The elf on the shelf

Do you know about the elf on the shelf?  I had heard about it, but wasn't sure what it was.  Katie came home from school excited to tell me about it and we read up online.

So there's this little elf that sits on your shelf and his job is to watch the kids and report their behavior to Santa Claus.  The part that got Katie interested is that while the kids sleep, the elves tend to do funny things.  Like turn the toilet water green, or decorate the Christmas tree with the kids' underwear.  They've also been known to toilet paper bedrooms and have cotton ball snowball fights.  The kids wake up to this "mess" that their elf created. 

I told Katie if she promised to help clean up the mess, I'd try to find one.

Little did I know that I have a better chance of finding gold on the street.  Seems Barnes and Noble is the only place that carry the actual "Elf on a Shelf" kit.  There's a sweet book that explains the history and tradition and then comes with the elf.  I wasn't picky.  I'd take any kind of stuffed, plastic, glass, ceramic, elf I could find. 

So I went to 2 Targets, a toy store, a party store, called 2 independent bookstores and a dollar store. Nothing even resembling an elf.  Snowmen, Santa, reindeer....those I could find.  Never realized how little the elves get marketed.

I went to a local Barnes and Noble after I decided to just get the real thing - I was excited about the book and starting a new tradition.  Some parents have issue with things like this - you know, the "I'm not going to lie to my child" crowd.  I understand that. 

But I like it.  I like creating some magic - even if it means I'm lying. :)

So I ask this saleswoman, "Do you have the Elf on the Shelf set?"
She sighed and said, "We just can't keep them in stock!  We're all out." 
"Well, I see that you have a plush elf over here....." I start to say
"But that's not the Elf on the Shelf." she states
"Yeah, but, it'll probably work...."
"That's not the Elf on the Shelf."
"But I could use it..."
"That's not the Elf on the Shelf."
Ok.....

Once I saw that the plush elf was only a couple dollars cheaper than the "real" thing I decided to wait.
So I came home and called every Barnes and Noble in a 50 mile radius....all sold out.  A few were getting shipments in next week, but all were already claimed by people on a waiting list.  Geez.

So I ordered our magical elf on the magical Internet and it will be here in a couple days.

Hope it's a well behaved elf who doesn't cause TOO much trouble. :)