Elf on the Shelf

This year a new friend came to visit, the Elf on the Shelf.

Our elf didn't come on December 1st or the day after Thanksgiving.  Our elf arrived after we put up and decorated our tree.  He came in the middle of the night and brought a special breakfast for us - chocolate chip pancakes, strawberries, sausage & yogurt.

He also brought Ben & Matthew new Christmas jammies.

In our house, we follow the rule that you mustn't touch the elf or he loses his magic.  This meant the elf had to be particularly creative about where he hid, so he was out of the arm reach of small hands.  I read on another blog a few weeks into the elf thing, that one mom has special powers and only she can move the elf.  That way, the elf can play his tricks, the kids can discover it and then the mom moves the elf to his special watching place on the mantle for the rest of the day.  I sure wish our elf had clued me in to that ahead of time...

Here are the things our elf did:

• brought our special elf breakfast
• hid by the sheep & the duck (Friends reference, any one?)
• drew mustaches on our family photos (this may have been Ben's favorite)
• went sledding in faux snow
• hid on the Christmas tree
• zip lined across the living room
• colored the milk pink/red
• hung out on top of the TV
• colored all over the bathroom mirror

• went swinging by the beehive with a tiny jar of honey
• played Godzilla in our Christmas village
• got into our stickers
• rode a chicken
• swung from the hall chandy
• Christmas wrapped the bathroom
• rode a giant duck
• hid in Ben's room

• hung our underpants on the stocking hooks & moved our stockings all over the house
• left a Christmas movie & popcorn in Ben's stocking
• TP'd our Christmas tree
• got into the syrup
• wished Ben a happy birthday
• hung out with our Christmas cards
• made lunch with play food

and finally:

• wearing a matching mask (okay, so that mask is actually a giant joke.  every time we visit my grandparents in Portland, they make us take something with us.  the mask is cool but it's absolutely not my style.  Nick hung it up as a joke and Ben has a fit if I take it down so now it's stuck up there...)
• playing with Legos
• putting cuties in our Christmas village.

I only forgot to take a picture like twice, I think, but the elf wasn't doing anything exciting - just moved to a new place.  Elf (named Solider by Ben, who wanted to change it to "Chippy" after incessant Elf on the Shelf movie watching) didn't play tricks every night and I have to admit the best tricks were played after I went to bed... my husband is apparently insanely creative and a super sport.