Elf on the Shelf 2011

*Edited* Found the Elf/Ken date picture, yay!

We started a new tradition this year - the Elf on the Shelf.  My kids begged and begged and begged to get an elf of our own.  Homeschooling is great for keeping your kids away from all the trends and fads out there but stupid CBS had to run an Elf on the Shelf cartoon this year and introduce it to my kids.  Stupid me let them watch it too.  I never heard the end of it after watching that.  So I caved and we got one.  The boys even agreed to adopt a girl elf which was quite surprising!  We brought her home and named her Snowflake.  I tried to take a picture of her each day but I think I missed one or two.  Here are some of her adventures; she was quite mischievous!  I don't know what the kids were expecting but the first day was pretty fun.  They all woke up early and went searching around the house for her.  The definitely did not expect what they found.  They came in and woke us up to tell us all about it - waaaaaay too early.  Josh was grumbled several times over the weeks about how it was like Christmas morning every morning.  Hahaha!

Day 1:  Found her snacking on the mint chocolate chips in the baking cupboard

Day 2:  Found her playing on Ryley's DS but with Maddie's "girl" games

Day 3:  Found her sitting in the undecorated Christmas tree with the ornament that was given to me for working at the Nativity Exhibit.  Our tree went undecorated for quite a few days so the kids think she was desperate to get that thing dressed up!

Day 4:  Sitting atop the globe pointing to her home at the North Pole

Day 5:  Found her covered in paper scraps from making snowflakes

Day 6:  Playing with the nativity finger puppets

Day 7:  Riding Ryley's tank piñata (his birthday party was that afternoon)

 

Day 8:  Found reading the Elf on the Shelf book to Maddie's American Girl doll, Ryley's Webkinz, Cash's Webkinz and Sawyer's turtle

Day 9:  Parachuting down the stairwell with the army paratroopers from Ryley's birthday party goodie bags

Day 10:  Hanging out in the stocking that Maddie insisted she needed

Day 11:  Dyeing the milk green!  (This one did not go over so well.  My kids do NOT like green milk. "It tastes disgusting!" was heard all through breakfast.)

Day 12:  Drinking syrup straight from the bottle 

Day 13:  This one has two pictures.  She was found with a dry erase marker in the hallway. . .

and moustaches were found on all the pictures in said hallway.  The kids thought this was super hilarious.  This picture was especially amusing.  Cash calls it the angry picture and often asks me why we take a picture so angry like that.  Love that kid!

Day 13:  Playing with the Bananagrams

Day 14:  Found practicing Jingle Bells on our hand bells 

Day 15:  She replaced the kids' stockings with their underwear.  They also thought this one was super hilarious!

Day 16:  Found making a snow rice angel.  It's a good thing she used a cookie sheet to make her mess in or she might have been un-adopted.  :)

Day 17:  Found looking through Ryley's Pokemon cards in his very messy closet

Day 19:  On a triple date with the Kens and Barbies

Day 20:  Another two part picture.  She TP'd our tree!!

And wrote "1 more day!" on the end of the TP.  The next day was Christmas. 

I know I missed at least two days of pictures.  One day she was sitting on top of the ceiling fan in the family room and one day she was found on a triple "date" with Ken and some of his Barbie/Ken friends in Maddie's closet.  I could have sworn I got a picture of that one but can't seem to find it anywhere!  Oh well.  It was a fun tradition but a little nerve-wracking!  I was worried our elf would be as forgetful as our tooth fairy but she ended up being pretty good and didn't move only once.  The kids must have been extra naughty that day.  That's my theory anyway, and I'm stickin' to it.