Our new tradition

I could wail and whinge on about the tough tough extra super hard weekend I just had being single-mom to two RASCALS who didn't give me a moment's peace... but I think I've done enough whingeing this month, non?

So instead I'll give you the cheery bits - I jumped the gun and broke my mom's rule about decorating before the first weekend of December - screw it - I love Christmas. I love the music. I love the decorations. The twinkly lights and yummy cinnamon scented pine cones. I love Christmas baking. I LUUUUUUURVE shortbread (especially my ultra yummy melt-in-your mouth church-lady recipe that I should get around to posting about some day). So our tree is up (well, partially, waiting until tonight to actually dress it). Most of my doo-dads are up around the house, and the mantle will be dressed up after a quick trip to the local Supercentre for some fresh cedar.

Maddie also LOVES Christmas. "I love your decorations Mumma!" is what I heard about five trillion times yesterday. Which? CUTE - right?

She wasn't so much into the actual decorating as she was in running around all sugar-high and happy about the transformation of our living room. "Santa's coming!!!!!!" she'd scream. I tried my best to explain that he wasn't coming tomorrow or anything. It didn't matter. She's All. About. Santa.

So after dinner, once the Hubs was home and fully doing his part in assuming all child-rearing responsibilities for the evening, I thought - this is a great time to introduce our new tradition!

The Elf on the Shelf.

I ran across this adorable thing during my recent shopping bonanza at Chapters. It's a little toy elf doll that sits and watches down over your child and reports back to Santa nightly on their good (or bad) behaviour. He's magical - so you can't touch him or he'll lose his magic and won't be able to report back to Santa. Oh - and he's in a different spot every morning (because of his nightly trip to the North Pole of course!).

So not only can we totally use this as a "be good - the Elf is watching" behaviour-check, but it's also fun for Maddie every morning to come down and look for where the little Elf is watching from today. It comes with a story book about this new little Elf and all the "rules" that comes with him - it reads very lyrically and is beautifully illustrated. Oh and at the end of the book you name your new Elf and commemorate when your family adopted the tradition. Such an ingenious idea!

We named him "Rocky"

xxoo.S

I wasn't compensated in any way for this glowing recommendation - it's just something we bought and love...