What a mother I am

I can safely say without hyperbole that by 10:00 this morning I was both the worst and best mother in the world.

Last night Audrey lost a tooth and the tooth fairy forgot to come. This has happened before but I'm not sure to which kid. Anyway, this morning Diva woke up with giant watery eyes and that little bloody tooth in her palm. "The tooth fairy didn't come", she said in the heartbreakingest voice you ever heard. And although she didn't cry, I felt like the crappiest mother alive. Again.

We were all rushing around getting ready for swimming lessons and we had an hour to be there. No one had had any breakfast and we were still in our jammies. My brilliant mother brain (or was it guilt addled? I'm never sure...) kicked into high gear. I told her that maybe she'll come during swimming while we're out. In the shower I composed a poem for the tooth fairy to leave her (fairies always talk in rhyme... d'uh) and wrote it out on the computer while the kids were in the playroom. I found a loonie and a toonie and 3 pieces of Hubba Bubba gum in my bedside drawer that I was willing to part with because I bought the sour kind by accident and I hate sour candy. I wrapped it all in red tissue paper and stuck it under her pillow while they were all outside getting their bikes and I "forgot the towels".

When we got back she immediately went for her pillow and was so excited! She actually ran around the house yelling "thank you tooth fairy!". She even shared the gum with her brothers before reading the note (which told her to). Now I'm sitting back and resting on my laurels. What an excellent mother. I may not do another thing for the rest of the day. Except maybe try to figure out what to do with the morbid collection of 3 kids' worth of baby teeth I have steadily growing in my jewellry box... Maracas perhaps?

kx

***Here's a copy of the poem in case you're interested:
"Sorry Audrey, I had a long night.
And you were at the end of my flight.
Then you woke up too early, you should know,
So I had to wait for you to go.
The gum is an extra treat for you
Because of the sadness you went through.
Enjoy, blow a bubble and chew, chew, chew
But please share with Henry and Elliott, too!
I love you, see you again soon!
The Tooth Fairy"