A Naive Beginning
When my oldest was almost three I excitedly added Elf on the Shelf to our family traditions. I couldn’t find ideas on Pinterest fast enough. My husband and I planned and put the scenarios together each night. It became a mini-date each night for us that we truly got a kick out of.
Momma Thoughts
Recently, I talked with some fellow moms about their Elf on the Shelf experience. A couple wise mommas chose to skip this tradition completely. A couple of us die hards start each year on December 1, while others wait until the week before Christmas. As a rule follower, it never occurred to me I had the option to wait. Mind blown. One momma even created fake prescription pads, so that when she needed a break from coming up with ideas their elf would be “sick”.
Momma Moments
Some of my proudest momma moments come from Elf on the Shelf. Last year I had my oldest with me when purchasing wrapping paper. I suddenly realized she would clearly see what she had picked out would have a “From Santa” tag on it. Momma solution, our elf would take the wrapping paper to Santa to wrap our presents in. My daughter even wrote him a little note and Santa wrote her one in return.
This year my oldest announced she knew where Snowflake the elf was hidden. Surprised, I gave my best mom stare until my brain could catch up with a solution. She came to my rescue quickly with “Mom I know Snowflake is in the basement, but her soul is with Santa. She’ll come back to us for Christmas”. I again pulled my best mom stare and replied with a very wise “uh, OK”.
The Elf on the Shelf Returns
I am dreading coming up with ideas every night for the entire month of December. Four years later it is rare that I remember to put something together until I am ready for bed, then the panic sets in. It seems many mommas feel this way and are really creative with their solutions, so this year I am finding new inspiration in how to get out of doing Elf on the Shelf. Search for “sick Elf on the Shelf” and the month of December will be much less stressful.
