Has Your Elf Arrived?

So I think by now, most families with young children have the Elf on the Shelf who visits each Christmas.  If you don’t, check him out here.  If you do, I would love to hear traditions, stories, triumphs and failures of your Elf today!  Our Elf usually arrives the day after Thanksgiving, so we are patiently awaiting “Humpty Dumpty’s” arrival this week.

I am sure we all share the stories of the mornings we wake up and realize that the Elf “forgot” to move last night.  Yikes.  We have come up with numerous distractions to get the kids in the other rooms so that Humpty Dumpty can change locations.  Or if he is spotted too soon, we’ll often explain that maybe he just really liked that comfy spot from yesterday and wanted to sit there again.

My favorite Elf story was from last Christmas.  We were generously offered a home in Hilton Head from some friends of ours who suggested we have Christmas there with our extended family.  We had never spent Christmas at the beach before, but I will say that it was an extraordinary holiday season!

The day we arrived in Hilton Head, we were all busy unpacking the car, and I snuck inside with Humpty Dumpty and placed him on a plant in the house.  We went on unpacking and going about our business.  All of a sudden I hear my six-year-old scream, “Ahhhhhhhhh!  The Elf!  The Elf!  The Elf is here!  The Elf is here!  Mom, Dad, Anna, everyone come look!  It’s our Elf!  Humpty Dumpty!  He is here!”  When I say my son about peed his pants, I am not exaggerating.  This kid was jumping up and down and absolutely freaking out.  His smile was wider than the Joker’s and the word “excited” does not even begin to describe his demeanor.

We all ran into the room and starting screaming.  “Jake, Anna, your Elf followed us here!  This is crazy!  How did he get here so fast?”  We all went through many theories of how he either flew behind the car, or snuck into one of our bags, or maybe even held onto the roof as we drove.  All the while, the Elf sat on the plant smiling his sneaky little smile.  The Elf flew back to Santa each night we were in Hilton Head and found hilarious spots to hide in this new home.  Then he left us a note Christmas morning that he would be back next year since he hopped on Santa’s sleigh with him the night before!

This year my kids are seven and five.  Fingers crossed that we can keep the Elf’s magic alive for them this Christmas!

If you do not have the Elf on the Shelf yet, we spotted a bunch at Invitations Only in Winston-Salem, and Toys and Co in Greensboro!