It’s been six years since I first declared Elf on the Shelf would never enter my house. It’s been three years since my child first found out about it from her dance teacher. It’s been one year since she last asked about that creepy little spy with a look of longing on her face. And it was only a few months ago that I still naively thought that we would never ever ever do Elf on the Shelf.
Then Covid happened.
Easter plans had to be adapted. Birthday parties were canceled. Summer vacation plans changed. Nothing was ruined by any means; we adapted and celebrated in creative ways. We were like characters in a cheesy Hallmark movie that overcame obstacles and persevered and came out stronger on the other side. So, when my daughter asked if we could have an elf this year, I realized (with dread) that we would be celebrating Christmas in a new way, too.
Aside from my misgivings about welcoming a stalker into my home as a bribe/incentive/threat for good behavior, I just don’t know if I have the staying power to move this miscreant every night, into a cute and creative spot, for 24 nights. Really, this is a job for an organized mom, with spreadsheets and actual calendars detailing the elf whereabouts. It’s a job for a clever and crafty mom – the one who makes her house look exactly like the Pinterest pin and can craft a miniature surgical mask for an elf quarantining.
It’s not a job for me.
Yet, here I am, Googling and Pinteresting any idea I can find to make sure this little dude takes over every inch of our house. And I have five solid ideas – five – that range from staging him in front of a cute Christmas book to my personal favorite: positioning him seated over a wine glass with a Hershey kiss plopped underneath his hiney.
I don’t even have to explain why I’m doing it. We are all moms. We have all had to disappoint our kids numerous times in 2020. We’ve all watched them unravel in one way or another during this season of trials. I think we moms would agree that if there is a way we can make our child’s eyes sparkle a little this holiday season, it’s going to happen, come heck or Elf on the Shelf.
And in the meantime, if anyone could send a few elf ideas my way, it would save me a lot of headaches and stress calories.
