I love the Elf on the Shelf but not for the reason you may think. I love them because they remind me of my absolute favorite childhood Christmas decoration. My parents had the kneehugger elves from Japan and every year I would arrange them hanging with acrobatic skill through the house. I remember telling my mom they were my favorite and she told me they were hers too.
When I had my own family she and I were shopping one day and found some very similar elves of which I scooped up more than a few to decorate my home. So, when the Elf on the Shelf came out, I loved it just on its looks. I am not one of those over the top parents who cannot wait every night to plan some elaborate hijinks that the kids will find the next day. Truth be told, my husband and I forget half the time to move them (we have 2) and have to tell the kids things like,”I guess he likes the top of the picture frame so much, he went right back.” or “He is really being tricky, guess he thought you would not look there since he was there yesterday.”
My kids love elves too, in fact I picked up several more this year and my little guys was so cute. In the store they asked if they could touch them and if they were the real elves. To which I answered, “No, they are just adorable decorations. Which ones should we get?” So I have elves all over and the irony is in my biggest confession which I will tell you next.
Last year, someone I know posted on Facebook that her children were traumatized when going through the Christmas decorations to find the Elf on the Shelf packed away with the ornaments. He was supposed to be at the North Pole, not in a box that was in their basement all year! The magic was spoiled and I am not sure if the mom or the children was more upset. So, last year I told my husband we could not put our Elves away with any of the Christmas decorations. Instead we hid them really good, in fact we hid them so good, we don’t even know where they are!
I am so mad now, because I either have to buy 2 more and you can’t just buy replacement elves, you have to buy the whole set up and I have the books and boxes because they do not take those with them to the North Pole. I would still need to come up with a story of why they are so late, but I am good at stories so that is not the part that bothers me.
My husband found my childhood kneehugger elves and a bunch of others along with an Annalee Santa that looks like an elf and asked why don’t I just spin some yarn with these characters. I have thought about some very elaborate tales, like telling he kids that one of the older and very wise kneehugger elves just made it here, he is old and his magic is not so great any more. He brought a note that our elves Jingle and Jangle had a very odd thing happen right before they were leaving to come to our house. They were decorating the tree and their legs got caught in some of the lights in a way that twisted them and they both broke both legs. They were in excruciating pain and the doctor could not clear them to travel. That is when the wise but old elf said he would make the journey to explain. It took him a long time to get here and he cannot possibly fly back every night, so he will just phone in reports and ride back with Santa on Christmas Eve.
No matter what this goes down in the parenting fail book. I am sure they will both be found January 1st.
UPDATE
A few hours after writing this Jingle and Jangle were found. They were tucked inside a santa hat behind some of my dolls that were on a shelf. Hubby tucked them back there and it was like a Clark Griswold moment when he thought about the switch being off when he remembered. Now they are perched one in the tree and one hanging from a cabinet door handle for the kids to see in the morning. Better late than never!
