Our Newest Additions....

No, we are not pregnant, and we did not get a dog!!!

I wanted to start a different kind of tradition this year, and cruising around the internet I came across "The Elf on a Shelf". The gist of it is as follows:

"The first time the elf arrived at our home, my children officially adopted him by giving him a name. Each year he would arrive around the holidays, usually at Thanksgiving. His sole responsibility was to watch the children's behavior and report it to Santa each night. The next morning after the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the North Pole and was now resting in a new and different place. My children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to spy him in his new position. "

I thought that it was quite cute, so I decided to start "The Elf on the Shelf" in our house.....

Two years ago, Santa gave each boy a stuffed elf. I dug out the elf (singular, because I didn't know where the second one was) and drafted a letter to the boys from the Elf.

"Dear Aidan, Quinn, Shannon & Marin:

I am an Elf and I live on a shelf. You didn’t know it, but I’ve been in your house for two years watching you (that’s why I have 2007 on my foot).

I think you are old enough now to meet me, and give me a name. What are you going to call me?

Santa has given me a very important job: every day I watch you and every night I fly back to the North Pole and tell Santa if you have been Naughty or Nice.

I tell Santa if you’ve been good listeners, if you’ve been sharing, if you’ve been kind, if you are using your manners, and if you’ve been taking care of your toys. I also tell him if you’ve been fighting, using potty talk, not listening, and so on.

Every night I fly to the North Pole and every morning I come back to your house. So, every morning I’ll be in a different place. Where do you think I’ll be tomorrow? You’ll have to come find me and see!!

I’m so glad I can finally meet you - only 24 more days until Christmas!"

I put the Elf and his note in an obvious place, and the kids eventually came across him. After I read the letter to them and explained things a bit they got pretty excited. Well scratch that, Aidan was excited and Quinn (the eternal skeptic) had trouble believing the elf could actually fly and talk to Santa.

All was going according to plan until Aidan and his elephant memory remembered that there were TWO elves and not one. So off we went on a hunt for elf number two. After about 20 minutes of looking I finally found the little guy tucked away in the depths of a shelf in the basement.

Well that sold the deal for Aidan, because (as he said): "Mummy I remember the Elf! He is magical because he used to be in the bin with the rest of our stuffies, and now he's on the shelf ! He really can move!!" Phew, crisis avoided!

We're now on day three of the elves, and each morning the kids get up and start searching for them. I think even Quinn has bought into the story now!

So without further ado, meet "Elfie" and "Magical" (clearly the children inherited their mother's creativeness!!):