Loose Teeth and Friends

The fourth part is figured out when planning happens and the schedule falls into place. The fourth part goes all sorts of out of whack when something unexpected presents. It can be something major or something very minor. But let me be clear .... minor and major sizing is all in the eye of the beholder. And, when you are six years old, a major something is a loose tooth that affects anything and every thing.

You can't eat. You can't talk. You can't catch your breath (after sobbing and sobbing). You can't do your homework. You can't kncok out your 15-minutes of reading. You can't take a bath. You can't change into your PJs.

You certainly cannot wiggle that tooth. BECAUSE THERE IS BLOOD.

When my fourth part was about sitting and visiting with a friend who I haven't seen in a month or so and a debilitating, loose tooth shows up, well, the fourth part goes into limbo land.

Yes, you can chat with your friend over a glass of wine. Yes, you can have deep, spiritual talks with your friend. You can share books, Bible verses and a podcast. You can laugh. You can snack. You can sit.

But, oh, yeah, there's a loose tooth on the loose.

After finding the softest, easiest thing for your sweet girl to eat and after gently, very slowly take off a play shirt to put on a pajama top, you pop in a movie and ask (beg, cajole) her to get in bed. A few minutes to by, some enjoyable fourth part conversation with my friend .... then, the memory of the lose tooth and THE BLOOD comes back.

More crying, more mumbling because she can't talk and more soothing and more reassurance ... back to bed.

Thankfully, I had a friend there to help me patiently work through the loose tooth and THE BLOOD drama. I did have a fourth part. It was just a planned, scheduled fourth part with a loose tooth and THE BLOOD.

Footnote: The next morning, my little bit told me she had been asking me all night to wiggle her tooth. I nodded and then, she asked me to wiggle her tooth. (She was hungry!). I wiggled, I flicked and out it popped with THE BLOOD. A few tears and then, the pangs of hunger, reminded her she had oatmeal (very soft) waiting. And, the tooth fairy visiting that night.