Tooth Fairies, Accidents, And King Benjamin’s Address

We must live in an area assigned to fairly novice tooth fairies because they (and I say “they” because every time one of my children leave a note with their tooth, they ask the fairy’s name; and . . . it’s different every time) . . . anyway, as I was saying, “they” are forever not showing up for the teeth that are eagerly awaiting pick up -- often carelessly making my anxious little tooth losers wait four or even five days for pickup to occur.

Can you imagine??

It’s very sad. Morning after morning one little recently-gap-toothed child or another will come down the stairs. Crestfallen. “The tooth fairy forgot to come again, Mom,” they will tell me; and, with all my might, I will her to be less forgetful.

And still . . . she forgets.

After a recent spell of negligent tooth-fairying on the part of a tooth fairy assigned to pick up one of Penny’s lost lateral incisors, I suggested to Penny that she put a note on my bathroom mirror reminding me to . . . notify the tooth fairy.

She did so.

Later, at dinner, she said, “Mom, make sure you don’t forget to modify the tooth fairy.” I knew she meant “notify”, still, a lively discussion followed concerning ways we might actually modify the tooth fairy (wing enhancements, various attachments, etc.). Penny did not find the conversation humorous, and, after Abe suggested we outfit the tooth fairy with a set of pliers (just in case she arrived before a tooth had actually fallen out), the conversation had to be halted altogether.

Anders has been potty-trained since I don’t know when; but, . . . sometimes, his busy little life causes him to forget trivial things such as using the bathroom. It’s not often. And, occasionally, he not only doesn’t forget, but comes inside to report that he took care of bathroom business outside to save time. (Sigh.) The other day as I went to help him get his pajamas on, I noticed his underwear seemed a bit wet and, in frustration, moaned, “Anders, did you go potty in your underwear?”

He looked at me – sizing things up – and replied, “Ummm. Let me think about it.”

I have been reading King Benjamin’s address (as recorded in the Book of Mormon) to Abe and Daisy before they leave for school in the mornings. It is a beautiful and powerful sermon, and, it isn’t actually that long; but, because Mike reads different verses to them when he gets up to send them off, and because we’ve been reading only bits of the address at a time, we have been reading King Benjamin’s words for a very long time. He was an incredible man, and I mean him no disrespect (as I admire him greatly). Still, Abe and Daisy have teased a bit every time I pick up the scriptures and . . . he is still talking.

I know. I’m sure we’re terribly sacrilegious; but maybe even he would have chuckled a little when, this morning, we read: “And now, when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, . . .” and before I could continue, Daisy leaned over to Abe and whispered, “Because they fell asleep.”

I think I shall end with a little caption I once used with a picture of me and some of my little’s on Instagram: Sometimes the simplest way to find some favorite people is just to . . . make them.

It’s a pretty good way.