones seem to end up.

    James - Only if she promises to buy Batman lego with it.

    Gary - Play-doh teeth eh? I wonder if that would still work for me.

    Dans last blog post..Firsts

  9. 9 Oli

    Perhaps Amy’s already discovered the remote control fairy, and is secretly cashing in…

  10. 10 Arjan

    you sure she didn’t get into a fight on her first day…*just kidding*
    It seems ages since I lost my teeth, although a couple of weeks back one tooth moved around just a little, but I bet that’s just because of my bad dental condition or something.

    Arjans last blog post..My ‘backyard’: thanks neighbours..

  11. 11 O'Mama

    BY the time my eldest finished Kindergarten (5), she’d lost 5 teeth. However, my youngest hadn’t lost a single tooth until she was 7. I started leaving dollar bills whenever Boo lost (and didn’t swallow) a tooth - it had to be under her pillow for the exchange until one morning she looked at me and accused me of being the tooth fairy, that she knew the tooth fairy was something grownups made up. ooookay, unemployed tooth fairy, but she still expected to be paid for her teeth!

    Your daughter is adorable!

    O’Mamas last blog post..Ten Things Tuesday - A Random Sampler

  12. 12 apathy lounge

    My oldest used to swear that he never slept either and no amount of illustration could prove otherwise. Today it’s a front tooth…tomorrow a molar. And because those molars are bigger? Negotiations for more $$ will be forthcoming. Mark my words.

    apathy lounges last blog post..Remembering to Wear Shorts: And Other Important Lessons About Starting Over

  13. 13 Deb

    Allie (at 8 1/2 years old now) just lost her first molar and she got the same payment as other teeth, $1.00. I don’t think she really believes in the tooth fairy anymore, but she humors us for the cash. Same with Santa Claus—

    I’m waiting for her to lose her first molar on the other side. That’s the one with the filling in it!

  14. 14 Jeff

    I think she’s right on track for her age. Just like Camikaoss, all 3 of my kids never lost any teeth until well into the 1st grade. They were the only ones who didn’t get to have any paper teeth with their name on the board in kindergarten.

    Jeffs last blog post..Happy, um… Labor Day?

  15. 15 Jo Beaufoix

    Ahhh Dan she’s such a cutie. I think Miss E was quite early. She lost her first tooth at just 5. I think it has something to do with how early they get their baby teeth as E had teeth at 3 months old. (Ouch.) So if Amy got hers early that will explain it. If not, she’s just erm, very forward. :D

    I forgot to say the other day as well, her school sounds wicked. :D

    Jo Beaufoixs last blog post..Baby mine

  16. 16 Penelope

    Aww too cute! I know I don’t have to tell you to treasure this - it all goes past so quickly!
    On a side note, the tooth fairy Chez Penelope is a bit rubbish and forgets a LOT! I think she drinks too much wine ;o)

    Penelopes last blog post..Stuff and nonsense.

  17. 17 Dan

    Oli - She wouldn’t be that sly. Would she?

    Arjan - I have a reoccuring dream where all my teeth turn to mush. It isn’t very pleasent.

    O’Mamma - I can’t remember when I worked out the tooth fairy wasn’t real. i think I was about 22.

    Apathy lounge - I didn’t realise that teeth were paid for according to weight. No wonder you never see a rich llama.

    Deb - That will be interesting. When you get your hands on it you can see if you can dig out the filling with a safety pin.

    Jeff - The kids at your children’s kindergarden had paper teeth? And they talk about British teeth being bad!

    Jo - To be honest I have no idea when she got her baby teeth. If only i was blogging back then.

    Penelope - I’m guessing that santa and the easter bunny are borderline alcoholics too.

  18. 18 morticia

    Although I am now of advanced years I still have a baby tooth at the front.
    Just out of interest how much does the tooth fairy pay these days?
    Hope Amy has a fab day at school tomorrow too.

  19. 19 Dan

    Morticia - Wow.. baby teeth at your age! Incredible!

    I have no idea how much the tooth fairy pays, I was wondering myself. I’m thinking £2?

  20. 20 L.A. Daddy

    What a cutie!

    Yeah, I think the whole direct deposit thing for the Tooth Fairy is a brilliant idea! Instead of leaving money, should could mail the deposit slip… Genius.

    LA Toddler is four and a half and not a loose tooth in sight. But every kid is different.

    L.A. Daddys last blog post..Walkin’ the Line

  21. 21 Rachael

    Lydia has been having this conversation with us recently, prompted by a 5-year-old friend having lost a tooth. Lydia wants chocolate money. Very wise (and cost-effective!).

    Amy looks so grown-up in the photo - glad she had a good first day. Lydia starts next week - how time flies.

  22. 22 above average joe

    Amy is adorable.

    The Champ started losing his teeth around then. I think its no big deal

    above average joes last blog post..Every Morning Is Now Saturday Morning

  23. 23 Dan

    L.A. Daddy - My only reservation is she wouldn’t be able to fill in the deposit slip. She’s been at school 2 days and she still can’t read or write. I don’t know what the education system is coming to.

    Rachael - Chocolate money sounds pretty good to me.

    Above Average Joe - Thank you:) It seems children of bloggers either start losing their teeth early or late. Perhaps there is a study in it somewhere.

    Dans last blog post..Firsts

  24. 24 Darren

    That’s a really beautiful picture (except for the trash in the background). Congrats on the first day of school and the first lost tooth.

    Darrens last blog post..Friday Talent Round-Up

  25. 25 JJ Daddy-O

    Around my house, we are seeing that tripled….

    JJ Daddy-Os last blog post..Song I can’t get out of my head #1 - "Computer Camp Love" by Datarock

  26. 26 Whit

    She looks like such a big girl. You’re right, you’re old.

    Whits last blog post..You Write the Post

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