Elf on the Shelf

This odd-looking elf appeared in our house last year at Christmastime and came again this year. He finds a new spot to observe the kids' behavior each day and then flies back to the North Pole each night to inform Santa of how nice (or naughty) the kids have been that day. Great concept and a lot of fun last year. This year, however, finding the elf's whereabouts became an early morning obsession for James. Sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. James would wake up, find the elf, then come and tell Ben and I where the elf was. It was like being awakened too early on Christmas morning every day of December! Even James commented that it would be good when Christmas was over so that he could sleep longer. If the elf comes back next year, I think he'll only report back to Santa once a week!