Sam's top front tooth has been wiggly for...I don't know...years, it seems like. It appears his teeth have the same tenacious stubborness that Sam has been known to display. It just held on and held on by the hair of its chinny-chin-chin. Then over the weekend it started turning grey in an our-hygeine-is-slipping-around-here way, if not a neanderthal/caveman kind of way.

A couple of days ago, just in time for back-to-school, it gave in. Truth be told, I helped it a little (see previous grey tooth discussion) but Sam requested the help. One tiny dingy tooth made it to tooth fairy land that night. Plus she came on the FIRST NIGHT, which is rare. (Somehow our family was assigned to a tooth fairy who is forgetful but who makes up for it by increasing the price for the tooth depending on how long it takes to come and pick it up. The opposite of the FedEx philosophy, I guess.)

Now I think he looks so young and vulnerable. His s and th sounds are adjusting to the gaping hole in the front. I feel like I've got a different boy here, suddenly a Norman Rockwell version of himself.

Tooth count at age 9: 3 out, many to go. Hopefully his college roommate won't mind pulling a few teeth...