Tooth Fairy Drama Continues

Speed lost his fourth tooth today. The first, I dressed up as the tooth fairy. The second, he literally lost after losing it in the grass and then finding it. I personally think he lost it on purpose, but he never would say. The third was knocked out of his head by a friend's head in PE. It was a traumatic day and the tooth fairy was not even a consideration. We got popsicles and a new toothbrush instead.

Yesterday morning, I pulled that tooth out just before we walked out the door for school. Apparently he was excited all day about the tooth fairy coming, but when bedtime came, the angst began. After about 20 minutes of worry, he settled on the tooth being beside his pillow on his bed. An hour later, he came out to tell me

"I don't want that tooth in my room."

So we settled on a place the tooth fairy could come that would not be ANYWHERE NEAR SPEED--right in front of the front door.

Speed was happy this morning with his two dollars and only mildly disgusted at the mess the fairy's wings made sprinkling glitter all over. He swore tonight at dinner that he will let her in his room next time.

We shall see.

(for those tracking progress with me, let's count the ways, shall we? 1. He let a "stranger" in the house. 2. He GOT OUT OF BED without permission. 3. He told me he didn't want something. With words, not behaviors. 4. This whole day went down with no tears or fits. Progress, progress, progress...)

Conversations from the Past Week

Bigs at dinner:
Speed: Miss Jen got a baby today!
Sunshine: She didn't GET a baby. Not all families GET a baby. She has a baby in her tummy.
Speed: I think they put it there today.
Sunshine: No, they put it there nine months.

******

Speed: Did you know if you show your middle finger that's bad?
Sunshine: Which one?
Speed: This one. (demonstrates)
Sunshine: THIS one? (confirms)
Speed:Yes, that's it. I don't know why though.

*****

Speed, sounding out some foam letters Chickadee was playing with in the tub:
SSSSSSSSSS
X.
SSSSSS
X.

Hey Mommy, C and X say SEX!

******
From Chickadee:
Mommy, is you white because you old?

(for the record, she sees African American adults every day at school)

And From the Logical Black and White Five Year Old

"It is very uncommon for people in Austin, Texas to spank their children. People just shouldn't do that because it's not nice, so people in Austin, Texas don't usually do that."

From My Glass-Half-Empty Kind of Guy

...who yesterday, with his sisters, spent a couple hours with a friend of mine he knows and one he had never met.

Me: Was Miss Ann nice?
Him: Yeh.
pause....
Him: Aren't they all?
Me: Aren't who all what?
Him: Aren't all people nice?

Apparently I am not a Princess

or a fairy for that matter.

I showed the kids two magic tricks the other day. They totally fell for them.

"Teach me!" said Speed.
"A magician does not reveal her secrets."

He looked at me like I was crazy, laughed and walked away.

"Show me how!" said Sunshine, still the most overcompliant kid you may ever meet.
"A magician does not reveal her secrets."

Sunshine stomped over to the middle of the living room and started to THROW A FIT. My ultra well behaved child, crying and kicking her feet.

"PRINCESSES AND FAIRIES DO!"

"Princesses and fairies do what?"

"SHOW THEIR SECRETS! I GUESS YOU ARE NOT A PRINCESS!!!!!"

Then she stomped into the kitchen, only to pop her head back into the living room to add:
"OR A FAIRY!!!"

FAQ #9

"How have the kids been since Eagle left?"

I would say they are fine. Chickadee is my talker. She has asked many, many questions about where he is, why he isn't here, why we don't still see him or talk to him (when we got to for Junebug for several months after she moved). She talks about missing him and about things he would be doing "right now" if he were with us. (ex/ Eagle would be riding his bike with us if he didn't move.)

Sunshine, true to herself, has not said much at all. She will occasionally point out something that he would have liked (ex/ Eagle would like it that we are eating dessert.). She was greatly bothered the other day when she found a handful of matchbox cars I forgot to send on. She has since played with them a few times, but in general, seems fine.

Speed was initially so excited to have his car seat moved from the 3rd row to the middle row. Now, he talks about Eagle and things Eagle likes and occasionally wonders why we don't see Eagle anymore. Speed can be tricky in the behavior department so has one less kid to bother when he is feeling jealous or in need of attention.

To me, fostering doesn't impact them the way I initially thought it would. I see more positives in what they get out of sharing a part of their lives with a kiddo than negatives. (There are negatives...don't get me wrong).

For now, we are pushing the pause button. We have some things we want to do that are easier with three kids than four. We need to chat about what another child in the home would look like (age-wise, rooms-wise). The kids would like a baby. I would not. We need to take a little road trip this summer to begin our quest to get "48 states before Speed graduates". I would expect only a very special circumstance to bring us a "friend" anytime soon. We will reevaluate things as a family sometime this summer and go from there.