Baby teeth
May. 24th, 2005 10:02 amSuddenly, I have gained understanding about Ray's mother. When he and I
were packing for our move to England just after our wedding, I
encountered something that made me shriek in startled disgust. He had a
little cardboard display with two pink clay arcs holding all twelve of
his baby teeth. Ma had given it to him as a graduation present. Somehow
those teeth "disappeared" in the move process.
But now, I regret having done that, and I understand why she had kept
them. I kept Rosa's first "lost tooth", too (must find a place to hide
it where she won't find it any time soon). I still don't get why Armida
thought the preserved teeth would be a good graduation present, though.
Rosa lost hers at school yesterday, but wasn't sure where or when.
Luckily, when she was getting her ritual drink from the
bubbler1 before going home, there it was. I'm not clear on
whether it was in the bubbler or on the floor near it, but all the same,
it was found and secured, and put safely under her pillow at bedtime.
About ten-thirty, Chris asked whether I wanted to do the transfer that
night or wait until morning. I chose the night, and it's a good thing I
did. This is a child who never gets up before 8:30 if she can help it,
but before seven o'clock this morning, Ochi comes bounding downstairs to
show off what the Tooth Fairy had brought her (a shiny Sacajawea
dollar). She insisted on taking it with her to show to Grandma today,
too.
1 Over the last twenty years I've mostly eradicated "bubbler"
from my vocabulary. For some reason nobody outside the Milwaukee area
gets it. But today I feel like using it. For those of you who didn't
spend your formative years in Wisconsin, substitute "drinking fountain".
were packing for our move to England just after our wedding, I
encountered something that made me shriek in startled disgust. He had a
little cardboard display with two pink clay arcs holding all twelve of
his baby teeth. Ma had given it to him as a graduation present. Somehow
those teeth "disappeared" in the move process.
But now, I regret having done that, and I understand why she had kept
them. I kept Rosa's first "lost tooth", too (must find a place to hide
it where she won't find it any time soon). I still don't get why Armida
thought the preserved teeth would be a good graduation present, though.
Rosa lost hers at school yesterday, but wasn't sure where or when.
Luckily, when she was getting her ritual drink from the
bubbler1 before going home, there it was. I'm not clear on
whether it was in the bubbler or on the floor near it, but all the same,
it was found and secured, and put safely under her pillow at bedtime.
About ten-thirty, Chris asked whether I wanted to do the transfer that
night or wait until morning. I chose the night, and it's a good thing I
did. This is a child who never gets up before 8:30 if she can help it,
but before seven o'clock this morning, Ochi comes bounding downstairs to
show off what the Tooth Fairy had brought her (a shiny Sacajawea
dollar). She insisted on taking it with her to show to Grandma today,
too.
1 Over the last twenty years I've mostly eradicated "bubbler"
from my vocabulary. For some reason nobody outside the Milwaukee area
gets it. But today I feel like using it. For those of you who didn't
spend your formative years in Wisconsin, substitute "drinking fountain".