So after years of avoiding the marketing gimmick of "Elf on the Shelf" I finally succumbed to the pressure and popular demand. I am ashamed to say that I am the proud owner of not one but 2 Elves! However I am proud to say I did not completely fall for it. I bought some cheap elf stuffed toys so technically "They" did not win!
Tootsie is a sucker for every popular toy. She is every marketer's dream kid. She wants every single
thing to hit the market! And she has been begging for an Elf on the shelf for years now! Now this is my little minx who long lost the "Santa fantasy". For that she blames her older brother! So she knows the truth about the Elf, but that has not stopped her.
She is 8 now and every year I tell myself, she is too old for this stuff! So why now? Well I am a sucker too I guess! We have a neighbor who indulges her kids and I get to hear all about it when Tootsie comes home. This year she helped decorate their tree, spent a night making christmas ornaments with them while mom here has no lights, no tree (tree still in box). So I got guilt tripped! and decided time to get into the christmas spirit! And fell for the trap!
But I am no pro! So I do everything in reverse! The little elf dolls arrived and took a spot on the mantle in the living room. Tootsie took a look at it and said "Thats not the elf on the shelf, those are stuffed toys!" She also added, "I guess they are better than the little wooden pinnochio doll of last year" "Which" she had to point out "never moved!" Ugh!! The demands!
4 days later the elves on the shelf still sat there and Tootsie with her "atleast you tried" look just huffed! This bad mom forgot all about moving the elves! Now I tried to buy my way back in, so she got early christmas presents. She got a really nice camera that she thought was pretty impressive! But I decided I needed to top that!
Finally today the elf made a move! He was found sitting on the kitchen counter guilty of attempting bad selfies with said camera! He even left a note!
Tootsie was tickled to see it and it was worth all the effort that this mom went through. Then the neighbors kids came over! And 3 kids gathered around my fake elf! It sure felt like judgement day!
"Are you sure that's a real elf" asked my neighbor's kid suspiciously eyeing it!
"Yes I am positive" I croaked
"The magical kind? But you cant be touching it or it will lose all its magic!!" as I tried to extract the note! Hey I had a point to prove!
Even maybe even he could smell the incompetence, and knew I needed all the help I can get!
"Ofcourse it is!" I said. "See it left a note and everything!"
And with that I rushed them off. Time to switch topics if ever they was one!
Later that day Tootsie declared cynically “I really wish I didn’t know the truth! My friends still believe in Santa!”
Well, I am not so sure about that! But lets all just pretend in the fantasy for a little bit! Why not! So Tootsie and I talked about how much fun this is even if we are pretending. And as always we kind of lost track of who was the adult for a bit.
But Tootsie I can tell is into it. She made the elves this little bunk bed after school! And we even printed real Elf poems and named them Elfie and Elfolina! Talk about doing everything backwards!
Edited to add: And guess what awaited her this morning. More Elf mischief! Elfie was caught making some smores this morning! While Elfolina just seemed to have been eating a lot of candy! Wonder who she got that from!!
She thought it was really funny! Its a struggle though. With Cheeky trying his hardest to be the obnoxious older brother and pointing out every few minutes the flaws of fantasy! And Tootsie swinging between wanting to believe and knowing the reality! I was the only one who was all dreamy eyed but I am proud to say insanity prevailed. And we made it through this morning with all the giggles. Even cynical teen had to admit (not out loud, never out loud but the smile was a give away) that there was fun in it!
SCORE!! But christmas season is not over yet! And this mom is going to need a lot of help to keep it entertaining! At least I think this means I don't need to take the tree out of the box or go outside in the cold and hang up lights! I wish!
Tootsie left the house this morning saying "I wonder what he will do tomorrow!" Oh Sigh! Google please help!
So you think I am really going to keep this up? I wouldn't place my bets on it. But if you are, I sure hope you win!!
P.S. I need to thank fellow blogger Abha for the wonderful "Elfie notes" idea. I love her little posts this year of Elfie tales and shamelessly stole the idea! Thanks Abha!
thing to hit the market! And she has been begging for an Elf on the shelf for years now! Now this is my little minx who long lost the "Santa fantasy". For that she blames her older brother! So she knows the truth about the Elf, but that has not stopped her.
She is 8 now and every year I tell myself, she is too old for this stuff! So why now? Well I am a sucker too I guess! We have a neighbor who indulges her kids and I get to hear all about it when Tootsie comes home. This year she helped decorate their tree, spent a night making christmas ornaments with them while mom here has no lights, no tree (tree still in box). So I got guilt tripped! and decided time to get into the christmas spirit! And fell for the trap!
But I am no pro! So I do everything in reverse! The little elf dolls arrived and took a spot on the mantle in the living room. Tootsie took a look at it and said "Thats not the elf on the shelf, those are stuffed toys!" She also added, "I guess they are better than the little wooden pinnochio doll of last year" "Which" she had to point out "never moved!" Ugh!! The demands!
4 days later the elves on the shelf still sat there and Tootsie with her "atleast you tried" look just huffed! This bad mom forgot all about moving the elves! Now I tried to buy my way back in, so she got early christmas presents. She got a really nice camera that she thought was pretty impressive! But I decided I needed to top that!
Finally today the elf made a move! He was found sitting on the kitchen counter guilty of attempting bad selfies with said camera! He even left a note!Tootsie was tickled to see it and it was worth all the effort that this mom went through. Then the neighbors kids came over! And 3 kids gathered around my fake elf! It sure felt like judgement day!
"Are you sure that's a real elf" asked my neighbor's kid suspiciously eyeing it!
"Yes I am positive" I croaked
"The magical kind? But you cant be touching it or it will lose all its magic!!" as I tried to extract the note! Hey I had a point to prove!
Even maybe even he could smell the incompetence, and knew I needed all the help I can get!
"Ofcourse it is!" I said. "See it left a note and everything!"
And with that I rushed them off. Time to switch topics if ever they was one!
Later that day Tootsie declared cynically “I really wish I didn’t know the truth! My friends still believe in Santa!”Well, I am not so sure about that! But lets all just pretend in the fantasy for a little bit! Why not! So Tootsie and I talked about how much fun this is even if we are pretending. And as always we kind of lost track of who was the adult for a bit.
But Tootsie I can tell is into it. She made the elves this little bunk bed after school! And we even printed real Elf poems and named them Elfie and Elfolina! Talk about doing everything backwards!
She thought it was really funny! Its a struggle though. With Cheeky trying his hardest to be the obnoxious older brother and pointing out every few minutes the flaws of fantasy! And Tootsie swinging between wanting to believe and knowing the reality! I was the only one who was all dreamy eyed but I am proud to say insanity prevailed. And we made it through this morning with all the giggles. Even cynical teen had to admit (not out loud, never out loud but the smile was a give away) that there was fun in it!
 |
SCORE!! But christmas season is not over yet! And this mom is going to need a lot of help to keep it entertaining! At least I think this means I don't need to take the tree out of the box or go outside in the cold and hang up lights! I wish!
Tootsie left the house this morning saying "I wonder what he will do tomorrow!" Oh Sigh! Google please help!
So you think I am really going to keep this up? I wouldn't place my bets on it. But if you are, I sure hope you win!!P.S. I need to thank fellow blogger Abha for the wonderful "Elfie notes" idea. I love her little posts this year of Elfie tales and shamelessly stole the idea! Thanks Abha!
