I'm a rotten mom, or at least a rotten tooth fairy

On Monday night Chas lost a tooth. He was really excited and placed it in his tooth pillow from Julie Auntie and set it beside his bed. Because the Oregon Auburn game was on and the chance of school being canceled was pretty good, I let them stay up later than normal. Thus changing our typical bedtime routine.

Note: Chas does not believe in Santa. Remember? He knows that I'm "the Santa" in our home.

They went to bed and so did I. I popped in headphones, so I didn't disturb the already snoring Jonathan, and watched the rest of the game snuggled in bed.

Game over.

Auburn win.

Headphones out, laptop closed, 4 pillows to cuddle and I was out for the night.

The next morning, school was canceled and the boys were up early, dressed in 18 layers and out the door to play before 8. After a bit of play outside, Chas came in with a mischievous look on his face, which is totally normal. I asked what he was up to. He looked at me and said these words to me for the first time ever, "None of your business, Momma," then waltzed right into his room. It wasn't in a disrespectful tone, so I let it slide and figured if I heard a loud noise I'd go check and see what that look really meant.

When he came back into the kitchen he had his tooth pillow in hand and a puzzled look on his face. "Hummm, I wonder why she didn't come?" he said. I'll not tell you what I said to myself, but looked at him and said, "Oh, she sometimes comes in the day." "Oh, great!" he replied, "I'll write her a note." And off he went.

About 30 minutes later I went into his room to see the following notes on his pillow...

(click to make it larger)

1) Dear Tooth Fairy, Can I have a twenty dollar bill. If you don't have one that's okay. From Chas

2) You can keep my tooth if you want to.

3) Here's a treat for you. (it was a rock, a pretty rock from his collection)

I snatched the notes, the rock and the tooth and placed a golden dollar in his pillow. A twenty, kid! Are you kidding me? Later that day he went in and found the golden dollar, which is what they have always received for a tooth, and gave it back to me. "Here Momma, you can have it. I don't want it, " he said. "Why not, buddy?" "I dunno? I just don't. I guess she didn't have a twenty."

I went on to tell him that the tooth fairy gives him the same thing each time, but maybe if he put out all the money he had ($18.12) maybe she would change it with him and he'd get the twenty after all.

(I still can't believe he doesn't realize I'm the tooth fairy.)

The boys had school today and when I walked into their room to see what dirty clothes didn't quite make it to the washer, I saw the money on his pillow. He didn't tell me it was there. He simply did what I said may work on his own quietly.

Thank goodness for messy boys who don't always put their dirty clothes where they are told to put them. If they did, I'd probably not have gone into their room, thus not seeing the money on his pillow.

I picked up the money and placed a twenty in exchange for the $17.12, leaving his golden dollar that he tried to give back earlier.

He's not been home to find it, but I'm thinking that this rotten momma has sorta redeemed herself? Ya think?