The other day, Erv and I were in the car, driving to pick up Essie from preschool. He found a puffy Santa sticker in the backseat.
Me: Is that Santa?
Him: No! It’s Fanta Clause.
Me: Is Santa Clause going to come to our house on Christmas and bring some presents?
Him: Yeah.
Me: What do you want Santa Clause to bring you for a present?
Him: A small one.
Me: Oh? A small one, like a small tractor or train or truck?
Him: Yeah….can Fanta Clause bring me a small tractor present?
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This morning, Ivy and I were in the bathroom getting ready for school.
Her: We need an elf in our house.
Me (who’s not about to bring an Elf on the Shelf into our house, for many reasons, including I don’t have the energy to keep it up for next bazillion years): WHY??
Her: Because it’s almost Christmas and everybody in my class has one. He doesn’t have to do bad stuff. He can just hide.
Me: Can’t I just tell Santa if you’ve been good or bad?
Her: I guess. Have I been good or bad this year?
Me: YES. Yes, you have.
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We decorated for Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend, and we got to go to Union Station to see the huge model train set-up they have. Here are some pictures from both:
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Because I’m not a complete Scrooge of a mom (sometimes), I just ordered an elf doll from Amazon. To HIDE, not to try to think up shenanigans for (I still don’t have time for that). I suppose I can try to move her around the house, though. And she’s not an “Elf on the Shelf.”
Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? And more importantly, do you have a house elf?
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I am in the Christmas spirit! Yes!
We don't have an elf – thankfully my kids were already to big for that once it started…
But we all believe in Santa 🙂
Yay! Do you have a bunch of snow? That always puts me in the Christmas mood (for an hour, then I get cranky about it).
We have an elf but a) it only moves, no shenanigans and b) it's not the same one as everyone else has either.
Also, your kids in front of the tree, SO DANG CUTE!
As is your answer to "Have I been good or bad this year?" 😉
Thanks, Elaine! There were several outtakes for the Christmas tree picture. HA.
Since we traveled over Thanksgiving, I haven't decorated yet – but in my heart, I'm already in FULL-ON spirit mode…
As for you, your family is ADORABLE and when they meet up with the Mashaneys, it's even ADORABLER.
I know. That's not a word. But for today? It is.
If the elf shoe fits…
ADORABLER is totally the right word for those six kids together. Thanks, Julie! I hope you can get some decorating done soon…it just warms the house up.
We have an elf but it doesn't get let out of its box. (Don't tell the elf union.)
Looks like fun Christmas spiriting!
Haha! Your secret is safe with me. It was a fun weekend!
Hah, love the Christmas convos!
Honestly? I don't get the Elf thing. I do think it's awesome that you got one anyway – you're a good Mom.
Or a sucker. 🙂
Love how the kids are enthralled by the train set (I would be too – looks super cool!). I enjoy seeing other people's pictures of what their Elf on the Shelf does, but I could never keep that up. It's very sweet that you employed a spy elf, though. I'm not *quite* in the Christmas spirit yet… I'm still stuck in Thanksgiving, wondering where in the world it went.
I know, Thanksgiving just….came and went. At least I waited until the day after to decorate inside the house. Those trains are super cool…there's an entire room full of the sets!
Looks all Christmas-y there – I love your conversations with your kids about Christmas too! I'm trying to get in the spirit.
We do have an Elf. I do the worst job at it. It barely moves. It doesn't move some days. I was pretty into it the first year – just as far as remembering to move it, never one of those super enthusiastic moms who does all kinds of crazy stuff with the elf – but now I feel like it's just something I have to do even though neither of the girls believe in it anymore and Brinky's not that aware of it yet. Reagan still wants us to do it and pretend it's real, so I try to be a good mom and just keep doing it.
You are a fantastic mom for continuing to do it when your girls don't believe! It's been so dreary and cold here (except for the first two days of this week that were unseasonably warm) and I think the lights and decorations help my mood. You know?
I do believe in Santa Claus and all the miracles=) And I think that getting a gift is one of the best motivations for being good and eating veggies))
Absolutely! Thanks, Diane!
We don't have an elf and so far, I have not fielded any requests for one. We are in full-out holiday spirit, though! We decorated this past weekend, too. 🙂
Awesome! It just brightens everything up, doesn't it?
Christmas is fun at your house. What are all the green frames with drawing paper inside them for?
It really is fun, Jennie. You should come by and hang out with us. 🙂 The green framed things had metal train pictures, and you used the crayons and papers that they had to rub across the pictures and make your own!
we have an elf and we love him. He doesn't report back to santa but he does cause some mischief in our house. Hope you have fun with yours.
I'm trying to get into the elf spirit. All three big kids have an elf in their classrooms, so I hope they'll still get excited about seeing this one. It was so cute, though…this morning while I made breakfast, Ivy got a notebook and started a list of all the places that her classroom elf had been so far.
OMG Your kids under the tree! Priceless! And no, we do not have an elf for all the reasons you don't. Plus, it was not a thing yet when my kids were small.
Thanks, Andrea! I have a feeling I'm going to regret the elf. Sigh. Low-key elfing is possible, right? RIGHT???
I'm only halfheartedly in the Christmas spirit. I'm with the music but decorating, not so much.
No elves in this house. 🙂
I don't have an elf- even the idea exhausts me. (And I love Fanta Clause.)
You know my elf story. We usually only move him around and the kids seem satisfied with that. I struggle with parts of Christmas but I love the little kid stuff.
Love your pictures and I love this:
"Her: I guess. Have I been good or bad this year?
Me: YES. Yes, you have."
Perfect answer!!!
My kids insisted we needed an elf, so now we have one. Ariel likes to carry her around everything. AJ named her Snowflake. Currently she is missing and without her skirt. Only our elf is running around nakey.
[…] week, I mentioned that Ivy wanted an elf sent to our house. You know, from the North Pole. In years past, I’ve been so very against having […]