The Elf lives on!

Growing up, we had the original "Elf on a Shelf." You see, starting the first day of December, a little elf named S.P. Bacon (short for Santa's Pal Bacon) would come visit our house and leave a piece of candy under our pillow if we did our chores. (For me, that meant making my bed. By the time my brother and sister came around, he came regardless. Otherwise, my sister and I would get candy and my brother never would have.)

S.P. Bacon was very close to the big man up north, and reported back on how we were doing each day. You know, the whole "naughty or nice" thing. S.P. Bacon always brought us a little present on Christmas and added a little note to Santa's letter.*

Ol' S.P. was always exciting in our house, so imagine my joy when a package arrived this year from the North Pole. In the box was a little elf and a book called "Elf on a Shelf." We read the book and waited for the day after thanksgiving. Sure enough, Friday morning there was an elf on our shelf. Abby was thrilled! As was Mommy, because he told us his name was in fact S.P. Bacon! After all these years, I finally got to see what the little elf looked like! (also much to my excitement, he didn't come with candy.)

All day I warned Abby that S.P. was watching and she had to be nice, not naughty. Dan even used the phrase,** but was convinced it was an empty threat. He didn't think she really "got" it. However, shortly after we'd put Abby down for bed, she started to cry. It was her sad cry. When I went up to check on her I discovered she was scared that S.P. Bacon was going to leave while she was sleeping and not be there when she woke up. She DID NOT want S.P. Bacon to leave her! I explained how he worked again, and promised he'd be back in the morning.

For the next 20 minutes we heard, "Mom! Is S.P. Bacon still here?" "Mom! Where's S.P. Bacon?" Even one "Mom! Is UPS Bacon here?"

Eventually she fell asleep, but the first words out of her mouth this morning were, "Mom! Is S.P. Bacon here? Can we go find him?"

Yeah, she gets it.

Dan might not get it, but Abby and I do. The magic of the season is upon us!

*Santa left us a hand written letter each year to tell us how proud he was of our various accomplishments. It even had big squiggly writing, since the elves write it. And, obviously, elves have squiggly writing.
**My husband is not a creative person. He does not understand the appeal of S.P. Bacon. Then again, he doesn't understand any type of imaginative play or imaginary friends. He's just missing that chip. Thankfully, I have it. (You could not grow up in a house with my mother and not have it.)
***My mom and I were introduced to S.P. Bacon through a family friend. However, the little Mexican man named Pedro, who lives in the sombrero at South of the Border, and travels in the little planes at the beach to make sure you're behaving on vacation, bringing a treat every night after dinner? That one my mom met personally. As crazy as he thinks S.P. Bacon is, Dan thinks Pedro is down right absurd. But, again, I think it's fun. (Though I apologize to all the parent's we go to the beach with, who's kids will be introduced to Pedro because of me. At least the Elf thing has already become commercialized.)