The Tooth Fairy

The Tooth Fairy has had a remarkable effect on Leo's independent writing! Well, I think his fabulous teacher has something to do with it too. The first of his two front teeth was wiggly for weeks - then for a couple of days I couldn't believe it hadn't fallen out - it got so that he could close his mouth in a ghoulish grin with the loose tooth poking out between his lips. After three days of being 'dangle tooth' Leo became 'gappy' while brushing his teeth. He was very pleased with the development.

I dug out one of my tooth robots (I used this tutorial http://goodygoody.typepad.com/goody_goody/2008/07/tgif-quickie-robot-goodytooth-pillow.html). To stash the precious tooth in wait for the tooth fairy. I have decided to embrace the concept of the friendly tooth fairy who has some mysterious fairy requirement for children's teeth (deliberately not dwelling on this).

Unable to find change (too thorough with the change saving money box) so - after a late night rummage in the present box I found a dinky little crystal growing kit that looks like a little cactus. You pour the crystal solution in and coloured crystal flowers sprout out the top over a couple of hours.
The next morning Leo was very gratifyingly delighted and - too my suprise - got straight to work on a thank you note and picture for the tooth fairy which he left under his pillow that night. I thought the picture was deserving of a thank you note of it's own so TF duly wrote back and tied her letter with a little scrap of silver string and a plastic flower from my old scrap booking stuff. Next morning another spontaneous piece of writing from Leo. At this point I was starting to think this tooth fairy correspondance was going to turn into a drag but then read his note again and realised that this is the biggest leap forward in his writing to date. Go the tooth fairy!