Day Three Hundred Forty Nine 2012

Grandson Knox does not like balloons and keeps a safe distance when Grandpa tries to get him to see how much fun they really are.

Still skeptical about the balloon, Knox decides going near it is just not worth the risk. (This fear stems from his birthday a couple of weeks ago when one popped beside him and scared him half to death.) He’s been pretty good about the Christmas tree. He wants to touch, of course, but knows he’s not supposed to, so he’ll steer around it. Most of the time.

Day Three Hundred Forty Eight 2012

Once again, grandson Elijah crept around the house after school today, on the alert for the whereabouts of his Granny and Grandpa’s somewhat crazed and creepy version of elf on the shelf. (See Day Three Hundred Forty Five 2012) He couldn’t find it right away and went to use the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it and about two seconds later came right back out and announced to me, “He’s in there.” I went in there to look and, sure enough, there he sat right above the toilet. Elijah insisted that I move it (which is totally against the rules—you’re not supposed to touch the elf or he’ll lose his magic). I reminded him of this, but he refused to use the bathroom with the elf in there, saying, “I don’t want him watching my business.” Well, how could I argue with that? When you got to go, you got to go, and a man needs his privacy. I moved the elf. Much to Elijah’s relief (in more ways than one). Magic or no magic, I’m sure the elf will be somewhere else tomorrow. Waiting. And watching.

Day Three Hundred Forty Seven 2012

Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus!... There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.
~Francis P. Church, New York Sun, Sep. 21, 1897

Day Three Hundred Forty Six 2012

Grand daughter Shelby was all decked out today, looking like Christmas, in her candy cane socks, red T, and snow white boots. She is beautiful, inside and out.

Grandson Elijah got in on the photo action and struck a pose. He cracks me up, makes me laugh at least once a day. He was freaked out again by our version of elf on the shelf (see previous post). The elf had mysteriously moved. Creep-worthy to a six year old. Fun for Granny and Grandpa.

Day Three Hundred Forty Five 2012

YOU BETTER BEHAVE! ELF ON THE SHELF IS WATCHING.

I think last Christmas was the first time I’d ever heard of The Elf On The Shelf. According to Wikipedia, once everyone goes to bed, the elf—which apparently sits on a shelf and spies on the kiddos all day long  (which supposedly encourages them to behave themselves so Santa will bring lots of presents)  flies back to the North Pole to report back to Santa about what activities, good and bad, took place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each night, the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides. By hiding in a new spot each morning around the house, the scout elf and the family play an on-going game of hide and seek. The original story was created in the 1960s but these shelf elves have been around since the fifties. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elf_on_the_Shelf

Neil and I have had this kind of creepy and crazed looking elf for as long as I can remember, and Neil insists of dragging it out every Christmas. Last year, grandson Elijah noticed it, so Neil started moving it around when Elijah wasn’t looking. At one point during our family Christmas dinner, the elf ended up sitting right beside Elijah at the table. Needless to say, it freaked him out. But, as freaked out as he was, the first thing Elijah asked about when Christmastime rolled around again this year was the elf. He saw it sitting on the shelf after school this afternoon. And it freaked him out all over again. But he’ll be looking for it tomorrow. Who knows where it will be sitting next. Waiting. And watching.