Makayla in Regular Stuff

Makayla is 9 years old and is my oldest granddaughter.

We are incredibly close. I love all 3 of my granddaughters equally, but I definitely share a special bond with Makayla. Sometimes, I feel guilty about it. I try really hard not to show favoritism, but it’s something I definitely have to work at.

I think there are a couple of reasons for the extra closeness. She is my first grandchild. I fell head over heels in love the second I laid eyes on her. She was born with a cleft lip but it didn’t detract her cuteness. She had brown eyes that I swear sparkled, and a head full of soft brown curls.

At 4 months, she had her first surgery. She was so pitiful when she came home. Her little lip was all stitched up and she had to wear these plastic things on her arms, like little casts, to keep her from touching her face. She pretty much decided from the get go that she hated them, and she would bang her arms on whatever was available until they flew off.

I started watching her as soon as Aimee went back to work. For the next three years it was just her and I, all day long.

She started pre-school at 3 and 1/2 and that about killed me lol.

As I watch her grow up, I just seem to love her more each day. Anyway, I tell you all of this before telling you what happened last night.

I had gone to the store and when I returned, Makayla comes running out into the family room, crying hysterically and blubbering about how I had lied to her about everything.

Well it turns out, she had found this little white tooth shaped container that kids put their teeth in that have fallen out. They then put it under their pillow for the tooth fairy.

Makayla has always been big into fairies and was very charmed by the idea of the Tooth Fairy. Each time she has lost a tooth, she would enclose a note for the TF. I would retrieve the tooth and the note. I then wrote her a note back and put it under her pillow with some money.

She just lost one about a week ago and I kept the same routine.

I had kept the first tooth, in that little container. When she found it, she figured it all out. She was crushed. Not only because the TF didn’t really exist, but also she felt betrayed by her mother and by me.

She can be quite dramatic but I could tell she was really hurt. We talked for a long time until we both felt better. She calmed down enough to realize that I did it to make her happy and that I got as much joy out of it as she did. We also talked about Santa Clause (who she really only half believed in) and the Easter bunny. I did tell her that it was always okay to believe in magic. And I reconfirmed that I would always tell her the truth about anything she asked me.

It makes me sad to see her take such a big step away from childhood. But it’s what they do.