The tooth...

Dear Nicky, Well, old habits die hard, don't they? I almost forgot to write today, and now it's late in the evening, just like the old days. This morning your loose tooth finally came out, the one that had practically been dangling by a thread. It came out when you were eating your peanut butter sandwich for breakfast. You just kept on eating with a mouthful of blood. June had school today, but you didn't so we were together most of the day. At one point we played a rousing game of Dinosaur Island, which you really seem to love. We stand some of your animal toys in a circle around the rug in your bedroom, and you knock them down one by one after I've had each one tease your totem animal, a plastic tiger. Then we had some wrestling and messing around, always good for a few laughs. Later, Mom made us meatloaf for dinner, but you didn't eat much. I made a fire in the fireplace earlier this afternoon, using wood that came from our own trees, whose limbs were felled by the freak ice storm in October. It was somehow primally satisfying. And now seven hours later, there's still a few embers glowing and ticking. Mom put you to bed before June tonight, then I put June to bed. You two are a lot of work. I'm pretty sure the Tooth Fairy's already left a dollar under your pillow for that tooth of yours. Which reminds me: we've got to work on that grinding of yours--that poor tooth of yours was nearly worn down to a nub. Love, Dad