Elf Adventures

Happy New Year!  Again!

Well, I hope that 2013 has been good to you, even in its infancy.  So far mine, all 2 days of it, has been good.  The kids and I went back to school today after an all-too-short Christmas Break, but it was a good day.  Amy doesn't go back until Monday so she was at home today and managed to keep herself busy with laundry, dishes, finishing cleaning the garage, tidying the house, and running errands.  I don't know how she did it all, but she did.  I walked into the house this evening with the kids and the smell of cooking was amazing.  It was like I was in the '50s, "Honey, I'm home"!  She really is amazing and I am truly very lucky.

I bet, though, that you're wondering what the previous paragraph has to do with the title of the post.  Then again, maybe you're not.  Maybe you're used to my random trains of thought by now so you know I'll eventually (hopefully) get around to the point I had originally planned.  See, there I go again (maybe it's the leftover New Year's champagne I'm drinking while writing).  Well, back on topic.

I'd meant to write this post a while back but it kept getting put off.  In the end though, it works out because I have tons of pictures to go along with it now and, had I written this post before, I wouldn't have them all.  All's well in the end I suppose, but I digress.  

This year we finally got an Elf on the Shelf!  I'm starting to wonder if I've mentioned this before though?  Oh well, I'm going on, I'm invested in the post now.  Anywho.  We got an elf!  The kids, along with some help from Amy, named him Englebert.  I'd been on Pinterest a lot prior to his arrival, furiously pinning and planning for his adventures with us.  Needless to say, it was all well worth it!  The boys adored him and he brought a lot of fun to our house this past Christmas season.  He was nice, slightly mischievous, and helped us to keep the boys on their toes about the behavior, lest he deliver a negative report to the man in the red suit!  Our time with him flew by and was cut a bit short as he returned to the North Pole a little early since we traveled to Kansas.  But I know that we will have just as much fun next year with him and I cannot wait to start it up again.  Yes, I've still been perusing Pinterest for new ideas!  It will be even more fun next year since Stella will be old enough to understand and participate!  

As could be expected, I took pictures of him nearly every day, (I may have missed a few).   I did so for this blog to share with you, but also to record his antics for the kids to look back on next Christmas and even in the future.  That and to be sure I don't repeat any next year!  Memories!  So, sit back and enjoy the pictures of Englebert's visits here in Drosche Land.

All is well, remembering some elf-tastic fun, in Drosche Land.

His first act was to turn the milk green!  One of the boys' favorites!

Reminding them to brush their teeth!

Hiding in the Christmas tree!

He tied their soccer cleats together!

Just hanging out!

He got into the Christmas candy!

Slept in their bed.  Easy to do since the boys both insist on sleeping together on the top bunk!

Playing with a light saber, the force is strong with this one!

Riding a horse!

Acrobatics!

Sitting on top of a tree decoration!

The boys were convinced he was at the iPad emailing Santa!

Some words of encouragement!

He listened to Jackson when Jack thought it would be cool for him to be hanging onto this Santa decoration!  Jack was amazed!

Reading a good book, a Magic Tree House book!

Watching some favorite Christmas movies!

Playing Hide-and-Seek!

Getting in a little extra caffeine for his trips to Santa and back!

Sneaking into the cookie jar!

He got into our Christmas cards and made a mess!

He knows the true meaning of Christmas!  This was another of the boys' favorites!