Conversations With My Daughter & Elf On The Shelf

Yesterday, my family and I went to Washington, D.C. We walked around Georgetown and did a little pre-Christmas shopping. It was a beautiful day to be taking in the sights and sounds of Georgetown, and the place was hopping!

Before we left, we were discussing what was in Georgetown to see—and we were talking about the holidays as they are quickly approaching.

“You know who’s going to be here in a couple of weeks, right?” my daughter said.

I knew who she was talking about. She’s been obsessed with him since we first got him.

“Elfis?” I responded.

“Right!” she said excitedly.

Elfis is our Elf On The Shelf. Every child who has an Elf has to give him a name. His job is to report back to Santa each night on the kids’ behavior and then, the next morning, magically appear in a different location. He hangs from chandeliers, dangles off bookcases, gets tangled in the lights of the tree, and even once, became singed from sitting too close to a lightbulb. We created a makeshift apron to cover his injury, and silently thanked The Lord that he didn’t burn the house down.

In our home, he arrives the night we decorate our house. He shows up when there’s a feeling of Christmas spirit and our tree has gone up. Traditionally, we cut down our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I entertain a lot during the holidays, so we typically get our house ready early. Elfis usually makes his first appearance that night.

“I was thinking, Mommy. We should get the girl version of the Elf On The Shelf this year,” she said.

“Really? You want another one?”

“Sure. Then Elfis can have a friend, and we can name her Elfaba.” She is funny, my daughter. She wants to name this female version after Elphaba in “Wicked.”

For those of you who already have an Elf On The Shelf, you realize, that’s doubling the commitment. We tend to become forgetful as we age. It requires even more diligence.

“We’ll see,” I said. My kids are getting older. I was wondering if they could still hear the bell ring, like in “The Polar Express.” I asked them if they still believe.

“Do you, Mommy?”

“I always believe,” I said. “Christmas spirit lives right here.” I pointed to my heart.

“We do, too. Besides, we wouldn’t get as many presents if we didn’t,” they said.

So, now we’ve gotten to the bottom of it.
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Have a funny story to share about your Elf? Please do so in the comments area. Also, would love to hear the names of them…