The Elf on the Shelf

Since our family's very first Christmas, I have had mixed feelings about the whole Santa thing. Trusted parents fabricating stories that ultimately will sadden their children - it feels a little wrong. There's a whole post about that soon to come on Family.com.

But I loved the days of believing in that funny little man, so I'm going with it. (Let's be honest, it's even more enjoyable as a parent.) Last week, during our Santa photo op, Jacob asked the man in red if he would be so kind as to send him an elf to watch over us. It seems he had seen The Elf on a Shelf at a friend's house and wanted one of his own.

This morning, "Tiddlywinks" appeared on top of our cabinets. As the kids sat down to breakfast, Jacob looked up and stood there speechless. He couldn't believe that Santa had actually heard him and delivered.

While I scoffed at the 33 bucks we had dropped on our new friend, the priceless expression on my son's face makes it all worth it. Tell me something about your holiday season with the kiddos.