For 8 years I stood strong and held to both the mindset and the belief that our household would never have an Elf on the Shelf.  I realize that probably sounds strange coming from me, the Dad who gets giddy for Christmas, but it’s true.  The thought of an Elf in our house is one that I’ve never been drawn to.  The idea of a mischievous little character who’s always getting into things, making messes,  playing pranks, keeping an eye on my kids (and me!) ,and potentially getting me in trouble with the big man in the North Pole gives me pause.  I don’t want a scheming prankster poking around at night and getting all creative with things around the house, putting up extra decorations, playing with my Lego, eating all the good snacks and treats, watching movies, playing video games, I mean, it’s all a little much don’t you think?  I guess what I’m trying to say is:  I’ve never wanted an Elf because, all of these things – the tricks, the games, the decorating- well, I don’t want be replaced!

Hope as I did, everything changed last year, when Audrey formally put in her request to the big man for one, and only one thing on her wish list: an Elf.  Lo and behold, December 25th morning finally arrived and, as if we could have expected anything different, there, beneath our tree, glowing like the North Star itself sat Audrey’s one and only wish.  As giddy as I have ever seen her, my youngest raced over to set the magic free and our family was introduced to Rosie; the honourable fifth member of our family.  Now, the tradition of the Elf would normally dictate that Rosie return to her home in Santa’s village right away, but I suppose given the circumstances under which she arrived, she seemed to want to stay for a few days to get used to her new family and home.   The days between Christmas and New Year’s of 2023 didn’t bring much tomfoolery, shenanigans, or mess, which was contrary to what I would have expected; the same way you might expect a new puppy to cause havoc in your home in the early days.  But, Rosie is not a puppy, I guess, and I was delighted that her presence was barely felt.  And then, as the calendar turned to a new year, she was gone and I actually not only missed her, but I looked forward to her return this year.  Little did I know, that return would not come quietly.

I didn’t know or quite understand all of the rules that Elf adoption entailed; in fact the only thing I really understood was that you can’t touch it or it melts, or explodes, or turns into a statue or something.  Other than that, they are self-sufficient beings who require no maintenance.  In the year since she joined our family, however, there is more to the story of Rosie that I have come to learn.

For starters – these elves don’t necessarily travel alone.  In fact, there are seemingly countless partners, pets and sidekicks that could travel with them, and the genius bit of marketing that is accessible to kids ensures that my children both know what’s available.  Fortunately Rosie’s backstory tells us that she is both allergic to most pet dander, and she works best independently, so I don’t have to worry about “elf pets” following her home.

Second – there are outfit options.  Lots of them.  So that means Rosie doesn’t need to be confined to the single, one-piece uniform she arrived with, no, no, there is a massive wardrobe available to her.  Going to a football game?  There’s an Elf jersey for whichever team she roots for.  Celebrating a birthday?  Don’t worry, there’s an outfit for that too (apparently it also means that the Elf can return on birthday’s throughout the year?!?!?  Come on!).  Headed to a ballet recital?  The kind folks at the “Elf company” have you covered there, too!  Every occasion, every event (and non-event), and every mood seems to have some additional accessory you could go and purchase.  Yay.   Fortunately, Rosie has also informed us that she only wears locally sourced, sustainable and handcrafted materials, so any alternative outfit selected would need to stick to those values.  Phew.

Lastly – Much to my surprise, an Elf has the ability to appear any time starting November 22nd and up until December 1st, then returns back home December 24th.  What this means is that, starting on November 21st, my children are wound up with excitement and wonder at just when, exactly, Rosie will make her inaugural appearance.  It means that, as of November 22nd, my children stop sleeping in until their alarm on weekdays, and that they wake earlier than me on weekends.  It means that, during a window of time I didn’t know existed until it was too late, my children came home with stories each day about how their friends elves have already arrived, and they don’t understand why Rosie hasn’t yet.  It also meant that, the morning that Rosie did arrive, my children’s eyes lit up with magic and wonder, the likes of which I don’t think I have ever seen, and I was reminded, once again, of the wonderful power of imagination and play.

Since the morning she arrived she has left a trail of marshmallows, popcorn, cookie crumbs, clothes and Legos in her wake almost every night.  She has rearranged furniture, created lassos out of Christmas lights, and taken apart the Christmas express train tracks to make ladders to reach places she otherwise couldn’t get to.  Every morning we go downstairs paints a curious and fascinating picture of whatever it was she got up to during the nighttime hours, and every morning I shake my head and just how fabulously creative she can be.  Yes, she may have taken over my role as silliest member of the household, but when I see the excitement and genuine laughter on my daughter’s faces each morning as they discover her antics, it is totally worth it.