Our Elf on the Shelf's name is Edward. He first came to our house last year around Christmas. This is his second year visiting our house and the kids love him! We read the book, The Elf on the Shelf, on the night before Thanksgiving and Edward appeared at our house for the first time this year on Thanksgiving Day.
When Aiden and Jenny woke up Thanksgiving morning, Edward was hanging out in the stuffed animal net in their room! It took them a little while to find him, but it wasn't too long before they found his hiding spot.
Since then we have read the Elf on the Shelf book several times. Sometimes I read it to the kids, and sometimes Jenny reads it to us. Even Aiden has most of the words memorized and can "read" most of the book too.
Edward helped himself to some cookies and milk!
Part of the Elf on the Shelf tradition is that you are not supposed to touch the elf. Last year this was a bit of a problem for Aiden, and he ended up touching him several times. He had just turned two years old at the time, so we didn't make much of a big deal about it. This year though, we try to remind him more often that he isn't supposed to touch Edward. A few weeks ago we watched the Elf on the Shelf movie that was on TV. There is a part in the movie where their elf, Chippey, gets touched and loses his magic. After seeing the movie, Aiden is very serious about not touching Edward. I've even heard him remind Jenny a few times not to touch him.
So far, the Elf on the Shelf has been a lot of fun for Aiden and Jenny. They both love waking up and trying to find his newest hiding spot. I hope this is something that they will both enjoy for years to come.
