Clark the Elf

This year we welcomed a new member of the family into our home for the holidays. Meet Clark (as in Clark W. Griswold), our elf.

I can't believe that we have gone this long without an elf on the shelf. I think it was the idea that they were supposed to be troublemakers and make big tiny elf messes during the night. I was not at all interested in making a mess that I was going to have to clean up later, I already clean up messes I didn't make, why would I make more work for myself?

Thankfully, Clark has been on his best behavior (as you can see from a few of his photos). And the boys are super excited to see where he has moved to each morning. We read the Elf on the Shelf book that Clark brought along with him on his first night in our home, but we opted to not use him as a behavior tool. He is just here to visit, and likes to get a different view each day, and I have found the boys (and the cat) visiting quietly with him occasionally.

I am not holding my breath that he is not going to "help" with the Christmas decorating a little bit, and maybe next year when he is a little more comfortable, he may just come out of his shell a little bit more.

Do you have an elf that visits your family over the holidays? Are they calm and reserved, or do they cause trouble when no one is watching?