Why Elf on the Shelf still appears in our house

Nick and the leg lamp

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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It seems this time of year there are two types of people. Those who hate Elf on the Shelf and those who love Elf on the Shelf. I am in the category of love. While I don't understand the hate, I certainly respect those of you who do not enjoy this Christmas-time tradition.

Player!

Our family was introduced to the Elf in 2007. St. Nick brought the book and my three kids voted and named our elf Nick. By now you probably know how it works, but just in case you don't... the Elf magically transports to the North Pole each night while everyone is sleeping to report to Santa Claus. The original idea was to encourage kids to behave this time of year. Yes, there are memes of belts saying that's how they were made to behave back in the day, but I digress.

Nick likes craft beer (2016)

For our family, Nick was never meant to be something to "make them be good." Let's face it, I've heard plenty of parents threaten their kids long before the Elf on the Shelf craze that Santa Claus wasn't coming if they didn't straighten up. But I've never once seen a parent follow through on that threat. No kid that I know of has never awoken on Christmas morning to a stocking full of coal or no presents under the tree because of how they behaved.

Minonizing the bananas (2015)

The last few years it's become more fun for me to see what exactly Nick is going to do each night. There are plenty of websites with good ideas. Last year after Christmas when our youngest daughter wanted to know the truth about Santa, I decided the Elf tradition was going to stay. 

Nick battles Harry Potter

So here we are in a house of non-believers in Santa or the Elf, but Nick still makes his evening trek to the North Pole. It's fun. The kids still like seeing what silliness will ensue. No one is getting hurt in the process and it's created a tradition for our family. If you don't like it, go elf yourself. :) 

"Stone Cold" Stunner

Sure the Elf industry is booming and I applaud the authors Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell. Every time I see the display in the story with all the new accessories for the Elf, I wonder "why didn't I think of that." Merry Christmas and take a minute to enjoy the Elf. 

Don't stop believin'

Christmas 2005

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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It's the end of an era here at the Hunsperger household.  My daughter hit double digits in 2015 and I knew the inevitable was around the corner.  Right before Christmas she started asking about Santa.  I danced around the topic, hoping to have one last Christmas of her believing in the big guy.  I can't explain why it was so important to me, it just was.

Last pic with Santa... for now

Apparently the other night she asked my wife what the deal is, and she explained it to her.  Brooke is in fourth grade and at 10 years old, I suspect most of her friends have already had the conversation with their parents.  We told her older brothers when they were eight and nine years old.  Because they're so close in age we had the conversation at the same time with them.

Nick the Elf vs. Harry Potter

While I'm sad this phase of our family life has passed, I'm proud that she asked and wanted to know more about the tradition.  This doesn't change anything in terms of our love of Christmas.  It also won't keep me from continuing the Elf on the Shelf tradition.  I have just as much fun with that as Brooke did finding "Nick" each morning.  We never used the elf as a way of modifying our kids' behavior.  It's always just been a fun game we've played.

Elf on the Shelf: 2014

Stone Cold Stunner!!!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

It's hard to believe another Christmas season is wrapping up.  Our elf, Nick, made a return to the house back on December 1.  I took a few pictures of some of his more memorable moments.  Looking forward to more shenanigans in 2015.  Enjoy.

Follow your nose to Nick's return

Look close, it's an elf poo

Sporting an Ugly Christmas Sweater

Battling Harry Potter

The eyes have it...

Nick set up & decorated my daughter's tree

TP trouble

Popped in to say hello

Just hangin' out

Elf on the Shelf: 2013 Pics

A Sweet Return

By Kevin Hunsperger 

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Another Christmas season is wrapping up, and a tradition we started 8 years ago.  "Nick" is the Elf on the Shelf my kids received from St. Nick back in 2007.  If you're reading this, you'll likely know the story of Elf on the Shelf, so I won't bore you with those details.  Instead, take a look at some of the silliness that Nick was involved in around the house in 2013.  

Merry Christmas.

Gone fishin'

Red Solo Elf

Copy Elf

Returning a special ornament that broke

Words with Elves

Graffiti Elf

More artwork

Fighting words

Caught in the Cookie Jar

Santa Elf

Captured!

Nick: The Elf on the Shelf

Nick makes his return in 2012

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

If you're a regular here, you've figured out by now this is not going to be a wrestling related post.  Standby, the wrestling isn't going anywhere, I'm just expanding my horizons with this blog and phasing out my old one.

I have a lot of female friends who blog.  Many of them call themselves "Mommy Bloggers" and they talk about a variety of things.  This is more of a "Daddy Blog" today, but I'm entering uncharted waters, as Elf on the Shelf is something I've only seen the moms blog about.

But I love Christmas and the tradition of Elf on the Shelf.  In 2007 we received our elf as a gift from St. Nicholas.  We celebrate that holiday each December 5 by hanging stockings.  St. Nick comes overnight and fills the socks with candy, toys, and a Christmas ornament for each of my three kids.  When we received the Elf on the Shelf book and doll five years ago, my children quickly named him "Nick", which seemed appropriate since St. Nick delivered him.

For those who don't know, each night the elf appears somewhere in your home and leaves at night to report back to Santa how the children are behaving.  When the kids wake up in the morning, the elf is in a new spot somewhere in the house.  The first few years, Nick was pretty tame around here.  But over the last couple of years, he's been getting into some trouble.  My daughter rushes out of bed each morning to find Nick and what kind of hijinks he's up to.  So here are a few of the more fun pics from last few years.  I'll update them this season as more are taken.  Enjoy.

Got milk?

Party animal

Making angels

Hey, baby.

Nick on safari, kinda

Cereal killer

Roasting marshmallows

Teepeeing the tree