damn tooth fairy

let me set the scene. gomah and i go to her cross country practice. we go to dinner afterwards. lori and kennedy decide to have spa night after the boys go to bed. gomah and i return and lori has her hair swept up in the front like pebbles. like pebbles, but better because she has a huge pink flower centered in the middle of her head. much better than the bone. kennedy has taken hair glitter and put it on lori's lashes. glitter covered lori's face. they are high off their silliness. everyone is hyped up.
kennedy and kuker both lost teeth tonight. kennedy has a great heart but not always great ideas. kennedy is heading to bed and pats her waistband. it crinkles. we ask what she has in her pajama pants that would crinkle. kennedy proudly pulls out a baggie with her tooth in it. she thought it would be a great idea to see if the tooth fairy was real.... to be honest... i am not even sure how to tell this story. okay, to see if the tooth fairy is real, her thinking, is that, if real, the tooth fairy would wake her, ask where her tooth was and kennedy would pull it out of her underware and give it to her. kennedy would then know the tooth fairy was real.
the adult version of this story is lori and i fearful the tooth fairy would become a registered sex offender by trying to get the tooth out of kennedy's waist band. on that note, i get in the shower.
as i am in the shower, lori rushes in declaring i should not leave her alone with the girls. i look out of the shower to see panic on lori's face. panic, gold glitter and hair sticking up everywhere. here is the conversation that followed:

l: don't leave me alone with those girls.
m: why?
l: you should not have left me alone!
m: what happened?
l: the girls wanted me to swear the tooth fairy is real. i couldn't. i couldn't swear. i had to tell them the truth. (one of the reasons i love lori)
m: are they sad?
l: no. they are excited to know. they want to know about santa and the easter bunny.
m: lori...what did you say?
l: i just left. i just left the room and came in here. do not leave me alone with them. they know. they know i won't lie.
m: (somewhat offended) i wouldn't lie either.
l: what would you have said?
m: i would have told them that everyone believes different things and it is up to them to decide what their truth is. (i prefer the term "manipulated response")
l: (very trance-like) just don't leave me alone with them.

lori leaves. glitter and all. i allow myself to feel disappointed that they have taken another step out of childhood and into this tween world. we are sad to see them beginning to exit out of childlike beliefs. it is equally good to see who they are becoming. the truth is i do believe in the tooth fairy. i believe in the tooth fairy like i believe in tossing pennies into a fountain or wishing on a star or tarot cards or having luck when you find a four leaf clover. it is the possibility that makes it worth believing in.