It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I truly love everything about Christmas and will say to this day that it is magical. The lights, the sounds, the sights, the food, the excitement, and of course my favorite, Advent. Christmas also comes with contradictions and what feels like moral jeopardy when talking about Santa and elves to your kids. Or watching movies like Home Alone and realizing how crass the beginning is. All the while, we are weaving in hope, love, joy, and peace.

Elf on the Shelf

Christmas also brings about many parent responsibilities not only at home but also with schools, friend gatherings etc. etc. The last thing I ever wanted to participate in was Elf on the Shelf. I vowed to never buy an elf and to somehow get out of this newer tradition. The problem arose when a sweet dear older gentleman neighbor gifted all FOUR of my girls their own elf! What in the world am I supposed to do with not one elf, but four! The intention was beyond generous and he even said to do what you will with them.

Elf Rebel

Apparently Sarah and I are rebels in so many ways. We are sourdough rebels, advent wreath rebels, and now apparently I am an elf rebel. The first year we had the elves, which was just last year, we unwrapped them for the first time and all the girls went wild over the outfits and excitement of purely having a new toy. They played with them for several days until my 1st grader came home from school announcing the rules.

How to Elf

As mentioned, my rule follower first born 1st grader was distraught when she learned you cannot touch the elves and that they fly nightly to a new spot. Ours had definitely been taking snoozes and were not aware to fly in the first place. Once the rules were in place, I kindly reminded my daughter that our family is playing the game differently. I told her you can make the elf fly on your own and play with the elf. That pleased my Kindergartener, but not the 1st grader. She eventually gave up on the elf and it became a decoration rather than a play toy.

1 Year Later

Fast forward to this year. The girls were so excited to get the elves out to play again this year, but my oldest quickly announced the rules. I kept my mouth shut and didn’t remind her our family plays the game differently. I mean, currently my 2 year old sleeps with her elf. The first night I was giggling thinking about making them “fly,” so I moved the location of the elves. Excitement stirred the next morning. Guess what, I forgot the second night. I told the girls the elves slept too hard and forgot to move. Moral of the story is that if I remember to fly the elves, they move. If not, they sleep. Never once have I mentioned that you have to “be good.” It’s purely a game for us.

Embrace the Magic

I still have no desire to add this elf flying tradition to my already overflowing plate of things to do daily. If I remember, I will do it, but I won’t criticize or comparison curse myself over these elves. Our family has a different focus for most of Christmas, but again, it is a magical season. The magic will only last so long in the little years. Then you will have grown kids who put the elf around the house for mom to find like Sarah’s girls.

Technically we are participating in an abridged version of Elf on the Shelf. We have to do something with four elves and a rule follower first born. The 2 year old did touch the oldest’s elf and my oldest had quite a meltdown. Once she recovered, I simply asked her what did she think was going to happen to her elf? Crickets were heard…nothing. We can rest assured that the beloved elf will still be magical on some days and fly at night.

Take Hope in the fact that even when we mess up the rules or don’t play the game right, our Savior still came into this world as human. He has taught us to live and love in human form so that we might teach our children to live and love like He did. So cheers to the magic of Christmas and all that it brings this season to your household.

XO,

Kimberly