This is a story about how Jerry the Elf joined our
family around Christmas Time - 2013
family around Christmas Time - 2013
I decided that this year would be a fun year to join all the festivities with Elf on a Shelf. I didn't know much about it, until I was seeing stuff on Pinterest about this sometimes sneaky elf. I also didn't know how I was going to introduce him "this year" since Celine is 9 and I was worried about having to answer questions. I bought the elf kit at Target and brought it home.
I wasn't sure how I was going to introduce the elf to our kids, so I let it sit in a drawer for a while. I decided to introduce him on November 30th, so he could be with us for the 24 days in December. I didn't think it would be very fun to just hand the box to all the kids, so I came up with a plan. Saturday morning, I put the Elf and the Elf on a Shelf book in a Christmas gift bag with gold tissue paper and I hid it on Julian's side of the closet. Later that day we were running errands then we went to Fred Meyer and picked out our Christmas Tree. The kids were in their room. I told Julian my plan, grabbed my video camera and put it on the shelf underneath the TV and pointed it toward the front door. I put the gift bag with the Elf contents on the porch. I pushed play on the video camera, had Julian ring the door bell and I ran to my room. Sure enough, when the girls heard the door bell, they came running out and of course the dogs were going nuts. I met them in the hallway and said "who's here". Julian was busy putting Justice in the garage, which is normal protocol when someone comes to the door and I paused to grab Mina, so I told Celine to open the door (which I would NEVER do on a normal basis). She opened the door and Addy was right behind her and all they saw was the gift bag. Julian and I played along through the choas and sort of winged up a story on why this elf might be here. We brought the bag inside and all gathered around the ottoman and I read the book that was "from the elf". The book indicates that we must name him right away and both girls came up with the name Jerry. :) Without having to type out every single detail of what they said, I am soooooo happy that I video taped it! I couldn't have asked for a better response from Celine. Addy was and IS still a little leary of the little red elf and could do without it :) It pretty much freaks her out!! We read the book again just so they were clear that they could NOT touch him, otherwise he'd lose his magic and that he was watching over them. He would fly to the North Pole each night and report good and bad behavior about each of kids to Santa and then would return by time they woke up in the morning.
I've been on Pinterest and created a board specifically for this and it has given me a ton of ideas.
Day 1 -
Today is the first morning that Jerry made his move. The girls FLEW out of bed this morning to try and find him. Celine was looking ALL over the place, inside the silverware drawers, in the garage, you name it. Addy came back out into the living room and spotted him up in the curtains and pointed. They were blown away by how he got up there and "how he was keeping his butt on that toilet paper roll".
Response:
Day 2:
Jerry is a very clever elf. He decided to borrow Addison's Fairy Wings and take a ride on the ceiling fan in Mama and Daddy's Room. The girls woke up and tore out of bed to find Jerry. They couldn't find him anywhere. I told them to keep looking and finally they found him in our room! Addy's first response was: "Hey those are my fairy wings"! Celine couldn't believe it! Addy is still a little leary about this elf, but she is the one that keeps finding him. She's a perceptive one!
Response:
Day 3:
As usual, the girls flew out of bed to find Jerry's next hiding spot. They looked everywhere and all over, but still couldn't find him. I told the girls that he's pretty clever, but that we didn't have time to look for him since we needed to get ready for school. They were disappointed, but understood. I told Celine to get stuff for cereal ready. She got down bowls, spoons, cereal, then proceeded to get the milk and SURPRISE......there he was! I said, "now how the heck are we supposed to get the milk for cereal. I went to move him with my hands and Celine yelled "don't touch him, or he'll lose his magic"!!!! I grabbed a dish towel and carefully took him off the milk and set him on the shelf in the fridge. Celine asked if he was too cold in the fridge and I told her "no, he's used to the cold, since he's from the North Pole". He stayed in the fridge all day.
Response:
Note: When the girls got home from school, I asked if they told anyone any Jerry and they said a couple other kids received elves as well. But that one kid told her that they bought theirs at the store...... I said "well maybe they started selling them at the store for kids that don't get them directly from Santa so they don't feel left out". She agreed. Hee Hee
Day 4:
The girls woke up and got out of bed to find Jerry (it is so great having them get up so easy!!). I made Celine wait for Addy and they ran into the kitchen, rounded the corner and ran into a bunch of empty candy wrappers on the floor, then looked up to see Jerry hanging onto one of our Christmas ornaments AND he had even More candy with him! A lolipop and twizlers! Sneaky guy. Addy's warming up to Jerry and isn't so freaked out about him!
Response:
Day 5
Jerry really out did himself this time! He had the nerve to draw on the kids faces with a dry eraser marker!! I particularly love the bushy eyebrows and Christian's mustache! The girls came out and found him right away and both girls started laughing hysterically. Which made me laugh so hard! Notice how he seemed to have missed the picture of Daddy and I above! Hee Hee.
Response:
Day 6
Now Jerry is into making messes, which I'm not to fond of. He decided to make Snow Angels on our kitchen table, using flour! The girls woke up and found him on noticed that he even swiped a candy cane. They just stared at him while they were eating their breakfast.
Response:
Jerry must not have been feeling to clever after returning from the Northpole this evening since he just propped himself up in a glass vase with a couple of candy canes.....although he was looking at that batch of brownies. The girls found him and .......that was about it. Since they didn't respond well to this one, I even forgot to take a "response" picture.
Day 8
Jerry must have thought eight days in this house and from rolling around in flour, that he really needed to take a bath. I woke the girls up this morning, saying I accidently found Jerry. They both got out of bed and I walked them into the bathroom and they couldn't believe it. I told them I couldn't belive that I had to take a shower with him!!! Unfortunately I forgot to take a response photo with both girls until the evening, but Addy got sent to bed early for mis-behaving, so I'm wondering what Jerry will report to Santa tonight about that!
Response:
Day 9
I woke the girls up this morning and it was a little tough getting them out of bed. I told them that I hadn't found Jerry yet. Celine, being the little determined person she is, got out of bed and looked everywhere. I fibbed a little and said I woke them up late and that they needed to hussle and get dressed. Celine got dressed first and I was helping Addy get cleaned up and dressed. I asked Celine to put a couple eggo waffles in the toaster and to start breakfast for her and Addy. She did her normal routine and got everything out and went for the forks last. I think it spooked her at first!!!! She yelled that she found Jerry and I came to see and we all laughed. I said, that little stinker even put the forks, knives and spoons all in the wrong spots!! I went to grab my camera to take their picture. I absolutely LOVE the expression on Addison's face!!! This one shocked them a bit.
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Response:
When Jerry returned from the North Pole, he decided to hang out in Celine's toy locker with her Ipod. The girls noticed him right away this morning, but weren't super shocked. Had a rough morning and Celine was in a grumpy mood. They got ready for school, but before we left I said I wanted a picture of them with Jerry. Celine was still NOT in the mood, but I said she had to smile for the picture, so this is the smile she gave me. Little stinker!!
Response:
Day 11
Jerry must not have been feeling to pesky this morning. The girls found him snuggled up in the wash rags in our bathroom. No response picture taken, since they weren't too enthused :)
Day 12
Jerry must have had a sweet tooth, because when the girls woke up to find him this morning, they found him on the shelf, sitting on a candle holder, with a couple lego's, roasting a marshmallow over another candle! The marshmallow was cooked and everything!! The girls thought this one was really cool, except my flash was just too bright for poor Addison!
Response
Day 13
Grandma came over and spent a few days with us and was nice enough to give Mama a break, so she could go out for a couple hours. Grandma thought Jerry would be clever and sit in a bowl with one of Santa Pictures in the cupboard. Pretty clever Grandma.....ahem....Jerry. No response.
Day 14
Saturday morning, girls woke up to find Jerry sitting in our tissue box fishing for fish crackers!!! The girls were curious where he even found those crackers since we didn't have any in the house......thanks Nana & Papa :) Celine thought this was a clever one. Christian liked it too. Again, poor Addy with the flash. Celine always flies out of bed before her and Addy doesn't want to be left in the dust, so by the time Celine finds him, Addy's just barely able to adjust to light in the house, let alone the flash of a camera!
Response
Day 15
Jerry found a comfy spot on Daddy's.....ahem.....the home's sewing machine. Even when Christian got up to the table to have breakfast, he pointed and said "haha, Jewwy"!! After the girls got home from school, I was helping Celine with her homework and noticed that Jerry was sort of falling off and accidently said, "uh oh, Jerry's barely hanging on by a thread!!" I had to laugh at myself for that one. Celine didn't really get it.
Reponse:
Day 16
That little Stink Jerry totally toilet papered our Christmas Tree!! Christian (age 2) was so surprised and didn't like the "messy" tree. It was killing him, not to take the toilet paper off all day. Girls thought it was pretty funny too.
Reponse:
Day 17
Jerry was getting ready for Christmas present wrapping and decided to hang out on one of the rolls of wrapping paper in the hallway. He must have been checking out how tall the kids have been getting since its marked on the wall behind him.
Reponse:
Day 18
Jerry must have been feeling sad for Celine, because when the kids woke up this morning, they noticed Jerry was inside of Celine's Christmas stocking with her hospital bracelet around his neck. Celine decided to fart around on the escalator when she went out on her 2nd annual Christmas PJ shopping date with Josie and Addison and fell down on it lacerated her left knee wide open. You'll have to see the blog post for that entire story. :(
Day 19
Jerry was "hanging" out in the girls room this morning. Of course, Addy was the first one to spot him. I think he's running out of ideas!
Day 20
Jerry thought he'd take a ride on the wild side! Jerry was in Christian's room this morning taking a ride on Gator the Aligator!
Day 21
Jerry was very proud of Celine for winning so many trophy's that his landing this morning, landed him right on her soccer trophy next to all the other toys in the closet. Go Celine!
Day 22
Found Jerry this morning on top of the surround sound speakers. He must like the view from up here.
Day 23
OH NO. What happened to Day 23??? :~P
Day 24 - Good Bye! Jerry left the kiddos a note on Christmas Eve letting him know that he was leaving and that he'd be back next year. What a fun guy that Jerry is! Have a safe trip back to the North Pole!
Looking Forward to Seeing Jerry in 2014!
