The Rate of Inflation for Teeth

Big news in the Norman House! Garrett lost his first tooth tonight. It's been loose forever and he has been so patient in waiting for it to be ready to come out (last night I nearly gagged during snuggle time when he kept wiggling it back and forth...you know that gritty sound...and up with dinner). Here's the down-low on the teeth.

Garrett: "Mom, is my tooth loose enough?"

Mom: "Let me see."

Garrett: wiggle, wiggle, gritty-gross sound.

Mom: "I'm gonna hurl homeslice if you don't stop that sound."

Garrett: "You're a drama queen Mom."

Mom: "Do you even know what a drama queen is?"

Garrett: "Of course, I'm 7 you know."

Mom: "Yes, I know."

Garrett: "Hey Mom? Is the tooth fairy a boy or a girl?"

Mom: "I don't know. What do you think?"

Garrett: "I think it's a girl. Boys can't be fairies."

Stifled laughter. I can barely contain myself...boys can't be fairies.

Side note: conversation with Papa ensues and the question is raised "Papa, how much did the tooth fairy leave you when you were a kid?

Papa: "Uh. Well, I was born in 1944..."

Mom: "Oh, here we go."

Papa: "I think it left me .50 cents or a dollar maybe. But then again you have to take into account inflation."

More stifled laughter. If you're a Republican, it's closer to .50 cents. If you're a Democrat, swing wide. Does anyone have Alan Greenspan on speed-dial?

Garrett: "Papa, the tooth fairy sounds like a cheap-skate."

Mom and Nana are looking at each other and mouthing nonsense to figure out how much cash we have between us.

Garrett: "Mom, you need to leave the tooth fairy a note to tell her to leave more than what Papa got in 1944. By the way, how long ago was 1944?"

Mom: "Closer to when dinosaurs walked the earth I think."

Garrett (out-loud): "I didn't know you could be that old."

Snickering Mother can only utter "He remembers the discovery of oil."

Garrett: "Will the tooth fairy come when a kid is this excited?"

Mom: "YES! And the tooth fairy is so happy you lost your tooth (he's the last kid in his class by the way). Just imagine, she's out there flying around, just waiting for you to fall asleep so she can work her magic."

Garrett: "I hope her magic is more than a dollar."

My son, the future Economics major and his in-debt Mom trying to figure inflation, the cost of a first tooth, supply and demand. Nana and I agreed to two dollars, allowing us room for expansion at a later date.