Anyway.
I love this time of year. I love this time of year even MORE now that I'm a Mom. It's WAY cooler to live out the traditions of Christmas through the eyes of your kids. I love that my husband and I have merged some of our own childhood traditions, as well as made up our own. It's even more thrilling now that my daughter is old enough (6 years old) that she can remember the traditions from last year, and anticipates them again this year! Way cool.
One of the more popular traditions this year is the good ol' Elf on the Shelf. Heard of him yet? If not, your rock is too big. Come on out, the weather is fine. ;)
I will educate you on the Elf in case you're somehow not familiar with him. He is a magical elf that spontaneously appears in your home to "watch" your children, and then every night while they're sleeping he flies to the North Pole and "reports" their behavior to Santa. He flies back home just before they wake up, and is in a different spot than the night before. Typically, he has done something mischievous or is being silly.
One of my favorite things about having a blog is that I get to say whatever I want, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. So, that's what I'm going to do now. Say whatever I want.
It's been my observation that Christians, in particular, have been fairly opinionated about Mr. Elf. (Technically, that's what I'm doing right now too.....but remember that part about it being my blog?) I've seen many people blog/post about how Mr. Elf is taking the magic of Christmas too far. Heck, we already lie to our kids about Santa's existence. At least that's what they're saying. Lies. Puh. I disgree. Moving on.
Here's how I feel about Mr. Elf and Santa. As a parent, it is my responsibility to protect and guide my children, and that requires making sound decisions based on our beliefs. Nowhere in the box that Mr. magical Elf comes in does it say that I MUST use Mr. Elf for the way he was intended or else.......
So, we bought Mr. Elf. However, we're doing things a tad differently. I'll explain since I'm sure you're dying to know. Ahem.
Santa delivered this package a few days ago. That's right. Gasp. Santa mailed my children a package. It was fun and magical.
The contents of said package. Mr. Elf - now named Fred, and a typed letter from Santa. Basically, the letter says that Santa thinks they're special so he mailed them a special Elf. Santa talks about Jesus (I stole that idea from another blogger - don't give me any credit for that). He talks about the importance of Christmas and why we really celebrate. He introduces them to this magical Elf and why he's here. Our elf didn't come to our home to spy on my children and run back to Santa to tattle every chance he gets. No no. That would be horrible and my kids would immediately hate him. Who wants a spy? Besides, we don't talk much about the naughty or nice list in our house. We talk about making good choices 365 days a year, so it's not really necessary for us to shove the whole list thing down their throats 30 days before Christmas. There's no grace in the whole list anyway.
Santa gives grace. Even though he's not real. Whatever. Details.
Back to the letter. Santa thinks they needed some responsibility and asked that they keep an eye on this magical elf because he tends to be silly. He comes alive at night while they're sleeping and runs a muck. A muck I tell you!
Back to the letter. Santa thinks they needed some responsibility and asked that they keep an eye on this magical elf because he tends to be silly. He comes alive at night while they're sleeping and runs a muck. A muck I tell you!
My daughter's face when I read the part about him coming alive at night. Priceless. How can you not love this?! :)
Logan waiting for him to blink.
They only rule? They can't play with him. He won't lose his magic like it states in the book - but he's not super durable and my three year old son would most certainly tear him to shreds. At $29 a pop, we don't want that now do we?
I'm not sure who's having more fun with Fred? The kids or my husband and I. Every night is like Christmas Eve with Fred. They're so excited to get to sleep, because that's when the magic happens. My husband and I fight over who gets to place him and where. Not actual fights.....just 4 year old "hey it's MY turn" fights. I should probably relinquish my responsibilities of Fred though, as "he" nearly burnt the house down roasting marshmallows this morning. The details aren't important, but Fred has a second degree burn on his hand now.
So, there you have it. I like pretend magical Christmastime fun. It's a blast.
If you have an Elf in your house, I'd love to know how you're doing things? By the book or did you also tweak it?
Happy day y'all.
If you have an Elf in your house, I'd love to know how you're doing things? By the book or did you also tweak it?
Happy day y'all.
What a great and magical idea, Jen!
ReplyDeleteChildhood is so short, at least in our culture, that anything we can do to make memories is both, worth the work and priceless as they go forward with their lives. You are right on when it comes to practicing grace as you nurture and instill God's foundation in their little worldviews. Kudos and you go, girl! Yves, who knew you when... :)