BLOG: Time To Dust Off The Elf
Blog by Jess Lawless
It's that time of year again, time to eat, drink, be merry and enjoy the twinkling lights and festive sights of the holiday season; oh and, let's not forget, time to dust off the $%^# Elf!
I'm pretty sure most parents have the same love-hate relationship with their child's elf. We love the power this tiny little "magical" creature holds over our children, and the way their faces light up with excitement and eyes glisten when they see the elf the first day it returns, marking the start of the Christmas season. We love watching their imagination run wild as we conjure up colorful stories about their elf's journey to and from the North Pole reporting to Santa the "naughty and nice" list – all while they are tucked soundly asleep in their cozy little beds. We love watching them kick off the covers and spring from their beds each morning, in search of their beloved elf. We love listening to their little voices as they go room-to-room calling for them by the name they so lovingly and endearingly gave them, the very first time their elf joined their family. We love watching them gleefully cheer and giggle when they've found their prized little pointy eared scout – sometimes hanging from the kitchen light, or an ornament, or shelf, playing with the other toys, or doing something mischievous.
And that my friends, is where the "hate" part of this relationship comes into play.
Every night once the kids are nestled in their beds with eye lids confirmed shut, we "the elves" must get to work. That is, if we remember. If your house is anything like mine, the bed time process from start to finish takes a good hour or more, depending on the evening. Once my little ones are asleep, my husband and I typically have our own "to do" lists to tackle and now, for one very long month, we have one more very important job – move the elf!
In our house, it's Shelfie and Elfie. Yes- we, like many parents, thought it was a great idea to introduce more than one elf. We figured when our children are grown, they can both take their elves with them – and carry on the tradition. It sounded lovely at the time, but then Thanksgiving night rolls around and we find ourselves sifting through boxes of decorations trying to recall the "safe" place we hid them the year before, so we can dust 'em off and put 'em to work. Or, is it the other way around?
We're the ones who go to work each night, trying to come up with a clever hiding place, or creative display – and that's on a good night. Then there are those nights when I wake from a sound sleep and shake my husband to see if he remembered to move the elves. Some nights he has, and sleep nearly skips a beat. If we forgot, one of us trudges down the steps with one eye barely open – to finish the job we started. Then, there are those dreaded mornings, when we've completely forgotten and as I snuggle with my little ones enjoying their loving little faces, sheer panic comes over me as I realize -- I forgot to move the #$^%^&^ elf! I find myself racing frantically down the steps with kids in tow to grab those little red-hatted figures and toss them to the nearest shelf with only seconds to spare. Safe! All will be right in my children's world that day, the elves journey has continued. And that my friends, is exactly why we do it. The pure joy on their faces and twinkle in their eye as they exclaim, "There's Shelfie and Elfie – they're back!" – makes the tradition one we will carry on as long as we can, regardless of what goes into it. This year, though, I will be setting a calendar reminder to aid in the crazy process.
We'd love to see your elf in action, and can use some tips – please share your favorite photos and hiding places! Remember, we're in this together and can use all of the help we can get! Use #CBS3Elf and show us where your family visitor is popping up!