Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time....

We have an Elf on the Shelf.  Have you seen them?  I've tried to ignore them for several years now, not one to jump into pop culture or the latest holiday fad...and yet, here I am.  Knee deep in elf and trolling on Pinterest for inspiration.  (Thanks to the internet, there are times I feel like I can't think up my own ideas.  Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to do an internet search and use someone else's?  Lazy, yes.)

So.  This year, it seemed like it was time to try the elf.  The idea is, that this elf comes to visit during this holiday season.  During the day he watches you, and at night he goes back to Santa and reports your behavior.  In the morning, he (or she, you can pick the gender before you purchase) is usually "caught" in some completed mischief pose.  (Cue needed inspiration for creativity, and something else to remember to do before bed.)

Yesterday our elf arrived.  We read the story that accompanies him; reviewed the rules -- no touching the elf or he loses his magic -- and sat him on the shelf.  Big Belle was very excited.  Her classroom has one, and so she is all caught up in the magic that is "Christmas".  Being good.  I'm  all for it.  ClaraBelle...skeptic.  Naturally, of course.  But I believe the skepticism arose more out of nervousness and the hope of disbelief than anything else.  In typical ClaraBelle fashion, a million and one questions that could possibly cast any shadow of a doubt that this could be true arose...until she finally accepted it.  And, when he was in a different place than we left him after we returned from running an errand -- her eyes widened.  Not in excitement, she still wanted to remain aloof, but oh her mind was turning.

And then she was up 3 times at night.  She was scared.  She didn't mention the elf was the reason, but I know it was.  Although whether she was scared of the elf coming and going from her house, or what the elf was telling Santa -- which hey, she SHOULD be scared of -- I don't know.  All I know, is I was up 3 times, and then woken up again at 6:00 am to let me know where the elf was.

We named him Happy by the way.  But I was anything but.

Chris and I said that if this continued, Happy would be anything but.  In fact, Happy might make an unexpected departure to the North Pole.

Has it helped behavior?  Marginally.  It hasn't hurt though, that's for certain.

I'll be sure to keep you posted, as I'm sure Happy will have many exciting antics to keep us all entertained for the next 19 days.