Seed Pearls?

Today's theme calls for a Collection or Group of Things.

I suppose this is not your average collection ... some might even recoil in horror at the sight of a bag of baby teeth, but they all came from my children, and they represent an aspect of motherhood I was clearly reluctant to just toss in the trash. I remember the hours and hours spent wearing a track in the rug, pacing back and forth with one crying, teething baby or the other, comforting them in the dark of night as those molars and canines erupted.

So, for some twenty eight years or so, these little souvenirs of childhood have been nestled in a blue silk bag along with three notes saved from those times. The notes all relate to one particular incident, involving middle son Tom and his unwitting younger brother, Evan.

Tom lost his tooth while we were out at a dinner party, and when we came home, the babysitter had left a note on his bedroom door saying:

"Richard & Dana - The Tooth Fairy should be making a trip tonight! Tom lost his front tooth"

But when we crept in to retrieve the tooth from under his pillow, we couldn't find it! So, the next morning, Tom wrote the following note:

"Dear Tooth Fairy, I LOST MY TOOTH!!! WHEN I FIND IT, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU!!! Love, Tom"

We never did find the tooth, so I suggested we put a pebble under Tom's pillow case the next night instead. Unfortunately, we forgot to take it, and leave some money, which upset poor, toothless Tom no end. His little brother Evan was going through a phase at that time of not wanting to sleep in his bed. Instead, he would drag a sleeping bag into the hallway outside Tom's room, and sleep on the floor with the dog for company. Tom bitterly blamed his brother for scaring the Tooth Fairy off, and I'm ashamed to admit we let Evan take the fall! Here's what the last note says:

"December 5, 1987

Dear Tooth Fairy -

I am sorry my little brother scared you away last night, but I have something. It is a rock. I'm sorry it isn't a tooth, but I lost my real tooth.

All done,

Love TOM"

(This last note was dictated to me ... I guess Tom was too upset to write this by himself!)