Two Close Calls

On Friday, our activity on our Countdown Calendar was to watch "Polar Express". So, knowing the cousins were coming to visit, we hauled in Brayden and Mikayla's mattresses into the living room and made a huge slumber party nest. It was cozy. During the movie, Nati made an announcement, "I've lost my tooth!". Indeed, she had managed to wiggle out her first loose tooth. (Ironically, Brayden lost his first tooth a couple of weeks ago - I swear, those two are somehow twins, born a year apart and to different moms, but twins nonetheless!). So, the movie was interrupted for awhile with rapt discussion as to how the Tooth Fairy would find Nati away from her home and how much money she should expect.

Fast forward to the next morning. The kids start rousing, then suddenly, they remember the surprise they expect to find under Nati's pillow. As Michele is lying two feet away, asleep on the couch, the kids open the envelope and I think to myself across the room, "Surely, Michele has already taken care of this...". The final envelope is opened (Nati wrapped it in two) and she finds.... her tooth... Just as she starts to express her dismay, Michele bolts upright and with shocked eyes and husky voice comes up with a reason the Tooth Fairy must have been delayed. Bless their hearts, the kids all had a different theory as to how this could happen ("maybe there were so many kids she didn't want to leave it out here because one of us might have found it first!") Michele then suggested they hide it again in a safe place and see if the tooth fairy would find it after Nati secretly whispered the location aloud. What do you know, but it was discovered the Tooth Fairy had arrived an hour later with a note apologizing for the delay, "but Nati, everytime I tried to take the tooth, you stirred, so I didn't want to risk you seeing me". Clever, Michele. Crisis averted, Nati was pleased as punch.

Then, later yesterday, Michele was working on Letters from Santa based on letters the kids had supposedly sent to Santa. She was cautioning me on being discreet (when I mistakenly nearly had Mikayla re-sign her name - Michele scolded me that the kids believed these had already been sent, oops!). Then, as Michele had nearly finished her task, Nati bounds in and says, "What are you doing with those, Mom?" Ever quick on her feet, Michele said, "Oh Nati, I really need to get these sent to Santa, huh? Can you help remind me?" "Sure, Mom" was her response - and she obliviously goes on her way. Whew #2 for the day!

Can you imagine how Michele would do as a spy? Good thing for our country that she's just a teacher....