Just a little wiggle

While sitting at a diner of kushiage, fried food on a stick, my son's eyes suddenly filled with tears.  His mouth opened wide as a silent cry released from him.  After a good, long hug, he told us he had bit down hard on the kushiage skewer and his tooth was in pain.  He wiped his tears away and I checked his mouth for injuries. 

It appears to just be a hard bite without any damage.  Lots of pain from the surprise of it, just like biting the inside of one's mouth.  The one thing I did find was a loose tooth!  It made my mommy heart break just a tad.  It is another sign of him growing up way too fast. 

Once I came to terms with the impending loss of his first tooth, I inquired about the tradition of what to do with lost teeth in Japan.  According to several moms, Japanese kids throw their teeth.  Lower teeth get tossed onto the roof of their house and bottom teeth are thrown down to the ground (usually under a porch or near the bottom of their house).  The direction is important, as it is believed the adult teeth will follow the baby teeth and grow in straight.

From now until his first tooth actually comes out, my husband and I will need to discuss if we'll follow the American tradition or the Japanese one.  And if he gets money under his pillow, how will we prevent the jealousy that's sure to ensue?