The Trouble with Toothies

Our oldest daughter let us yank out her 2 lower front teeth when they were loose without any fighting at all. We had perfected the art of lassoing teeth with floss, saying we would count to three but yanked when we got to two. So when the first upper front tooth was looking loose enough to practice our cowboy skills on, we sat her on the bathroom counter, plugged up the sink (wouldn't want to loose the tooth down there), lassoed the tooth and counted to 3 (yanked on 2), and nothing happened except for blood. We were able to talk her into another attempt at it, but we forever ruined our chances when again...we botched the yank. So weeks went by with this tooth hanging this way and that, flapping in the wind etc. Until one morning after eating her breakfast she turned to me to ask a question and the tooth was gone. "Where did your tooth go?" I asked her. If I had known she had no idea it was gone I would have chosen my words more carefully. A look of horror spread across her face as she realized it had gone down with the fruit loops (yes fruit loops, they are their fathers daughters and will not eat oatmeal without getting physically sick). That and I am a bad mommy. Her next move was to the bathroom mirror where she expressed that same look of horror at the new 'look' she now had. After many tears over not getting to give it to the tooth fairy to get $$$, we convinced her that a note of explanation would be enough for the tooth fairy and all would be well. And it was.