DON’T STEP ON THE TEETH!!
“Uh-oh,” I say as I’m about to step into my bedroom.
“What?” asks Rissa.
“Hold these,” I say, pushing freshly washed sheets into her arms. (Sidebar: have I mentioned that I have a kid who never complains when I ask her to be my Plus One in household chores? She’s a fucking unicorn.)
“Why?” She looks around suspiciously.
“I had a little ceramic box on my dresser that holds pins and baby teeth. The cats must have knocked it off. Everything’s on the carpet now.”
“You have a box that… You…?” She shoots a horrified glance to the floor.
“Just don’t step on the carpet. I don’t want you to step on a pin.”
“Or a BABY TOOTH?!?“
“Or a baby tooth,” I say as I start to gather up the debris.
“You kept my baby teeth?”
“Uh… yeah…” Obviously.
“You have my baby teeth in a box.”
“With pins.”
“Ewwwww… That’s so fucked up. EEEEEEEWWWWW!!!“
I shoot her a confused look. “Everybody keeps baby teeth. Plus, you’re going to be a nurse, you should be okay with this.”
“A nurse. NOT a dentist.” She shudders. She reaches for a baby tooth and almost vomits.
“You’re SO weird.”
“I’M SO WEIRD?!?”
***
FYI everyone – according to DOCTORS – parents are supposed to keep baby teeth. You know, in case your kid needs a stem cell replacement. Mind you, I didn’t know this until today when I Googled it, but still…
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/news/a36607/why-you-should-save-your-babys-teeth/
