The true meaning of the Elf on the Shelf

I just read a Facebook post from a new parent asking whether or not they should do the Elf on the Shelf thing this year.  As many of you know from last year, my house has jumped on the bandwagon with both feet.  Reading some of the comments on the Facebook post admittedly got me a bit heated.

Most people were in favor of the elf, but there were a few that get creeped out (which I totally understand) and there were several holy rollers that were pontificating about the elf not bringing the true meaning of Christmas into your home.  I don't understand these.

The Christmas season hasn't (societally) been about Jesus's birth for a long time now.  It's a commercial holiday aimed at maximizing retail profits during the last month of the last fiscal quarter.  And, seriously, who doesn't love presents?... so we go along with it.  It is up to us to bring whatever meaning of Christmas we want into our homes, and it is up to us when we do it.

I keep the spirit of Christmas in my home throughout the year.  I don't bust out the "be kind to others" once a year; I teach this to my son all twelve months.  I don't bring God into my home just one month; he's there all year.  Christmas isn't just about presents; it's about family.

My dad was away working, providing for our family, much of the year.  Christmas was the only time we knew that he would be home.  If we were away with him, Christmas was the time we knew we would go home and see the rest of our family.  Presents are just icing on the cake.

So, yes, we do the Elf on the Shelf thing (even though the company made me mad over some copyrighting thing last year), but we choose how he comes into our home and what he means.  Get over it (unless he creeps you out, then stay away), and have some serious fun with it.

More Adventures of Dobby

More adventures of Dobby...

Dobby had a snack and read one of his favorite books.

Dobby helped Little Man pick up his crayons.

Dobby went fishing!  I had to explain to an irritated Little Man that Dobby was just pretending to fish for the Nemos. 

Dobby was helping Mommy with her work that night!

Dobby built a stunt car with the Tinker Toys and performed some daredevil stunts!

Dobby tested out a blanket I was making for Little Man's cousin.

Dobby is the King of the Castle!

Dobby overheard Little Man ask why he didn't wear bells, so he wrote us a note that night.

We got a new angel on our tree, and Dobby wanted her to feel very welcome!

Family is the Reason for My Season, and Our Elf is a Part of the Tradition

  Ha ha!  Dobby is back!  I... I mean, we... get to have our fun again!  The first two nights Dobby was back, he kept it kinda tame to feel out how Little Man would respond.  The first night he waited patiently in Little Man's stocking, and the second night he took a ride on our lollipop Christmas tree.  (Photos on left)

Last night... last night, Dobby pulled out all the stops!  Frosty set up a zip line across the living room, so there was adventure to be had!  As I looked around, I could hear (no, not literally) the dialogue going on between Little Man's toys and the Christmas decorations.  This morning, I decided to create a comic strip to illuminate the scene for those of you that can't be here to see it yourself.  Of course, few people see things the way I do, so the comic strip is a safe bet either way.

I realize this makes me a dork!  I should not have spent the time I did (no, I'm not telling how long it was) creating something that might get read once and probably will be forgotten immediately.  I don't care.  I had a BLAST doing it, and I'm having a blast re-defining the role of Dobby in our house.  I'm kinda sorta following the rules, however Dobby is more of a happy addition to our home rather than an actual watch dog for Santa.

I'm trying to downplay Santa's role in the holiday and up-play (it's a word NOW, people!) the role of the whole season.  I'm not going to get into the spiritual / religious discussions about the real "reason" for the season, but I will say that my reason for every season is my family.  Now that Little Man isn't afraid anymore, Dobby is a part of our family, and we are creating a new tradition that is all our own.

Dobby has been with Little Man since he was born, but we only got around to naming him since Little Man could talk and give him a name.  Yes, Dobby goes and talks to Santa each night, but I emphasize that Dobby more tells the good stuff that Little Man does so he doesn't have to be afraid of Dobby "tattling".  I've got a great kid, and I would prefer him behaving because he's being taught to behave rather than being afraid of no presents once a year.  Just my perspective... no judgement.

For the most part, Dobby is just fun!  He eats monsters (and ghosts and witches) when Little Man finds them and is scared, and Dobby gives us a daily morning mission that we complete together.  I love being woken up to the sound of, "Mom, where's Dobby?"  So, now that you have our story (no guarantees of sticking to it), I'll share the comic strip.  Enjoy!

The Many Adventures of Dobby - Episode 1