Stepping it up Elfie style

   Christmas can be a tricky time if you have kids.  Families seem to have different ideas, traditions, beliefs, activities, ect. that they do throughout the season which can result in a lot of questions if you have kids.  One such tradition that has come about in the last 8 years or so is the blasted "Elf on the Shelf".  Ford was a newborn when this phenomenon came about and I wasn't all about it.  However, a store owner in town gifted me an elf and therefore I had no choice but to "follow the crowd" and get on the elf bandwagon.  So I am on it and I really, honestly, am terrible at it.  It's not that I forget, I just don't do all the crazy creative stuff some parents seem to pull off each night.  Elfie, original... I know, just sits somewhere high each day so that Annie won't touch him and send the boys into cardiac arrest.  You with me?  Good....

   Well, like all good mothers, I felt that "bad mother guilt" that I wasn't doing my kids right.  My elf doesn't build snowmen, decorate stuff with toilet paper, write on mirrors, and all that fun mess.  So last night I was feeling a little extra holly and jolly and created a scavenger hunt for the boys to find when they woke up this morning.

This was in the stairwell... (Note that I made a few typos, but Ford didn't notice)...

Pantry

Washing machine

Ice maker

Vacuum cleaner

Trey's hunting/mud room

I'm sort of a "freak" about what I let my kids do and watch.  For instance, we pretty much only watch PBS (Public Broadcasting- boring channel), the only Disney movie they've seen is Frozen, we don't have video games or Ipads, and they go to bed at 7:00!!!!!  So the fact that my boys have been up until 8:00, 9:00, even 9:30 watching Christmas movies is nearly a miracle in itself.  Well, the other night I might have had an out of body experience because when I was scrolling the channels looking for Christmas cartoons I saw "Home Alone 2" was on TV.  I had to let them watch it.  It's like rated "R" (not really) but it's too advanced for my kids.  BUT I let them watch it.  Ford was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe.  They thought the boobie traps were FABULOUS!  So like any good mother would do, I ordered Home Alone and Home Alone 2 from Amazon for the Elf to give the kids.  Home Alone 2 didn't come the same day so I guess we will have another hunt tonight!!!!!!