Elf on the Shelf

October is pumpkin spiced life. November is all about being thankful. December? It is all about some Elf. I asked the Wifey what this Elf business is all about and she just tells me that I need to read the book. Read the book? I don't even read instructions much less read some story about some creepy looking Elf doing weird things.

But this is what I gather from my friend's posts:

The Elf gets a name. Typically it's something you would name a dog; most of the time it's just Buddy the Elf. How original. Apparently there is some ceremony and even a DVD that needs to be watched before anything can happen. And then your kids are supposed to be so enchanted  by everything that they just listen. I can barely get the Baby to put pants on much less to not grab the Elf and feed him to the dog. And every day the Elf is in some awkward pose, doing something really weird and the kids love it. I've seen an Elf making glitter angels, another turning an ornament into it's Miley wrecking ball and even one Elf making blue crystal in an exterminator tent. 

We'll probably end up trying it out. The Baby is already calling out all the fake Santas in the area. Unfortunately her limited three year old vocabulary prevents her from explaining why they are impostors. I guess it's just a woman's intuition. We did manage to visit NorthPark Center Santa again. We thought the ice would keep parents away and allow us a minimal wait time but as always, NorthPark Santa is crazy. We showed up an hour and a half before the mall opened and still ended up being the 100th person in line. The Baby did a better job of smiling in this picture but she had no desire to get close to him or tell him what she wanted for Christmas.

Fast forward a couple of days and Santa visited her daycare. Apparently when all of her friends want to hang out with Santa, it's the cool, fun thing to do. Peer pressure exists even at three.