Eleven years ago in 2013, my mother persuaded Santa to send each of our three children an elf at Christmas time. Up until that point we hadn't really done anything much with Santa. But for a year or two before that I had enjoyed watching my friend's Facebook pages to see what their elf on the shelf elves were up to, and my almost 4 year old at the time was fascinated with the idea. And so, the day after Thanksgiving in 2013, three elves first appeared in my mom's Christmas tree with a note for the kids.
December 1, 2013
Dear Britt, Ruth, and Rebecca
Ahna told Santa Claus that you might like to have some elves to come and visit you for Christmas time this year. He says you might be big enough, so he sent us to come and see. There are some rules about us elves that you need to know. Elves can only stay to play if you are good – you have to mind your parents, do your chores, and work together as a team. We are going to work together as a team to plan all sorts of Christmas surprises, but our magic will only work if you are good.
While we are talking about magic, you need to know about our elf magic. You see, we are very still all day long, watching everything that goes on. But at night, if you are good we can be silly and plan fun surprises, and if you are bad… well then we are sometimes naughty too. Each morning when you wake up, you can look all around, and see what we’ve been up to while you’ve been asleep. If you can be good all month long, Santa promises that we can bring you all an extra special surprise on Christmas Eve.
You’ve seen us now, you’ve read the story, to start our fun there’s only one thing left to do – give us names. Now remember we are Christmas Elves, so we need good Christmas names. Tell Momma, the names you pick out, and help Rebecca to name her elf as well. If you need some ideas, tell Momma to look on the computer for Santa’s helper names.
~We’ll be watching! Hehe! Love~
Your Elves
Over the years the elves have gotten up to all sorts of mischief. While they've never done anything truly bad, they have gotten into a few fun situations. From the time the girl elves wrapped up Mistletoe, the lone boy elf, in wrapping paper to the time they wrapped the toilet. They have had snowball fights with mini marshmallows and zip lined from the stairs to the Christmas tree. One year they even froze as they were leaping into our pool, that one really amazed the kids, until the light changed late in the day, and they figured out that they weren't floating in thin air but were held up with fishing line. I currently have over 600 photos in a public album on Facebook on everything we've done over the years.
Now, after 10 years, the two oldest are in on the secret. Momma assumed at 14 and 12 that they were only still pretending for my sake, and so in a conversation over the summer, I mentioned in passing that the elves weren't real, and life came to a full stop. They were shocked. I pointed out to them that anytime they had asked if they were real, I asked them what they thought and never told them that they were real. Much like my dad I never wanted to outright lie to them and tell them that Santa and the elves were real. They just assumed that they must be because they always moved and sometimes did things that I didn't "approve" of. They never expected that their serious non-nonsense mother was behind the elves antics. I took the opportunity to be sure that they knew that Santa, the tooth fairy and their Easter Baskets also come from Momma and Daddy, but that they were things we did secretly to be special for the kids not to get credit as parents.
This revelation about the elves enabled us to discuss what Christmas is - a time to do for and make magic for others. We talked about how Santa giving gifts is a way to give to others. How the joy the elves bring in making something ordinary special and magical is a way to bring joy to others with no personal reward. We talked about how the spirit of Christmas is really just how to put others before yourself, and find a way to enjoy life. I shared with them now that they know the truth it means they are in a position to give to others by giving joy, that they could see this in action if they knew where to look. They could see it in the way that our Church is doing Christmas for a couple of families in financial difficulties. They could see it in the way that their Memaw and Mister make food for everyone under the sun for any need at all. They could see it in the way that their Ahna and Grumps have cared for Grandmother and Granddaddy even when it hasn't been easy. I encouraged them to find ways to be like Santa and the elves for others.
As a result Britt and Ruth have been helping to move the elves in this our eleventh year. This year I've had less energy than usual and had a harder time coming up with unique ideas that they elves haven't tried before, so it's been a welcome change. Each morning, they have been sure to lead their younger siblings to discover what the elves are up to, without spoiling the surprise. As a result, I've found them being more helpful and willing to do more for their younger siblings.
So while there are still many years of antics in store for our now six elves, the journey is changing and growing. I have two almost three-year-olds who are just learning to search for the elves and be tickled by what they are up to. Then I have two true believers, but I also have two ninth graders who are learning to find ways to make life special for others. It is bittersweet to watch them growing up, but it is also a real joy to watch them grow into people that we can be proud of.
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