The Elf on the Shelf...

While visiting with family over Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law, Christine, introduced my son to, The Elf on the Shelf. For those that do not know what I'm talking about, this is the story of an elf, one of "Santa's Helpers", that visits your home before Christmas. This elf sits on a shelf, or mantle, or kitchen counter, or ceiling fan. He's magic and cannot be touched by children, or his magic may go away and he won't be able to say if you've been good or bad. You see, he "watches" the kids and flies back to the North Pole nightly to give a report to The Big Guy ...all the good and bad. The Elf will be found in a new perch the next morning.

Now, since I didn't have time to shop at the bookstore in VA, I figured I would just wait until I got back home to buy it. I went to the 3 "bookstores" in New Bern, and no one had heard of this Elf on the Shelf. Finally, when I was lamenting to another parent about how I should try to explain this one to my son that won't stop talking about said Elf, another parent chimed in and told me that I could find the Elf at Branch's Furniture in downtown New Bern,(because when you think of a children's book and doll set, you think of an expensive furniture store where you DO NOT WANT TO BRING CHILDREN, or some adults for that matter!)

Once the Elf was discovered by Drew, we read the story that accompanied him. He had to name the Elf...he chose "George". He then became very concerned and wanted to know how long George would be staying with us, and more importantly, when was George going back to his own house.

I could just see him, 20 years from now, reclined on that tufted, dark brown, leather chaise lounge, "talking" to a Freudian psychiatrist and blaming all of his "issues" of always trying to please everyone on poor little George. Ahhhh, the true meaning of Christmas!