Part of being a parent in my house is having a relationship with those little fairies and elves that arrive at the different points in a child’s life.  There is the bunny that has developed a working partnership with our cat to ensure proper delivery of eggs and filling of the Easter basket.  There is that jolly old elf himself, Santa, who is happy to find my daughter wherever she might be at Christmas, and there is the tooth fairy.  

Now, out of all these characters, it is this fairy with which I have the most difficult relationship.  

The fairy is supposed to arrive at night, but sometimes the fairy is very tired and doesn’t fulfill her duties.  The Lass has noted her absence various times!  So, that sneaky fairy arrives in the house while no one is looking and makes good on her contract.  

I have to make excuses for her.  

She was afraid of the cat.  

She didn’t get your note.

Those witches and such scared her (when the tooth was lost this past Halloween) so she needed to wait until morning.  

The first time this happened, she arrived when the Lass was in the shower.  This mused the Lass to no end – she continually mentions it.  But she also asked “Is there a fairy?”

And sometimes I am not sure that there is a fairy.  Out of the last few teeth the Lass has lost, the fairy has delivered late 90% of the time.  

Thus, when the Lass lost her tooth after having to come home from school sick, I was sure that the fairy would be on the ball.  There were no distractions.  Nothing stood in her way of delivering timely.  And hey, a sick kid can be out for the count.  

So when I opened my eyes at 6 and realized that blasted fairy had fallen asleep on the job… again… I felt dismay.  The delivery had to come before the Lass woke.  

At 6:15 the Lass moved the obstacles in front of her tooth box and… wow!!

“Thank you!” she proclaimed.  

I was a bit taken aback.  Why is she saying thank you?  Why is she so excited?

The tooth fairy had reached into her bag, in the midst of her hurry, and pulled out a $10 rather than a $1!

*sigh*    “She must have felt very badly for being late all those other mornings.”  I suggested as the Lass felt delighted at her find.  “Or maybe she knew you were sick…or maybe she is not coming again and this is for all the teeth you will lose in the future.”

  She didn’t hear a word I said.  

I am going to have to have a little chat with the fairy.  She definitely needs to pay more attention in the future!