LaLa lost a tooth. The one that she had been wiggling and playing with all day. It’s not the first one… but so far it’s definitely the most tramatic.

Lost it while she was in the bathtub. I’m downstairs doing the dishes, water running and I think, “Do I hear something?” “Is that a child crying?” “What IS that noise?” Water off.  Listen. Wailing. Bloody murder screaming. I race up the stairs fearing a broken leg on the slippery tile floor. I get to the bathroom to see a naked child screaming… standing up (no broken leg), screaming. “What is it!?” I yell over the screaming. “What happened?!” Incoherent screaming ensues as she explains that her tooth has come out and blood is apparently gushing out of the wound.

I’m a girl. I CAN be dramatic if the need arises but Lord help me, that child has got Golden Globe written all over her. It was all I could do to hold myself together. It was one of the most precious things that I have ever experienced as a parent.

Upon hearing all of the screaming and feet running up the stairs LaLa’s dad comes flying into the room wondering what on earth is going on. The Incoherent Screaming Replay starts. I get her a towel and the three of us hug and sit on the ottoman. This is going to take a while. Farmboy assures her that all will be fine and goes downstairs to continue his game with the Bean. I get the privilege and honor of sitting there with my daughter listening to her raw fears and concerns and I am struck with the glory of her tender heart. The beauty. I hear wails of how that tooth will be missed. It will be so alone. The other teeth left behind won’t know where it has gone. The tears, so many, so big. Eyes so swollen and red. Oh, that the tooth never should have been loose. Oh, that it never should have came out. Now this is the same child that at dinner was determined to pull it out in front of us at the dinner table. Being the proper parents that we are… we told her she couldn’t do that. She would have to wait until after dinner and go into the bathroom. I guess, truth be told, we didn’t think she’d actually do it.

She cried because she had lost something God had given her. She cried because her other teeth would miss the lost one. She cried because she wasn’t ready. I cried inside because I wasn’t ready either. For any of it. She would talk and then lean into me and cry until all of the tears were out… for both of us. I reveled in that moment. Loving and embracing the beauty of it. I wanted to run and get it down on paper as soon as I could because my memory is terrible and I feared not remembering all of it.

How do you take a picture of a Kodak moment without a camera? Words. Beautiful, precious words. Girls. Little girls. Big tears. Red eyes. Arms of love. Despair is despair. Is there a measure to a child? What do they know of earthquakes, oil spills, world hunger and AIDS? Missing. She feared the other teeth would miss not getting to say good-bye to this one. Her teeth didn’t feel like her teeth anymore. She asked if she would have to lose other things… like her Blankie. Heck no! Of course not! I still have my Henry. The little teeth had to leave to make room for the bigger ones, that’s all. She was right on schedule. She is perfect. Just the way she was lovingly designed.

Eventually the hugs, tears and sobs slowed and I suggested pajamas and a Toot and Puddle book wherein their little cousin Opal loses her tooth. LaLa was thrilled. A few tears fell while getting ready for bed. After showing her brother the hole and expressing her sadness over her different smile he reassured her that “her smile was always beautiful no matter what because SHE was beautiful”. Oh, how you make me proud tonight Big Brother.

So we piled up in the bed with her lovingly decorated envelope for the tooth fairy. Covered with stickers- her best, most favorite ones we tucked the envelope under the pillow and I proceeded to tell the story inserting “Tooth” for Toot and “Toot Fairy” for the “Tooth Fairy”. She was hysterical by the time the story was over. A precious night…had to write about it. Now, where is my glitter and where are my wings. ; )

Do you have any tooth fairy magic? Please share!

Michelle

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End of summer… LaLa is dying to get on that school bus for her first day of First Grade. The Bean knows what is coming and doesn’t mind the days dragging on.

Farmboy and I thought that a corn stand would be great for The Bean this year. His cousins who are older were also interested.  The boys made a table in June in anticipation of holding this year’s harvest.

It’s hard for me not to have visions of a giant festival of corn when a “corn stand” is mentioned. I think big. Why not? I like a spectacle, don’t you? Farmboy often wonders “why does everything you do have be a spectacle?”  I tried to stay out of it… really, I did.

I helped set up my art festival tent at the end of our driveway. The boys took the golf cart down into the field and loaded it with corn. I painted a couple of signs, put some tablecloths out and the boys were good to go. It was an interesting experience. Friday I found out that earlier in the morning one of the kids accidently picked field corn instead of sweet corn. Eeegads. Embarrassing. Especially when Farmboy encouraged his friends at work to stop in for some of the best sweet corn they will ever taste. Ooops. We had a discussion about “quality control” and how important it is to double check what they are selling for its quality. We weren’t sure how much had been sold. Farmboy made a few calls to let people know.

It was painful to watch as they counted change back to customers. The Bean made it clear that they were perfectly fine without me there. I took advantage of the situation to spend a little time in the studio to prepare for an upcoming show. La La and I spent the entire day on Friday making cupcakes for her cupcake stand. On Saturday the 1st Annunal “Windswept Farm Sweet Corn Extravaganza” took place. There was sweet corn, of course, lemonade, cupcakes and brownies, not to mention some tomatoes and cucumbers from my garden. Farmboy, Aunt Kim and I moved the stand further down on the farm across the street from the community recycling station – its gets alot of traffic on a Saturday morning.

The kids earned some money, ate alot of cupcakes and brownies and drank alot of lemonade. This year we have decided to let them bask in the money that they have earned. They have a taste of economics and we will hit them with the full picture next year when they have to think about how much a bag of corn seed costs and how much fuel is required to plant that seed. They are all ready talking about how they will make next year better and I am encouraged by their enthusiasm. There were a couple of hiccups- the field corn and a woman came back because she had only 4 ears when she purchased 6. Gasp. Blush. Embarassement. But they were apologetic and generous giving her extra because of their mistake. I wish that I had been taught the principles of business when I was young. I look forward to teaching the kids.

Next year all of those balloons are going to have to be put into their budget. How have you encouraged the entreprenuerial spirit in your children? Any creative ideas?

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Hi Friends! I wanted to post a quick note about AmpleHarvest.org and encourage those of you who have grown extra produce in your gardens this summer to consider finding a local food pantry and donating some of your excess produce to families who have been hit hard by the economy.

I did a quick search by entering my zip code on their website and found 3 food pantries within 12 miles of me. Pretty neat. So when your family has had enough of those zucchini, squash or whatever… go here and find a place where your excess will be greatly appreciated!

Big thanks to my twitter friends at TheSoilSisters.com for posting info about AmpleHarvest.org and reminding me to share the blessings! Check them out… you will be glad that you did.

Have a great day!

Michelle

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I have a headache. A splitting headache. I have been trying to follow the directions enclosed in a Monkey Sock Monkey do-it-yourself box that we purchased at the craft store for La-La and the Bean. Good grief. Do I need a doctorate to make one of these things? Okay, it helps to read the instructions in English. I was a little confused with the Spanish Monkey Sock Monkey instructions. O la. Nonnie aka. Junebug was here to calm the chaos. While I was machine stitching the limbs, Junebug was whip stitching those limbs on those lumpy home-stuffed Monkey Sock monkeys/kitties.  These Monkey Socks Monkey’s were NOT made in China… however the kit, socks and instructions probably were. Oh well.

I haven’t sewn in quite a long time. I like to sew. I made my senior prom dress after the woman with coke- bottle eye glasses that we hired to make it put a nice hole in the bodice and couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Eeegads!! Somehow my mom and I remade that dress and it was lovely and beautiful.  Nevertheless, I have always dreamed of making clothes for my daughter. So far… not a one. Zip. Ziltch. Nada. Oh, the guilt. Do you feel it?

But, I do love to sew. I love fabric. Don’t get to peruse the fabric stores like I used to but when I do… look out. The theme for the 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show is “Springtime in Paris”. I’m inspired! I bought the cutest, most funky cart thingy the other day that I saw out in someone’s yard. Drove by it going 40 mph one day and retraced my steps a couple of days later only more certain that if it was still there I had to purchase it. (Will photograph it soon and post). Now, LaLa also had dibs on it for her cupcake stand… but that cutie is SO going to Philly with me next year! The cart, not LaLa- actually she’ll be there too. Can’t wait till she is old enough to set up shop with me. What fun.

Back to Monkey Socks. In my quest for fabrics/patterns for my pillows Junebug and I thought a trip to the store would be very productive. I bought lots of fabric. I am SO excited about putting all of these textures/patterns and colors together with my little french themed topiary designs (more to come).

After receiving my Mommy Phd., you would think that when in a store I could deal with a 5 yr old’s love of all things lip gloss related. Now, when I say we are going to get a craft project at the craft store… which one of you thinks that includes lip gloss? Exactly.  I want that 5 yr old to make something… with her hands, her heart, her head, her imagination.

For the lip gloss, she is willing to toss, throw away if you will, the Amazing Glitter Glue Package Supreme (with BLACK glitter glue which we have never seen before) AND the Monkey Sock Kitty kit? Are you serious?? Really?? You would throw away all of that glittery stickiness and Monkey Sock love for some craft store lip gloss?  Oh, the humanity. We had to have a little pow-wow in the middle of my Parisian fabric cutting fest. It sounded like this; “You will not ruin this little adventure by pouting about not getting lip gloss. I said you could chose a craft project and that is what I meant.” Geez. Junebug and I are in French fabric obliviousness and I keep getting sucked back into parenting reality. Bummer.

We walked out of there with Monkey sock monkey kits and the most amazing set of glitter glue pens that you will ever lay your eyes on… and no lip gloss. Win one for The Mommy!

Note to self… read the packaging. I did not know that these kits were for 12 yr olds who apparently were skilled and competent with sewing machines and whip stitching not to mention french knots and embroidery. Hello!? Junebug and I had a busy day of sewing when we got home. It was perfect. The kiddos stuffed body parts with filler while Junebug and I sewed on limbs and tails. It took so long the kids conceded that their completion could wait until tomorrow. Thanks heavens. However, the Bean just did a dance around the living room in Monkey Sock anticipation for tomorrow. Heaven help me. He’ll be knocking on my door at 7 am to crank up the sewing machine to finish “Monkingson” his Monkey Sock Monkey. LaLa named her Monkey Sock Miss Kitty. Don’t they make the cutest pair? Are you feeling the Monkey Sock love? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Monkingson and Miss Kitty

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