Elf on the Shelf

In recent years 'The Elf on the Shelf' has become a big thing here in the US. For those of you who are not familiar with this Elf, here a short description copied from Wikipedia:

The story describes how Santa's "scout Elves" hide in people's homes to watch over events. Once everyone goes to bed, the scout elf flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa the activities, good and bad, that have taken place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each morning, 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 Elf on the Shelf explains that scout elves get their magic by being named. In the back of each book, families have an opportunity to write their elf's name and the date that they adopted it. Once the elf is named, the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic, which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole.

The book tells how the magic might disappear if the scout elf is touched, so the rule for The Elf on the Shelf states, "There's only one rule that you have to follow, so I will come back and be here tomorrow: Please do not touch me. My magic might go, and Santa won't hear all I've seen or I know." Although families are told not to touch their scout elf, they can speak to it and tell it all their Christmas wishes so that it can report back to Santa accurately.

It started with a book story but has grown out to something quite big. As Sinterklaas visits us and Santa Claus does not (we have always told the girls that Sinterklaas comes for Dutch kids and Santa for English kids, and this has always been fine) Thijs and I have never felt the 'need' for an Elf. However this year Floortje was asking us if an Elf could please visit us. As I love the thought of kids still believing in 'magic' an Elf appeared at our house on the 1st of December bringing with it this letter.

The girls decided to name her Winter.

As you read above the Elf moves to a different spot in the house each night and sometimes gets up to some mischief. Even though it is very cute to have an Elf visit I could do without the evenings when already in bed and then thinking: s#?t, I forgot to move the Elf!

Famke is in on the secret but Floortje just loved it! Although I really do wonder how much she is trying to keep up appearances to make sure the Elf comes back next year..... :)

Here a few impressions of what our Elf has been up to.