The Official 2012 Elf Capades Thread

[SueM in MN]

Originally Posted by mrsbornkuntry

Ours didn't have a book so we didn't have to worry about this, but I don't like the "no touching" rule, it would've made my youngest sad. The first year the elf came he would snuggle with the elf on the couch and even fell asleep holding him. The only rule we have is that if anyone sees him moving he will have to go back to the North Pole so DS has to stay in his bed at night if he wants the elf to be able to get up and play. Our elf isn't there to "spy" on them to see if they're bad or good, he's a training elf and he's there to learn what children like so when he's old enough to make toys he will know what to make for them and he helps keep Santa current by reporting back to him.

My youngest also sometimes will write notes to the elf with questions, like the other day he asked him when Santa's birthday is.

Like that story

[magchavez]

Help! My dd lost a tooth today so the tooth fairy will come tonight. Any creative ideas for the Elf and the Tooth Fairy together???

[DisneyRegulars]

Originally Posted by magchavez

Help! My dd lost a tooth today so the tooth fairy will come tonight. Any creative ideas for the Elf and the Tooth Fairy together???

Can you have the elf's hands under her pillow trying to get the goods? Or a note under the pillow from the elf that says he hid her tooth fairy goods, and gives a hint of where he hid them?

[100AcreWood]

Originally Posted by magchavez

Help! My dd lost a tooth today so the tooth fairy will come tonight. Any creative ideas for the Elf and the Tooth Fairy together???

Our elf left a note saying he saw the tooth fairy on his way home from reporting to Santa. He said she was so tinsel! Our elf has a crush on the tooth fairy !

[diamondpixienc]

Originally Posted by DisneyRegulars

So I got my first Elf on the Shelf and book last night and was reading the book for the first time with my almost 3 year old son. I was disappointed when I got to the part of the story that said you can't touch the elf. Do you guys follow that rule? Seems sort of silly, especially since my son was sitting there reading the story while holding the elf. I obviously couldn't change the rules on him and be "oh wait, it says you can't touch him!" and take the elf away.

Just curious, how many of you follow the no touching rule?

Our elf spent the first night playing basketball, and my son named him Noance.

Well, when we first introduced Crayon (they named him) to our family DS was 3 and DD#1 was 1 I took him out and read through the story myself before I read it to them so when i got to that part I read it in a silly but firm way "DO...NOT...TOUCH...MEEE!...MY MAGIC MAY LEAVE...." They were cool with it and to this day even with DD(3) in the mix They know they can point, write, and speak to Crayon but DO NOT TOUCH! He actually fell out of tree once about 2 years ago and OMG! my older DD was screaming "Dont touch him....Dont touch him...Stand back...Mommy Crayon fell" Of course mommy sprang into action with a pair of tongs and scooped him back into the tree. We still laugh about that from time to time...lol!

[LCoulter]

Sunday morning DD found her elf on the kitchen counter roasting mini marshmallows over a tealight candle with a bag of mini marshmallows spilled out across the counter. (I lite the candle to roast one mimi marshmallow on a toothpick and then blew out the candle.) She was laughing at that.

This morning she found Alisa fishing in among her Disney Christmas village. She had string tied to a pencil for the pole and I tied a goldfish cracker to the other end and had it dangling into a little bowl of goldfish crackers.

[100AcreWood]

My kids (especially my older two) are super intense about the no touching rule. That is one thing I wish they had left out of the book. It's a pain to find places up high. My older ones are afraid my 4 year old will touch him if he isn't far up. And they're right. He told me he wants to see if his magic will actually go away. He's the mischievous one!

Our elf decorated our tree with the kids' underwear. My oldest dd got so mad that elf decided to hide behind a picture today. She was livid. It was so unexpected.

[ladybug0506]

We have a different elf than elf on the shelf because that one creeps me out. Instead, we have Christopher Pop-In-Kins. When I read the story to DS2 for the first time the other day, I skipped over the part about how he couldn't be touched because I knew he would NEVER not be able to touch him haha. After we read him the story I asked him if he thought that he might want Christopher to come and visit. He immediately got excited and said "Okay! Christopher outside? Open the door Mama and let Christopher in!" So the next day, DH walked around to the front of the house and put Christopher on the front porch along with a present and he rang the doorbell. Carter ran to the front door and when I opened it, he ran outside and said "Mama! It's Christopher! Elf came to see me! Oooh present! I have present?" He was so purely excited about Christopher and that Christopher had brought him a present He carried Christopher inside and he opened his present and picked up the elf and said "Thank you Christopher for Jingle" (Hallmark story buddy - that was the gift) and then he have him a hug and a kiss. So sweet! The best part? DH was nearby with the camera and got his reaction as soon as he opened the front door and discovered that Christopher had come to visit!

[LCoulter]

Originally Posted by ladybug0506

We have a different elf than elf on the shelf because that one creeps me out. Instead, we have Christopher Pop-In-Kins. When I read the story to DS2 for the first time the other day, I skipped over the part about how he couldn't be touched because I knew he would NEVER not be able to touch him haha. After we read him the story I asked him if he thought that he might want Christopher to come and visit. He immediately got excited and said "Okay! Christopher outside? Open the door Mama and let Christopher in!" So the next day, DH walked around to the front of the house and put Christopher on the front porch along with a present and he rang the doorbell. Carter ran to the front door and when I opened it, he ran outside and said "Mama! It's Christopher! Elf came to see me! Oooh present! I have present?" He was so purely excited about Christopher and that Christopher had brought him a present He carried Christopher inside and he opened his present and picked up the elf and said "Thank you Christopher for Jingle" (Hallmark story buddy - that was the gift) and then he have him a hug and a kiss. So sweet! The best part? DH was nearby with the camera and got his reaction as soon as he opened the front door and discovered that Christopher had come to visit!

How cute!

[LCoulter]

We don't have the official Elf on a Shelf and this thread is the first I heard that the story says no touching, although I don't think I would have followed that part anyway.

DD has been playing with the elf and even slept with her last night, at least until she magically disappeared and moved to the Disney Christmas village.

The only complication could be if she loses it in the house somewhere and we can't find it but I will cross that path if/when I get to it. Oh, the dog could chew her up which would be awful. I did tell her she needed to keep it away from the dog and the dog hasn't chewed on a toy in a long time so hopefully it will be ok. So I guess I can see why it may be a good idea to not let the child touch it. My plan is to have DD help me find the elf before bedtime each night so I know where it is.

[ehough]

We don't do the no touching rule. I don't understand the point of it, myself- seems it would just add unnecessary elf drama to my life! When we got the elf, DD was not quite 3 and I just skipped over that part of the book. When the elf on the shelf TV special came on last year, that was the first time she heard about the no touching thing and we discussed how Jingles doesn't have that rule. And that was that, but surely it helped that she already had a history of touching him without him "losing his magic"! So we just say the rule doesn't apply to him.

[Pesky]

I think the "don't touch" rule comes from a practical place of avoiding trauma. Imagine if little Susie is playing with Elfkins and accidentally rips off the arm (poor quality so easy to see happening). Or its head. How would you explain the destruction and magical resurrection of the elf? Seems better to keep the elf high and perhaps have the elf bring the stuffed version to have and hold.

[mdurette]

We don't do the no touching either. The ElfMagic elf is pretty sturdy and has made it through 3 christmas seasons. DD brings her to special events (like her Christmas concert), sometimes she takes a car ride with us or a ride in her basket on the bike. All is ok. We also don't highlight the "reporting back to Santa" bit.

We simply have fun with her.

Any suggestions??
Eve always leaves DD6 her Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve and something with her pic on it (that typically gets ordered from a photo shop - like Walmart, CVS, etc). 1st year was an ornament. 2nd year was a bookmark. 3rd year was hot cocoa mug. Thinking about what to do this year.......

[mrsbornkuntry]

Originally Posted by LCoulter

Sunday morning DD found her elf on the kitchen counter roasting mini marshmallows over a tealight candle with a bag of mini marshmallows spilled out across the counter. (I lite the candle to roast one mimi marshmallow on a toothpick and then blew out the candle.) She was laughing at that.

This morning she found Alisa fishing in among her Disney Christmas village. She had string tied to a pencil for the pole and I tied a goldfish cracker to the other end and had it dangling into a little bowl of goldfish crackers.

Ooh, I like the roasting marshmallows idea!

A couple nights ago the lego minifigures tied PJ to a Christmas book and held him hostage with toothpicks as weapons (think Gulliver's Travels), but that confused my 8yo because the Legos aren't magic so why did PJ tie himself up? Oops. We just decided he liked that movie and was being silly.

Last night I almost forgot and since the toothpicks were still out from the previous night I just had PJ make snowmen using marshmallows and toothpicks, leaving the bag out on the table with his hand in it. It turned out cute, but DS had a handful of marshmallows for breakfast before I got up, lol.

[mrsbornkuntry]

Originally Posted by ladybug0506

We have a different elf than elf on the shelf because that one creeps me out. Instead, we have Christopher Pop-In-Kins. When I read the story to DS2 for the first time the other day, I skipped over the part about how he couldn't be touched because I knew he would NEVER not be able to touch him haha. After we read him the story I asked him if he thought that he might want Christopher to come and visit. He immediately got excited and said "Okay! Christopher outside? Open the door Mama and let Christopher in!" So the next day, DH walked around to the front of the house and put Christopher on the front porch along with a present and he rang the doorbell. Carter ran to the front door and when I opened it, he ran outside and said "Mama! It's Christopher! Elf came to see me! Oooh present! I have present?" He was so purely excited about Christopher and that Christopher had brought him a present He carried Christopher inside and he opened his present and picked up the elf and said "Thank you Christopher for Jingle" (Hallmark story buddy - that was the gift) and then he have him a hug and a kiss. So sweet! The best part? DH was nearby with the camera and got his reaction as soon as he opened the front door and discovered that Christopher had come to visit!

Aww What a great memory!