Elf on the Shelf

The past few years the holidays have been somewhat stressful for me. I've never had to worry about family traditions until I met Perry. For the past three Christmas's we have been trying to merge his family tradition and my family traditions together. Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? My family or your family this year? Anyways, in trying to merge the two, I've been trying to find things that we can start in our family to create OUR traditions.

I've been seeing this Elf on the Shelf business fairly frequently. Its rather a cute idea. Here's the story behind the Elf on the Shelf:


   "Have you ever wondered how Santa knows who is naughty and who is nice? The Elf on the Shelf – A Christmas Tradition is the very special tool that helps Santa knows who to put on the Naughty and Nice list. This interactive holiday hide-and-seek tradition is perfect for children and families of all ages.
   "The tradition begins when Santa sends his scout elves out to Elf Adoption Centers. Waiting for their families to bring them home, these patient elves hibernate until their family reads The Elf on the Shelf, gives their elf a very special name, and registers their adoption online. Once named, each scout elf will receive its Christmas magic and become a part of the family’s Christmas each and every year.
   "Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously.
   "Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa and visit with elf friends where they will tell stories about their beloved families, play with the reindeer, and of course, sneak some of Mrs. Claus’ cookies!
   "Before the family awakes each morning, their special scout elf will fly back to their home from the North Pole. However, since these elves like to play games, don’t expect to find them in the same spot! While some like to hide in the freezer (probably because it reminds them of the North Pole) and others prefer to sit on the fireplace mantle or hang from the chandelier, these elves love to play hide-and-seek with their families.
   "On Christmas Eve, the scout elf will listen for Santa’s bell and then fly back to the North Pole until the next season, wishing every girl and each boy a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy."


I thought this would be a fun and new tradition to start with the boys. I think I might go get one this year and introduce them to the idea, and they're still too young to fully understand anyways. And then we'll be ready to go next year!