Eight years ago today I became a mother.  And so while I love all my children equally, Joshua’s birthday – February 27, 2004- is the most special of all their birthdays.  Because of course, it’s the anniversary of the day I became something I always wanted to be, and was meant to be.

The day of Joshua’s birth wasn’t exactly all that great.  Everything didn’t exactly go “as planned” – and Bobby and I always say it was the best day AND the worst day of our lives at the same time.  But of course the end result was we had this beautiful, sweet, healthy baby boy, who changed our lives forever.

He was the easiest, sweetest, baby.

And he is a great kid.

He is the kind of kid who is loved by all – other kids, his friends’ parents, and his teachers, but especially his family. His little siblings, his daddy and I all adore him.  And I could not be any prouder of my big boy.

We had a great day celebrating him with our family, a brunch, and a cake made out of two dozen doughnuts!

I love you, Joshua Kenneth!  I know you’ll make me proud a million times over.  You really are my dream come true.  Happy Birthday my big eight-year-old!
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Joshua will be eight (8!!!) in a couple of weeks, and he has just lost his third tooth.  That’s right. Three teeth down, a million to go.  I think by the time he loses all his baby teeth, he’ll be about ready to take the SATs.  But anyhoo…it’s been so long since he lost the other two, that I can’t honestly remember what we said to him about the tooth fairy, but I think it was probably something along the lines of what we tell him about Santa: that she’s not real, just fun to pretend, and that $1 under your pillow comes from Mommy and Daddy, just like those presents under the tree.

But…

Yesterday after he triumphantly pulled his tooth all by himself (finally! The other two Bobby has had to nudge out), he and Sophie were talking about how the Tooth Fairy was going to come and leave him $2. (TWO DOLLARS? GEEZ.)  Then Joshua said something like, “Well, Daddy says it’s really the Tooth Ogre.”

Huh?

“Ummm…you guys know the Tooth Fairy and the Tooth Ogre, or whatever…that’s not real, right?” I said.

“It’s not?  Then who puts money under my pillow?” Joshua asked, looking rather confused.

“Who do you think, buddy?” I asked right back, figuring he’d come to the Mommy-and-Daddy conclusion.

“Umm…Jesus?”

Ok, so apparently he couldn’t take that logical leap after all!  I really can’t compete with JC, so I think when I told him his tooth benefactors were Mom & Dad, he was a little disappointed. But I’m glad to know he thinks that Jesus wants to make sure his tooth troubles are taken care of!

But lucky for him, his Daddy hooked him up with not one, not two, but THREE gold $1 coins.  So I think that soothed his disappointment a little.  Now let’s hope he can remember who is in charge of tooth loss compensation when he loses his next one!

See that cute little perfect smile?

Yeah, there’s a cavity back there. (WHICH I am totally mortified about, but that’s beside the point.)

So, my sweet, sensitive boy – you know, the one who’s afraid of his own shadow? – is gonna have a DRILL up in there on Wednesday!

I am fairly sure I am going to have to hold him down for this to happen.

I myself have never had a cavity {cue twinkle as I grin} so I really don’t know how to prepare him. I want to tell him what’s going to happen, without scaring the bajeebers out of him.  It’s bad enough how he fusses about the noise his battery-powered toothbrush makes (related: is there like a boot camp for 2nd graders where you can send them to toughen up?), I don’t think he’s going to *sit stoically still*  for a drill.

Anyone been through this lately?  I sure could use a play-by-play of what to expect so I can explain it to him in terms he can bear!  Insert advice below!  (Pleeeease help a mother out!)