Our Elf on the Shelf

Do you have an "elf on the shelf"? Well ours just joined our family and he couldn't have come at a better time. The days have been LONG around here! Listening and behaving have become a challenge in our home! So our little elf on the shelf has made his appearance and has now become a part of our family, and a new tradition. We started a little bit late... but I think he came just in time! As of yet we have named him "Pepper". Mateo is in awe of him.

We have a little advent box with collection drawers. The little "elf" has come every night and leaves a small treat (a little piece of candy left over from Halloween :-)) or a message. (Mateo has been asking where he lives and what he looks like). Today on the way home I told Mateo that the elf had come to live in our house and would stay until Christmas. I told him he was waiting for him somewhere inside. Well he couldn't wait to "see" him. He found him sitting on our mantle along with his little story book. Mateo's face was in awe. He wanted to know if he was alive and if he could move. We looked at him, read the book and learned the "rules". You cannot touch him but you can talk to him. If you touch him he will lose his magic. We read the story, talked about him, talked about behaving and where the elf might be when he wakes up tomorrow. You see, he goes back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa and let him know if the boys have been naughty or nice. I think it might work cuz the elf has only been here a few hours and when Mateo does something he shouldn't be doing, he looks straight to the shelf to see if the elf is looking. And of course, in big brother fashion, he has all ready reminded Marco that he could be put on the "naughty" list.

*update. It's been 4 days. Pepper has returned every night in a new location. The morning excitement starts with running downstairs to find him........and is it really "magic". Mateo has been trying really hard to be on his best behavior!! ANd that makes for one happy Mama!!

Where we found him this morning!