The Tooth And Halloween

Matty has had a wobbly front tooth for weeks now. He has already lost one of his top front teeth and now the other one has been flapping like a flag in a gusty wind. Today, as he bit into a bread roll, the tooth went from loose to hanging by a thread, and he delighted, with an 8 year old boys zeal, in twisting and displaying it in ever more grotesque ways. “You had better pull it out,” suggested Polly. Matty tentatively gave it a tug and announced that it was too painful to touch. “Well you can't leave it like that. You won't be able to eat.” We had been through all this before with the last tooth so we knew what to do. We called upon the undeniable expert in all dental extraction matters in our household, 4 year old Sam.

When Matty's last front tooth was loose and no one was allowed to touch it, it was Sam who had casually reached up and removed the tooth before Matty had time to react. Sam was more than happy to repeat his triumphant performance and so with Polly holding Matty still Sam positioned himself. “It'll hurt,” wailed Matty. “No it won't,” replied his gleeful sibling. “It won't hurt me at all.” And with that he yanked the tooth out.

Negotiations are now under way as to what percentage of the tooth fairy's 'compensation payout' is Sam entitled to.

- O -

Polly has taken the boys to a Halloween/Rainbow party leaving me here to write this. As she left she told me she had hung a 'No Trick or Treating' sign up on the door, provided by our community police officer, in on attempt to leave me undisturbed. Personally I don't mind Trick or Treating. I roll to the door and look at the children. I roll my eyes, twitch a little, and in a rasping monotone say, “I went Trick and Treating once. We called at the wrong house and look what happened to me.” I pause, and then add, “I was the lucky one.” I'm rarely disturbed again.