Robbing Peter to pay Paul

Morris has been working on a project for the last few weeks - well, its been a more longer term project than that, but the pace has quickened just lately. He has a collection of wobbly teeth and this weekend it was crunch time for the top front ones.

The teeth at the side of the two front ones have been slowly moving aside to make way for the new teeth. What started a little while ago as a slight gap to one side, had by Friday become a whole tooth sized gap, but without actually losing any teeth. Then after intervention by both parents, but to no avail, one was succesfully removed by a slice of chocolate orange.

Gruesome gums

 
Living on a remote Scottish island is always tricky when it comes to a visit from the tooth fairy.  Its not that she doesn't know how to get to us, or that she misses the ferry, its more that she often doesn't carry the correct loose change to pay her dues.  She has even been known to leave an IOU, but sadly that time it marked the end of the 'willing suspension of disbelief' for my oldest son Austin. 
Morris on the other hand is still a believer and it was imperative that the tooth fairy pay up on time.

I managed to get to the shop accross the road in time to get some cashback, but while I was there, distracted by the vast array of consumables and tourist-gold, I forgot to get it changed into loose change. And so it was at 5.30 on a Saturday and past closing, that I realised I was either destined to pay £10 for a single tooth, or fail.... again.... unless....

Like a mother with no conscience I struck on a plan. Once both boys were asleep, having safely tucked the tooth under his pillow, I ransacked Morrises piggy bank for a single gold coin.  Saved!

The next morning he happily stretched his arms out under his pillow and found his prize.  That important memory had been forged and all I had to do was make sure he didn't go counting his money before Monday.

All seemed well for the day, we talked about how the gum felt squishy and eating was different, we took the obligatory photo and admired the coin.  It was only when the boys were having a bit of a tussle upstairs that, waddya know, the other tooth popped out.

Its a Sunday and no shops are open on Lewis on the Sabbath!

Needing a pair of falsies

The thing about deception, is that when you have done it once and its worked, it is just so easy to do it again.

I waited until they were both asleep that night, again I snuck in and prized open his piggy bank, found the coin, swapped it for the tooth and stole away, having robbed Peter to pay Paul.

I am lucky that Morris is not a counter of his money, like Austin is. Monday came, two shiney pound coins were put into his money tin and he is none the wiser. Of course I had to confess my deception to Mark, though only once it had been completely succesfully, then I was guaranteed a congratulation for my cleverness rather than a scolding for being a rubbish parent.

And so life goes on. The tooth fairy still lives, Morris can enjoy the new feeling of sucking his top lip in over his empty gums and I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I have upheld the illusion of magic, for just a precious while longer.