No, I'm not being dramatic.
Shawn and I like to think of ourselves as halfway decent parents. Sure, we screw up. On a daily basis. We know it, the kids know it. We do try to correct our mistakes or at least learn from them, though. But overall, I think we do an Ok job.
That is, until last night.
Yesterday, Tyler's other top front tooth came out. Or, more accurately, I should say that Shawn pulled it out. He was as excited as he's been for every other tooth. He ran upstairs to find the tooth fairy pillow ~ the one that hangs on the door (IN PLAIN SIGHT... on a door I have to pass before I go to bed. So does Shawn), put his tooth in it and we went about our evening. I didn't think another thing of it.
(you know where this is going, right?)
This morning I heard his door open and thought it strange that he didn't come in to say good morning. A few minutes later, his sobs were audible. Instantly it dawned on me that we'd forgotten. We forgot to take his tooth!! We didn't leave him a dollar!! OH MY GOD!!!! Shit!!
I went running in to see him and he looked up at me, alligator tears running down his face, and said "she didn't come, Mom". I muttered something about maybe she got backed up because a lot of kids lost their teeth yesterday while looking at Shawn for help. He ran downstairs while I sent Tyler back to bed, telling him maybe he'd gotten up too early and we'd all go back to bed so she wouldn't know that we were up already and maybe she'd still come.
Luckily I, who never have cash in my wallet, had cash in my wallet and Shawn found a $1 bill. I'm thinking now we should have given him at least $5 for such a big fuck up. I waited about 10 minutes and then opened Tyler's door and excitedly told him to look at his pillow on the door ~ there was a dollar in it!! He jumped up, tears dry by this time, excited and relieved that she hadn't forgotten him afterall.
Thank goodness he is still gullible...
I'm quite certain that this will be one of many stories that he tells his therapist one day when he's in counselling getting fixed because of all the things we didn't do right as parents.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Oh god, we've done that. I recovered by stuffing the money down his headboard and exclaiming "Why, it must have gotten wedged down here. I told you you're like a fish out of water when you sleep!"
I think he bought it.
Don't be too hard on yourself. I bet he won't even remember it when he's all grown up.
Ha - we do this all the time! The crap answers we have come up with to fool the little toothless wonders are quite Oscar worthy...
This is not bad parenting! This is an honest mistake.
oh, but you saved the day. you went and saved the day.
not so worst, sister. not at all.
OH that's funny. You're right. He's still gullible - so he'll never know the difference (until he reads this in 5 years). :)
Oh honey! At least you had Shawn to work it out with you. You guys did beautifully!
not worse by a long shot!
Oh...I've done it too, and most of my friend have done it. So if that qualifies as 'worst' you've got lots of company :)
Heidi
Yup, we've done it too! I finally had to fess up because Hannah is too smart.
Us too. We did the "It must be here someplace in your bed" trick.
This post made me giggle! Not *at* you, of course. *grin*
Post a Comment