Wiggly

"Mommy, where does the Tooth fairy live?" Mo asks, her eyes focused on me waiting patiently for the answer.

"Um, I don't know babe. What do you think?" I respond.

The questions have been coming on and off the past few months.

"What does she do with the teeth?"
"How does she get the money?"
"Will I hear the poof when she comes in my room?"
"How did she get to be the tooth fairy?" 
"If I'm awake will she know?"
"How does she get in the house?"

Up until last Friday, when she would ask, "When am I going to lose a tooth?" I would confidently respond, "Not until you're probably six." 

Then it happened. Running into the dining room in a panic, she screams, "My tooth! My tooth is bleeding! I hurt it! I hurt it!" 

I put down the towels I am folding, anticipating the worst. I wonder how she hurt one of her teeth, as she is only eating an apple. Coming close, the panic is across her face.

"It's bleeding Mama. I was just eating an apple and now it's bleeding!"

"Open up Love." I ask, "Let me see what's happening."

Her teeth are all okay. Everyone except her bottom left center baby tooth.

Moira's first tooth as an infant, is now the first tooth she has loose as preschooler.

We both are panicked. She, because it feels weird and is a bloody. Me, because I worry that it is too early. She won't be five until April 1. Four is too young to lose a tooth.

I google and seek advice from various friends online and discover that four, nearly five, is on the younger side of normal.

My baby's got her first loose tooth!

Terrified that pizza, bagels, or anything else will hurt, she eats yogurt for dinner, breakfast, and lunch. Finally, dinner nearly twenty four hours later, she devours sweet and sour chicken. The tooth remains intact.

Day after day, the tooth gets looser and looser, but remains attached.

Until Tuesday evening, holding on by a thread, Bryan begins negotiations.

"I'll call the tooth fairy and let her know it's coming out tonight" he explains.

I offer to help, and my advances are shooed away.

"No mommy. Don't come any closer. Don't touch it!" she squeals. "Don't touch my tooth!"

For nearly an hour, Bryan, Moira, and I do si do around the living room, as we attempt to bribe, guilt, and persuade Mo to help her get the tooth out.

Finally, with the threat of a phone call to the Tooth Fairy informing her of the lack of progress, Mo grabs a piece of soft pretzel. Biting in with her front teeth, the tooth pops out, immediately she pulls it out, hands it over to Bryan, makes eye contact with me, and begins crying.




The anticipation must have been too much, as she wails for a good two minutes.

But then, it's pure, unadulterated excitement. She is giddy as she shares the good news with Maeve, and later both my mother in law and parents over the phone.

I still don't know where the Tooth Fairy lives, how she gets in our house or most of the answers to the other questions Moira asked. However, we did find out when she would lose that first tooth.

At four years, eleven months, two weeks and four days, Mo's first tooth came out. 

Let Down Your Hair

Okay, so Maeve was three nearly two months ago.
Her party was almost two months ago too.
I never shared the fabulousness that happened here.

I'm slacking. 

I am.

The thank you cards just went out even though the presents have been unwrapped and played with for some time. 

I bowed out with planning this fete as it was only 5 weeks after the birth of Margo, here . Even so, we were able to still pull together a great and memorable day.

WE is the important word here.

I must offer my sincere thanks to Meghan, Ashley, Bryan and most importantly Lynsay, for their help in making it a success. There is no way I could have done anything quite like this without them. 

And so, finally, I present a Tangled party for one special three year old. 

The super talented Lynsay took over as the decorating committee for the party. Currently she has a nearly one year old little boy, so this girlie theme became a bit of an obsession.  She began with Rapunzel's hair and face peering through our front door. Welcoming our guests, the braid continued out the third floor playroom window. Talk about making a first impression!

Lynsay also found this adorable birthday bunting off of Etsy to match our Rapunzel theme. 

Using some of the materials Meghan gifted Maeve, we created her party bags. They were filled with numerous Rapunzel related swag including brushes for our own locks and stickers. 

The kids began the party at our dining room table with coloring pictures of Rapunzel. They got to add as much hair to their photo as they desired. Notice the adorable Pascual the chameleon party blowers fashioned by Lynsay spread all over the table and the absolutely adorable party hats. 

Each hat had a braid attached with a hair clip. Once home each child could attach the clip to their own hair. 

As is a major item in the Tangled movie, the kids created their own lanterns using white paper, stickers, and crayons. I later found out they were such a hit with one set of guests, the girls repeated and repeated the lanterns at their own house the following few days. 

We then headed to the living room for a game. Throughout Tangled, various Wanted posters are found throughout the kingdom depicting the thief Flynn Rider. In each poster, his nose is drawn in some different or funny way. To mimic this, I gave each child a small white square with their name on it. They designed their own nose and used that to Pin the Nose on Flynn Rider. 

Lunch followed our game. 

What would be more appropriate at a Tangled party than buttered noodles? 

They also feasted on grapes and pretzel braids, while the grown ups devoured pizza. 

After lunch, we returned to the living room. Rapunzel carries a frying pan throughout Tangled to keep her safe, and so using that for inspiration we played another game. Having found small sticky lizards in the party section of Target, the children took turns attempting to toss their Pascual into the frying the pan. This was an easy and cheap game which was a huge hit! Each child was able to keep their chameleon once the game was over. 

Instead of my usual baking, I permitted Bry to order cupcakes. 

Who am I kidding? 

My hands were full and so I gratefully enjoyed the cupcakes for kids and cake (chocolate chip cookie dough) for grown ups, Bry ordered from our favorite local bakery. 

Below is one of the first photos of the five of us. 

As is our usual conclusion, we ended the party with a pinata. Filled with candy, Princess fruit snacks, and various princess goodies given to us by Meghan, the kids took turns and pounced on the spread. 

Overall, this was one fabulously fantastic birthday party for one feisty little three year old. I am forever indebted for the help of my friends and family as I could not have done it without them. 

Photography courtesy of Ashley Pierce Photography 

Checking Out, Checking In

Reaching down, I grab the gallon of milk from under the carriage. My eyes glance and meet hers.

Crap, she's awake. 

It is inevitable, that Margo would sleep the entire grocery shopping trip only to wake upon entering the checkout line.

Silently, the prayer enters my brain.

Please God, let her go back to sleep, or just be quiet while I check out.

Exhaling, my hand grabs the other plastic jug. I shimmy around the cart, and place them both on the belt. As I continue unpacking, the noises begin. At fir'. st, just grunts, but then the gasps and gulps that indicate pending unease.

Quicker, quicker, quicker, I unpack.

"Can I have candy, mama?' Maeve asks, hanging precariously on the edge of the cart.

"yeah, me too! Me too!' Mo adds, jumping up and down.

I wipe the sweat from my brow between loading the bag of apples and granola bars. Reminding the girls of the lollipops they had just enjoyed, it's coming.

The cadence of her whimpers have changed. No longer quiet, the crescendo hits the air.

Margo is done.

I am not.

"Mommy, Margo's crying!" Mo eloquently points out.

Suffocating the desire to respond, "No shit!, I take a breath in and through gritted teeth say, "I know babe. Can you talk to Margo baby while Mommy finishes with the groceries?"

"Um, nope. I'm playing with Maeve."

Again, I take another breath, listening to the compassionate voices in the aisles surrounding me. Echoes of "Poor little thing" meet equal part "I don't miss that" and a few audible sighs.

"Shush" I start, "Shush Margo Baby. We're almost done."

Her cries continue, however food remains in the cart.

"Mommy, Margo's still crying" Maeve adds, rolling her eyes from behind the cart. "She not stopping!"

"I know baby, but I have to finish putting the food out and pay." I say. "Margo will be okay."

"Would you mind if I try putting the pacifier in her mouth?" she asks.

I didn't notice her, but at some point the woman had put her cart behind.

"You'd think people would steer clear of this aisle" I joke, "you know with the crying baby and crazy looking mom."

She shares a smile, "Oh no, " she says, "I just love babies and it looks like you need a hand."

As I continue emptying the cart, I hear the nonsense talk we often make towards babies.

"You're too cute! You need to stop crying." she says to my screaming baby.

Her cries subside for a moment.

My eyes meet the lady's.

"Thank you" I say as I place the last of my groceries on the cart.

"Ah you're welcome" she starts, "I just came from a funeral. I needed this. She is so cute and she just made my day better."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry". I say just as the cries begin again and Mo grabs my hand.

"Margo's crying again, Mama!" Mo says in her sing song voice.

I look to her, just as the cashier interrupts, "M'am I'm all done".