Pickle the Elf

I know some people are opposed to teaching their kids to believe in Santa because they feel like they're lieing to them.  I don't really buy into the whole side of Santa where you tell your kids they don't get stuff if they're not good, but I do love that Santa is a little bit of magic in their lives.  Last year when Santa's elves delivered the kids ipods early (since we were leaving on our trip and needed them early:) and left foot prints around the house and ate our cookies, the kids went crazy.  They've talked about that all year and it's been so fun to see them be so excited.  So when I saw the Elf on the Shelf on Pinterest I knew I had to do it this year.  And boy was he a hit.

The first of December he showed up with doughnuts for the kids and a book to explain himself.  The kids named him "Pickle."  And the magic and mischief began.

One morning he painted their noses red while they slept so that they all woke up looking like rudolph.

"He's a stinker" said Miles almost every morning after seeing what he'd done.

Another morning he made marshmallow snowmen.  The kids were convinced he'd made them treats and promptly ate the stale, colored on mallows.  They totally missed the fact that they were snowmen which made me laugh.

Another morning he rolled down the stairs inside a toilet paper roll.

Ethan got an elf ornament from Grandpa Great and what do you know- he joined in on the fun too!  Snowball fight with cotton balls.

Pickle played Zingo with the stuffed animals who normally sleep in Miles' bed.  He was very concerned that Pickle had come into his bed and taken away his animals.

Another day he tried to pack Ethan's lunch so he could go to school with Ethan.

And then he spent a cold night stuck inside the fridge.

One night he was feeling especially naughty and stole underpants out of the boy's drawers and decorated the tree with them.

The next night he hid inside a glass in the china cupboard.

And since he was being so naughty, the star wars guys got tired of it and one night they tied him up to the table and stayed to guard him.

There were lots of other antics I forgot to get a picture of but he was so much fun that he'll definitely be back next December!