The Elf on The Shelf!

Last year we started the cutest tradition with the kids, The Elf on the Shelf. The kids loved it. Ben was 5 and was excited by it and Will was 3, so didn't understand so much. But this year - they are both loving it. Last night our elf, Frosty, appeared. The boys didn't spot him on his watching post until the afternoon, but when they did - they were giddy with joy. All day, they wanted to look at him and make sure he was still there. The first time our elf appears - you normally read the book first and then a few days later - the elf appears. This year, since Ben remembered him - the Elf appeared and then tonight we read the story so Will would understand the "no touching" rule. Since touching him makes him lose his magic and then he can't report back to Santa.

Here's a photo of his first night in the Wilke home. Perched on top of the entertainment center (always in a location out of Will's reach). Will told me tonight that he could knock him off, then Frosty would get up and walk and then he could touch him. So we emphasis the "No touching."

Here's the story of The Elf On the Shelf for those of you who aren't famliar. If you have small kids - it's a fun tradition to start!

A beautiful story of an Elf sent by Santa to your home to watch over the family, reporting the nice and naughty episodes of the day each evening when he returns to the North Pole, creates such a beautiful tradition. But reading the story is only the beginning of the new tradition. The book comes with an antique-style Elf, formed to sit on your shelf. Each morning, the Elf returns from Santa's homestead and finds a new place to perch. The children search for the Elf. They're allowed to talk to him, but he can't talk back. They may not touch him, but they may watch him as he watches them. He's a constant reminder of the spirit, of happiness, of good-ol'-fashioned Christmas.