Waiting For the Tooth Fairy

Joe is absolutely desperate to lose a tooth.  At least four kids in his class have lost teeth.  Their names are listed on a poster in the room.  Tooth losers are, thus, minor celebrities.  One day not so long ago, Julie found Joe sawing away at one of his bottom front teeth with his tooth brush.  She told him that teeth came out when the big teeth underneath them pushed the little tooth above them up and out, and that if he rushed the little tooth out of the way, he'd end up with a big, bloody hole in his mouth.  She embellished a bit so that he would stop his machinations with the tooth brush.  He has in fact stopped his efforts with the tooth brush, but his desire to lose a tooth remains undiminished.  A few days ago, while Clara was napping in Joe's bed, and Julie and Joe were painting the mopboards in Clara's room (well, Julie was painting; Joe was "painting"--in underwear and a pair of Clara's tights and her pink tutu), Joe again asked when he would lose and tooth and Julie again said she didn't know; that it would happen when it happened; but that it couldn't be rushed.  Joe confirmed that if it was rushed, that's when a big, bloody hole would result.  So that part sunk in!  Then, after a pause, he said, "I love you, Mommy."    It was a good heart-to-heart.