Rowan is in the dual language program in kindergarten, and we have become pretty good friends with her kindergarten Spanish teacher. So a couple months ago when she saw on Facebook that Rowan had lost her first tooth, she suggested that the next time Rowan lost a tooth, she should write a letter to El Raton, the Spanish culture equivalent of the tooth fairy. From Wikepedia:
Rowan's Spanish teacher is from Venezuela, so we refer to him as El Raton Perez. When Rowan lost her second tooth a couple nights ago, she excitedly left her tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy. The next night, she left this little note for El Raton!
Her message says:
Dear Perez mouse,
The tooth fairy already took my tooth. It was the second tooth that I lost. Do you like cheese? Please write me back.
She added something at the end about how he should smell her paper because she used scented markers to color it. And at the very bottom, El Raton Perez left a little paw print and a message saying that he does love cheese. He also left her a couple dollars under her pillow. Smart mousey! Rowan was thrilled and has now figured out that with a little extra effort on her part (writing a letter) she can get cold hard cash from not only the tooth fairy, but also El Raton Perez. Loose teeth are about to get very expensive around our house!
"In addition to the tooth fairy, Hispanic culture also has a mouse.The Ratoncito Pérez (or Ratón Pérez) is a figure popular in Spanish and Hispanic American cultures, similar to the tooth fairy, originating in Madrid in 1894. As is traditional in some English-speaking countries, when a child loses a tooth it is customary for him or her to place it under the pillow, so that Ratoncito Pérez will exchange it for a gift. The tradition is almost universal in Spanish cultures, but takes different forms in different areas. He is known as "Ratoncito Pérez" in Spanish speaking countries, with the exception of some regions of Mexico, Peru and Chile, where he is called "el Ratón de los Dientes" (The Tooth Mouse), and in Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay and Colombia, he is known simply as "El Ratón Pérez"."
Rowan's Spanish teacher is from Venezuela, so we refer to him as El Raton Perez. When Rowan lost her second tooth a couple nights ago, she excitedly left her tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy. The next night, she left this little note for El Raton!
Her message says:
Dear Perez mouse,
The tooth fairy already took my tooth. It was the second tooth that I lost. Do you like cheese? Please write me back.
She added something at the end about how he should smell her paper because she used scented markers to color it. And at the very bottom, El Raton Perez left a little paw print and a message saying that he does love cheese. He also left her a couple dollars under her pillow. Smart mousey! Rowan was thrilled and has now figured out that with a little extra effort on her part (writing a letter) she can get cold hard cash from not only the tooth fairy, but also El Raton Perez. Loose teeth are about to get very expensive around our house!