Basically, the Elf comes on December 1 so he can start checking up on the kids and make sure they are behaving themselves. The kids get to give him a name and can talk to him, but they can't touch him and he can't talk back. It's kind of like the toys from Toy Story, when the kids aren't around he can move and dance but when they are nearby he has to be very still and just watch them. Each night he goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa about the kids' behavior and when he comes back the next day he sits somewhere else. So one day he'll be in the play room, the next day the kitchen, the next day the living room. Always up high where the kids can't reach but can see him. Then, he leaves on Christmas Eve and doesn't come back until the next year. A couple of my friends had told me about it and said how much their kids loved it so I thought it would be fun and bought one last year.
It was a nightmare. There was so much drama with the Elf. Andy was paranoid because he always thought the Elf was constantly watching him. He was on edge the entire month. Sarah took her cue from Andy, so she was also unnerved by the Elf and was constantly making comments about how scary he was. Every time he would move, which is supposed to be part of the fun, finding the Elf, Andy would freak out. Every day he said he hoped the Elf had left and hadn't come back. By the end of the month we were so glad that the Elf would be leaving on Christmas Eve and we wondered whether it would be worth it to bring him back this year. Of course I'm a glutton for punishment so we tried it again this year.
To my amazement, it has gone pretty well. The kids were a little disappointed to see the Elf back again this year, but now they're doing well with it. They both have friends at school that also have elves at their house, so it's not like Santa is only checking up on them. Plus, Andy's friend, Meadow, said she tells the Elf where to go each day and he usually does. So now most days the kids will say, "Elf, I want you to be on the tree tomorrow, or I want you to be on the bookshelf tomorrow." They like having a little control and seeing if the Elf actually listened to them. One day I didn't hear where Andy told the Elf to go so I just moved him and decided I would tell the kids I told him to go there. The next day Andy saw the Elf and said, "That's exactly where I told him to go". Amazing. Maybe there is some Santa magic with this elf!
Andy is pushing the envelope a little bit. He asked the Elf to come back in green clothes instead of red, to get rid of his hat and uncross his arms. Things that just aren't going to happen. We aren't sure if he is testing the theory that maybe the Elf isn't real or if he's just trying to mix it up. All it has done is led to numerous conversations about whether or not they have a dress code at the North Pole and if the color they wear has anything to do with the elf ranking. Is he in the best job there is or if he succeeds at this job will he get promoted to a better one? Also, at the beginning of the month Charlie and I weren't very good about moving him every night so we had to answer questions and develop hypotheses about why he hadn't moved. It is amazing the things the kids come up with.
Tomorrow will be our last day with the Elf. I'm sure the kids are a little relieved that he won't be checking in and spying on them, but I think they'll miss him too. They had fun telling him where to go and trying to find him each morning, and we have enjoyed all the conversations that ensued and listening to the kids' creative thought processes. Plus, there's nothing better than seeing the joy of Christmas through your children's eyes. I don't know how long the Elf will last in our house, how many years he will be invited to come back, but I hope he can bring his Christmas magic for years to come.
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