Elves have invaded!!!!

So, let's just clear the air about my lack of blogging lately. I've been busy, I've been traveling, I've been lonely since my man has been in Africa for three weeks, I've been swamped, and I've been a slacker.

Moving on.

Christmas is a slight obsession of mine. Seriously. My recurring dream all year long is decorating my tree. I burn pine scented candles in May. I sing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" to Abi every single night all year. So, when Halloween gets here, I start salivating about getting down the boxes and boxes of Christmas from my attic. I'm the neurotic neighbor who decorates before Thanksgiving... yes I am. I love the lights. I love the smells. I love the shopping. I love the parties. I love the gifts. I L-O-V-E Santa. Love the cookies and milk. Love the carrots for the reindeer.

And this year, Ellie the Elf has invaded our house.

First of all, let me put a disclaimer out here. THIS IS NOT A FORUM TO DEBATE THE YES OR NO ON LETTING KIDS BELIEVE IN SANTA. Yes, I said that in all caps because I don't want to go there. This is what we do, and we have a blast with it. So, kindly understand that I'm not trying to persuade anyone to become a believer. :-)

Apparantly the newest craze is "Elf on a Shelf," which is a boxed set of a book and an elf. The elf comes to watch kids and make sure they're behaving for Santa, and while the kids are sleeping, the mischievous elf does something bizarre or funny for the kids to find when they wake up the following morning. He or she sits proudly on or nearby her mess. The rule is you're never supposed to touch the elf because she only comes to "life" at night when no one's watching.

I didn't like the elf that comes with the set, so I didn't buy the set. I bought this cute little creature, who is sold separately by the same company.



Anyway, last night (before I actually even bought the elf), I decided that it was time for a certain elf named Ellie to make a scene. So, mysteriously, there were Barbie dolls stuck all in the Christmas tree this morning. And when we went to get Abi's lunch out of the fridge, look what we found in there.....!!!



Abi went to school this morning with a smile on her face and high hopes that tonight, the elf will get into more trouble while she sleeps. It made our ride to school MUCH more enjoyable, as we speculated on what that elf could POSSIBLY want out of our refrigerator and how in the world did she manage to stuff every single Barbie into that tree herself! Abi laughed and laughed.

And I LOVED the twinkle in her sleepy eyes at 7:15 this morning as she shuffled clumsily through the house.

Yes, I know, I know. Christmas isn't really all about the hoopla. People all over the world celebrate this wonderful time of year without a single gift or flashing light. It's not about the trimmings and trappings...

But for those of us fortunate enough to be able to celebrate the way we choose, it sure is wonderful.

Ellie the Elf will become a part of our Christmases from now on. I love reading online at how families started this tradition when their kids were small and now their teenagers look forward to the elf's appearance even still. They might have outgrown the innocent belief in Santa's magic, but one thing we will never outgrow is the need for our parents' involvement in our holidays.

Moms and Dads, work your magic. Stir up some mischief with your little ones this holiday. I think I overheard Ellie saying tonight she's going to toilet paper the living room while Abi's asleep.

That girl is somethin' else! ;-)