2012: The Year of the Elf

This year, we got into the Elf on the Shelf thing. Big time.  As in, Julie-needs-a-hobby-big-time. We did it last year, but I was student-teaching and my invitation to Pinterest was under review/consideration, so I just moved the elf around to different spots above 3 feet high. Thank goodness for Pinterest and Instagram, 'cause I sure did steal some other people's elf ideas.  At first, I was worried.  I mean, you have to move that thing around, like, 30 times.  But after the first week or so, we got into it. 

Here are the stats:

• Days moved to new position: 27
• Days Mike was in charge and forgot to move the elf: 3
• Questions about whether Eddie was dead and that's why he didn't move: 3
• Snarky/mischievous pranks: 16
• Sweet/thoughtful activities: 8
• Boring, hanging on the doorknob occurrances: 4

Eddie really had an uphill battle in the beginning with Will.  The man did NOT like the idea of yet another being tattling on him and causing trouble.  Before the Polar Express peace offering, I feared for our elf's safety.  I really wanted Eddie to color the kids' milk purple or something, but I'd learned from past experience that all that gets you is two sippies of wasted milk.  See, a leprechaun got in our house last year and dyed the milk green and my friends did not think that was funny.

I had high hopes of putting together a highlight reel set to the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun", but we were partying too hard here last night.

Here's a few highlights from this year's advent: 

Underwear stockings

Packing nutritious lunches of dog bones, honey, and beef stock.

Packing-peanut sledding

Sleigh ride

Elf graffitti. My fave is the Elf Food Guide Pyramid

And who could forget the toilet-bowl fishing or the wild times at Elf Studio 54?  We were sad to see you go, Eddie, but we're looking forward to more pranks and snarkiness for Christmas 2013.