I'm learning.

Once upon a time, I was the mom that cried when she sent her three kindergarteners to school. I cried. They were perfectly fine. Me? Not so much. (For the record, I hated leaving them at school right up until the day I finally pulled them out to home school them...in mid-sixth grade. Sigh.)

So you might imagine, how upset I was when I arrived at kindergarten pick-up and my sweet little five-year-old Mason comes walking to me with a treasure box around his neck, holding his first lost tooth.

I didn't quite cry. Not quite.

Honestly, my first reaction was that someone must have hit him and knocked the tooth out. How could he possibly be old enough to start losing teeth?? After being assured that it fell out quite naturally, I looked down at my beaming-faced little guy. Mason smiled at me and as if reading my mind said, "Don't worry Ma, I won't grow up too fast."

Yea, right.

Emotions checked, I survived those years of lost teeth times three. And just in case you are wondering, I honestly have no idea if triplets' teeth get loose simultaneously. But I do KNOW that triplets lose their teeth simultaneously... even if they aren't loose. Benjamin lost two teeth in church the morning after Mason lost his second one...that boy wiggled and wiggled and worked it until clink, clink. We heard the teeth hit the tray on his wheelchair. Claire was not even a day behind that. 

So I was ready for little red. Or so I thought. At her recent dental visit, I asked the dentist how long he thought it would be before she lost a tooth. I just wanted to be prepared this time. He said we had six months to a year. That was two months ago.

A couple of weeks ago, she said one was wiggly. But the tooth barely moved and I was certain we had a while yet.

Oh boy. We were wrong. I came home from Bible Study to find little miss minus one tooth. She was so confused. She didn't know if she should cry -- she had heard the story of the day Mason lost his first tooth -- or be excited!

After taking a deep (deep) breath, I told her we had to be excited! This was a big day!!

And the very next day? When tooth number two just dropped right out of this child's mouth? Well, we chose to celebrated that too! No sense being sad.

Cause while I love my little red cuddle-bug, I've learned a few things in the nine years since the trio started losing teeth:

1. Just because they get grown-up teeth does not mean they don't need me.

2. Every age brings new things for me to be amazed at -- as the Mom.

3. Growing up does present some challenges -- but I have yet to find an age that I don't LOVE being Mom to Benjamin, Mason, Claire and Cate.

So, wiggly teeth, missing teeth, bracings on teeth...it doesn't matter -- I love the blessing of Motherhood!