A Tooth Fairy Survival Kit

(5 things every parent needs to assemble by their child's 5th birthday)

1. Books about losing teeth, the Tooth Fairy, and the dentist. Having a piece of your body fall off unexpectedly is very traumatic. Enough said.
2. Small containers to keep loose teeth in until bedtime. As soon as the tooth comes out, secure it in a clear plastic vial with a string attached, so he can wear it around his neck. Children love to look at and share their bloody trophy. Doing this prevents lost teeth and having to assure the child that the Tooth Fairy will find it. (It's very hard to explain when he finds the tooth inside a Lego under his bed 6 months later!)
3. A secret stash of money. I can't stress this enough. In today's world, credit and debit cards are what most people carry, but don't get caught on a Tooth Fairy night with no cash. I once had to leave an IOU explaining that the Tooth Fairy was on vacation in Tahiti. (Hey, it was late...) Also, a quarter is rarely acceptable, you can't buy much with one. My child's friend got $20 for a tooth, I am told, but that's too much. If the tooth was knocked out accidentally, I'd pay $5, but if it gets pulled for having cavities, maybe a quarter is appropriate. Use your best judgment.
4. A secret hiding place for collected teeth. If you don't get caught with them, you don't have to explain how you got them from the Tooth Fairy, and you can avoid causing Edgar Allan Poe type nightmares.
5. Lots of answers and a sense of humor. Be prepared to explain why he has to give his coolest tooth away. (“She is building a huge castle!” or “If you really want to keep it, you could write her a nice note asking her.”) Be sure to have fun with the spaces in their faces, for they will soon be moving into their own places.

The privileged position of being the Tooth Fairy parallels that of a Hollywood actress: it is a fleeting career ended cruelly by the disappearance of youth.

At the ripe old age of 10 my daughter knows I am the Tooth Fairy, though she wishes she didn't. She dutifully plays along, yet now I am sure she is determined to catch me. I am prepared.
She is my third child and I have perfected this act. Still, with each performance there is a fresh challenge. Having lost her tooth this morning, she carried it around showing everyone before she actually lost it. This required a thorough search of the house on my hands and knees. (I must mention here that this is an incredible feat on my part, for I am just one week post-op from an appendectomy!) Failing to find the tooth, I collapsed into bed, exhausted. Immediately, my sweet daughter skipped into my bedroom and announced, “Guess what? I found my tooth! It was right here in my pocket the whole time!” I felt like throwing a tantrum the likes of one of those spoiled child actors, but I remembered my lines. “That's GREAT, honey!”

I am a professional.

She then proceeded to make a large, bomb-proof container to hold her tooth safely until bedtime. I know she intends to catch me, as I am sure I heard maniacal giggling coming from her bedroom as she put on the final layer of duct tape.

I am prepared.

After bedtime, I decide not to chance falling asleep on the job and load up on caffeine. (Like any self-respecting actress, I vow to go to detox soon.) Though my wardrobe lacks the traditional fairy garb, I take my role seriously. Tonight I wear Ninja black.

I am invisible.

Well after midnight the house seems sufficiently quiet to accomplish my task. I turn off all the lights. Bad idea. In my daughter's room I encounter an obstacle course of toys which were not there when I came for a reconnaissance hug! After loudly tripping over a large paper sack, I retreat. Quietly turning on the hall light, I proceed in a “Mission Impossible” style. She startles me by rolling over and moaning, and I duck. Crouched beside her bed, I wait an eternity before finally recovering the jewel. Success! I replace the package with an identical one- complete with duct tape- containing the traditional thank you note and money. (Two can play this game!) I slip back to my room under the cover of white noise from the air conditioner. I feel like Jackie Chan must after doing his own stunts.

I am a professional.

Lying in bed, happy with tonight's performance, I reflect on the swift passage of my daughter's childhood. Being a parent is indeed the role of a lifetime. I am fortunate to have four children. This Tooth Fairy will soon be called back for an encore performance, for just this evening my youngest child discovered her first wiggly tooth.

I am prepared.

10 Things You Should Do Every Day

1. Do something kind for yourself. This doesn't have to be something that costs money. Treat yourself to a few minutes of peace and solitude, or speak an affirmation to yourself in the mirror. Or take a bubble bath. For me, it is waking up a bit earlier than everyone else and getting time just for me. I find this incredibly important as a single mother of four busy children.
2. Say something nice to an important person in your life. Tell them you love them. Tell them why. Point out a person's strengths rather than criticizing their faults. Life is short, and missing the chance to tell someone how you feel is just sad.
3. Be kind to someone who is unfriendly or rude. Yes, they are difficult to be around, but you don't know why they are the way they are. I am always telling my children, when they are dealing with a mean person, that there is a reason. Usually the person has a terrible home life, and their angst pours from them in the form of meanness. A kind word, even scoffed at, might make their day.
4. Do something you want to do. Don't barter with yourself and say you will do it as a reward for doing something icky. Just do one thing each day that makes you smile and feel like life is worth living. Because it is.
5. Do something you need to do. You know what I mean: the thing you are always putting off until later, the thing you don't want to do, but if you don't you will curse yourself at night. For me that would be housework. But if I do it, I can go to bed without guilt or dread.
6. Do something you don't want to do. This is different than number five. This is something that isn't a necessity, just something that you find difficult, that you simply don't want to do. As a matter of self discipline, you should do it. (I must say "as long as it is legal".)
   
7. Do something to improve the world around you. It doesn't have to be big, or noticed by others. But an act of goodness inspired from within. Even a small gesture can make a difference. A pebble on the water makes many ripples.
8. Create something. If you are an artist or a writer this seems obvious, but for others, it could require more thought.
   
9. Take care of your body. It is an amazing machine. Even if you are a couch potato (or an internet junkie), your body is working very hard on a cellular level. Help it out. Drink lots of water. Eat good food. Move. Think.
   
10. Do something primal. No not that. I mean something humans do that connects us with our ancestors, something we have done through the ages. I have found that cooking fulfills this basic need for me some days. For guys it might be hunting (or simply bringing home the bacon). Brushing a loved one's hair, or giving a back scratch are examples. Nursing a baby. Well, OK, I guess "that" would count, too!
    

This is my favorite winter landscape photo I've taken this year. It was taken out my kitchen window when fog was shrouding Longmere Lake (using my old Pentax Optio 33L). Please feel free to critique.

Picasa, yay!

Happy Saturday Morning!!

Friday Fun was vaporized. No, not really. I was busy downloading Picasa for the first time. Wow! Why did I wait so long? I have an older computer which I have set up to triple boot (2000, XP, and Linux.) Picasa found all my pics from each of those accounts and organized them into one place. I even found some video taken by my daughter that I didn't know we had! So now that my scanner is speaking with the computer, and I downloaded the drivers to my camera, things have the potential to get interesting. What I found most impressive was that it found and organized things automatically. With the HP Photo software (that I thought I loved) it was all done manually.

Carpe Diem

The dust has settled from this past week's flurry of activity. Girl Scout cookie sales are over! My girls earned enough money to go to encampment in Anchorage. I am so proud of all their hard work. Thank you to all who supported them!

Somewhere in there I had a birthday. Hooray for me!

I'm not afraid of getting older, just of wasting the time I am given. I fear that I am losing great opportunities to live well by just eking out. There are some who live every moment to its fullest, and others who muddle through each day, hoping for something better to come along. It is not just mothers in danger of getting stuck in this rut, but all of us. Who among us has not counted down to Friday at work, then looked back and thought "Wow, that went by fast!"? Every day is a gift, every moment a blessing. Life is fleeting, precious.

The gift of youth is vision. The gift of age is perspective.

Friday Fun! Girl Scout Cookies...

I thought I needed to lighten up *A LOT*, so every Friday, I will be posting something fun... a comic, some of my family's artistic creations, or something along those lines.

Today's comic was included with my mother's payment for Girl Scout cookies. What is funny though, is when she orders, she insists WE keep the cookies (rather than ship from Alaska). So I end up with the calories, not her!

As my young scouts and I finished our cookie sorting, my daughter Lana noticed five boxes of Do-si-dos left and said "Wow, whoever ordered those must be fat!" I looked at the order form and guess who ordered them? Uh huh. Yours truly. They burst out laughing!! Hey, I don't suppose it counts that I only ordered them to bump her up to the next prize level? Didn't think so...

Have a great Friday everyone!