Toothless Grins

It's such a precious age all on its own, for its own host of reasons, this being six. The limbs are thinning out and showing sinewy muscles underneath, angles and freckles all starting to make their way onto the stage.

Two teeth drop out one day and then another, and another. The tooth fairy forgets to stop by sometimes, or is too busy in other parts of the world so has to leave a message that she'll be back the next morning. It's a tricky business keeping up with all those teeth.

It's tricky too, not to wish these days away or let them breeze by without attending to them. He's been helping me lately though, with his need to be at home and at my side a little more, with his sweet requests to do something together, or his readiness to curl up into the concave of my side and read, sometimes his voice the one moving slowly along and sometimes mine.

Toothless grins... they are right up there with first steps and graduation caps and it doesn't take much to get all sentimental and sappy about them, or to start worrying about orthodontist bills.