Isabella the Elf 2014

It's been two weeks now that our elf Isabella has been flying into our home. That silly elf has been up to some silly things so far this year. Isabella has figured out that she needs to stay in high places because there is a toddler in our home and Isabella the elf could be in danger of being grabbed.

Isabella came back the first night that the christmas decorations came out. I had a set of lights that did not work and was about to go out to the trash, until she got ahold of them and placed them on the ceiling fan, with some ornaments. I love what her sign said: I'm BACK!

The next night our crazy elf thought we should bake a cake.

This was taken several days later on our trip to Great Wolf Lodge. The days leading up to this picture, we found Isabella in the diaper bag and in our suitcase. That silly elf loves car rides.

I guess Isabella was thirsty from all that traveling, because she was trying to drink a milk shake when we arrived home.

Isabella wanted to watch my daughter sleep up close the other night.

Is this a hint from Isabella that I need to go buy some green milk?

After several weeks of being with us, Isabella needed a relaxing marshmallow bath. 

Last night I put up our first ever kitchen Christmas tree. This tree has been very popular with our toddler. My vocabulary has consisted of NO, No Don't Touch That, Put That Back, Don't Grab The Tree and so on. So Isabella decided to find a place on top of Santa's hat. 

I wonder what the silly elf has planned for tonight and for the next coming weeks. Do you do The Elf on the Shelf? What kind of mischief does your silly elf get into?

Where Isabella the Elf has been hiding

Isabella the Elf has been very active at our house here lately. That elf has been getting into some serious mischief. There was one day that I forgot to move Isabella, but it worked out to my advantage. See my daughter the day before was was not being very truthful and she was also not grateful for a star that Isabella brought from the North Pole, that was placed on the top of my daughter's Christmas tree. Isabella was sitting there all day holding that star. I think she was proud of it. My daughter did not like the star and told all of us that. The next morning I forgot to move Isabella from the star and my daughter wanted to know why Isabella did not move. I told my daughter, I guess you hurt her feelings for not liking the star that she brought from the North Pole. I also threw in there, that I believed that Santa had one of his toy working elf's make that especially for her. Isabella also did not place any checks on the Isabella Naughty List that morning either. I went on to tell my daughter that maybe if she apologized to Isabella that she might move while she was at school. I told my daughter that this needed to be a good lesson for her to be grateful for any and all gifts she receives this Christmas season. I did move Isabella while my daughter was at school. I also placed her boarder line check between Good and Naughty on Isabella's Naughty List and wrote she should never be untruthful to Daddy and Mommy.

Here is the star that Isabella brought.

I moved her to the canoe of snowmen that day after the apology.

I had a basket of ornaments that I had not placed anywhere yet. I am starting to grow fond of the basket with ornaments in it. I guess Isabella thought they were a ball pit. We found her playing in the basket.

I guess Isabella was missing Santa this day.

An outside hot tub in a make believe forest.

What a mess, Isabella was playing in the potty paper and fell down the stairs.

What elf ,does not like green milk?

 That's all of the stuff Isabella has done so far. Do you have a Elf on the Shelf? I would love to hear from you, please feel free to offer some suggestions on where I can hide Isabella next.  If you missed my last post about the first week Isabella arrived you can find it at Our Elf on the Shelf Isabella.

Our Elf on the Shelf Isabella

Our Elf on the Shelf Isabella came last week. She came just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving and to bring a special gift to my daughter. I guess our Elf is very smart because she knew my daughter was going on her first snow skiing trip over Thanksgiving.
Isabella entered our house this year by sitting on the side of our refrigerator. Our daughter had not been minding to good, so Isabella brought a naughty list.

Every morning our daughter gets up and runs to find Isabella and then  looks to make sure Isabella gave her a good check from the day before. As for the other name on the list, he is so small he could care less about the naughty list. But his name had to go on there to or big Sister would ask questions.  I tried to make the list look like an Elf made it that night. So the lines ran together in some places.

The second night that Isabella was at our house, she was caught playing in the children's Christmas tree. It would have been nice if Isabella would have brought a star for the top of that tree.

The third night was the night before my daughters big trip. Our Elf brought her much needed snow goggles. I loved the note that Isabella the Elf wrote to her. She really thinks those goggles came from the North Pole. 

The day we left on our trip I forgot to take a picture of where Isabella was hiding out. I made sure we brought her on our trip by placing her in the front zipper of my daughters suitcase. Since we were driving I placed her to where her head and arms were out of the suitcase. This way Isabella the Elf could hear and see if either one was acting up. It really worked on our road trip.

Once we got to our destination the next morning we found Isabella the Elf sitting on top of the fire extinguisher in the living room area of our condo. Leave it to me to forget to take a picture of that. 

On our second day there we woke up to find Isabella hanging out in the hallway next to our snow gear and ski's. I guess she wanted to go play in the snow with us. 

Our last day of our vacation we found that silly elf in a box of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes that I had packed in a plastic bin.

Stay tuned for more places Isabella the Elf hides.

What you never want to hear your 5yr old say.

I am still in shock what my 5 year old daughter told her daddy and I in IKEA the other day. We had just arrived at the store and we were going to grab something to eat when my daughter said she wanted us to buy her a toy. We looked at her and said Christmas is around the corner there will be no buying toys. Then one of us said you need to get started on your letter to Santa. She looks at us and says the words that every parent dreads. She said  "SANTA IS NOT REAL". My husband and I both took a double take and said WHAT with our eyes bulging out of our eye sockets. Then my daughter hesitated and said um um um I mean his elves are not real. I was lost for words. I remember telling her that when she quit believing in Santa Claus she would only get gifts from daddy and mommy and she would no longer get those special gifts that Santa brings and that our gifts are usually clothes. Let's just say, my shopping trip was ruined. I came out of IKEA buying nothing and during our hour and half drive back home, my mind was turning on how to do damage control.
My damage control consisted on making our Elf Isabella make an emergency stop at our house. So during the night our elf came back with a red crayon and a letter addressed to to my daughter. That morning my daughter woke up to find her elf and the letter in front of her TV. She was in shock that her elf was in her room.

The letter read:

Elizabeth,
Santa had me make an emergency trip to your house. He heard what you told your parents in IKEA. He wanted me to tell you that as long as you believe in you heart that he is real and magical you will always receive gifts and you will always see me. But the moment you don't believe anymore, there will be no more special gifts, you will only get gifts from your parents.
Tonight I must go back to the North Pole. It won't be much longer before I come back daily to do my reporting for Santa. So take care and remember to BELIEVE.
Love,
Isabella the Elf
P.S I love your new room.

After reading this letter to her. She was shocked that Santa heard what she said. All she talked about that day was how Isabella came to see her. She even wrote out her Christmas list to Santa. We also had to watch every Christmas movie we had in the house. I hope the damage control worked. I just can't believe how some kids would be that cruel and ruin the dreams and fantasies of other kids.
The day after Isabella the Elf went home. My daughter and I were talking. I told her that some children have been put on the naughty list and they don't receive presents anymore. So they want other children to get on the naughty list to, so they don't get toys either. I ended our conversation with  "no matter what anyone tells you, as long as you believe in Santa in your heart, you will always get those special gifts from Santa".
I hope my daughter believes in Santa once again. Have you ever had to go thru this with a little one? What did you do? I am guessing I really need to do Christmas up really big this year. What was some ways you kept your children believing when they were trying to figure out?

I have linked this to the following parties.

 http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2013/10/nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no-183.html