Precious Former Chiclets®

I still have every single little tooth the kids have ever lost and I admit this is probably gross - unless you are a Mum, in which case you probably understand that sentimentality occasionally overrides sanity. I wouldn't click to zoom the picture, these are not the sweet little Chiclets® (little square shaped white gum candies) they once were.

Inspired by Cheri's tale of Laura's first tooth loss - River Deep, Mountain High I share this:

I too remember the days of tending forty little baby teeth and watching all the permanent teeth grow in - straight thank gawd. The paying for and schlepping to, all the dental appointments x 3 kids. 120 baby teeth, coming and going. I have paid for each of them in some way or another so I figure I own them. Right? Some were lost at the bottom of pools or in accidents at summer camp, but most of them are here, in a red velvet-lined mahogany box... a mini-monument to what it was like to take care of three sets of Chiclets® and representative of the weird - some may say disgusting sentimentality a Mum has anyway. And now embarrassing blog material.

Do I think the kids will one day ask for them???

Chaaaa. They laugh at me for the stuff I save.

Oh yeah? Someday they may WANT these teeth. They just don't know it yet.

Anyway, one of my son's lost a tooth (18 years ago) and to test whether the Tooth Fairy REALLY existed (oh he of little faith) he slipped it under his pillow after I went to bed - not letting me know ...on purpose.

He put it in a little envelope (that I also still have) and wrote in his best 6 1/2 year old hand writing, "Tooth Fairy IF you are REAL, please leave me $5.00." LUCKILY I went to look at him in the middle of the night - one of those things I used to do when they were little and finally, peacefully SLEEPING - and I slipped my hand under his pillow to give him a midnight hug - thankfully discovering his TEST.

He found his $5.00 in the morning and all faith was restored!

A later college conversation...

A: Hey Mum, I REALLY need those little teeth that you have been saving for 20 years.
M: OK, Anthony. I am sure glad I saved them for you. Should I Fed Ex them?

Yeah right.