School Talent Show!

Each year there is a Talent Show at Anthony’s school. Children in 2nd-5th grades are invited to try out.  This year 17 acts made the talent show, and Anthony was one of them!  He played his piano recital piece from June, and he did a great job!

Here’s a link to his performance!


Anthony was really nervous, but he still did a great job!  We are so proud! 

Today is Anthony’s last day of school until January 13th - LOVE the 45/15 schedule and all the time we will have together over the next couple weeks!

The Return of Elf on the Shelf!

It’s that time of year again!  Last year was the first year we had an elf.  I wrote a letter (thank you Pinterest for the ideas!) and Santa sent him the elf as a package.  You can read about his first arrival here.  Anthony didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to touch the elf until he read the letter…

 

As we began planning for his return, I put together a quick review of some of the mischief that our elf, Clyde, got himself into last year.  It’s going to be tricky coming up with a bunch of new ideas, especially since we are not a fan of elf messes….

We decided it would be fun for Santa to mail the elf each year, so once again a package arrived for Anthony from the North Pole this year! 

Clyde couldn’t wait to get out of the box to find Anthony!!  He was bursting with excitement!  (Sorry, I couldn’t help that one!)


We were out of town for Thanksgiving and when we returned home Anthony found Clyde's box by the Christmas tree in his room as he was getting ready for bed.  He was THRILLED that Clyde had come back to him!  His response was amazing. Worth every single minute we will spend on Elf on the Shelf over the next month. 

Quick note about the tree – it’s decorated completely by Anthony, with ornaments mostly from his birth-grandma and godparents.  He has picked up a few ornaments here and there, and LOVES having his very own tree in his room!

Here’s a few quick iPhone pics of the big discovery.

Carefully trying to open the box without touching Clyde.  We assured him that it was okay if he accidentally touched him!

Anthony was so excited!!  Here he’s giving him a kiss (kissed his fingers and pretending to touch Clyde’s mouth) – Too cute!!

Reading Santa’s letter.  Yes, those are Lego’s in the background.  Just a few…(!!!)

Blurry pic, but you can just see the love he’s giving Clyde as he tucks him in on a bed of tissue paper (that we slid him from the box down onto, without touching him!).

One last photo with the elf!

Clyde, our elf on the shelf has returned, and Anthony couldn’t be happier!!  He talked and talked (and talked and talked and talked) to Clyde that night.  He told him about books, and money (what it looks like, how to use it, etc), his parents, his room, his cats, etc.  He truly BELIEVES and wants Clyde to know everything.  In fact, the next morning when he found Clyde hanging by an ornament in a different Christmas tree (yes, I have a problem!) he was convinced that Clyde had put the ornaments on the tree (we hadn’t decorated that tree yet).  I even caught him getting dressed in front of the tree, telling Clyde all about his clothes, including the purpose of the opening in the front of his boxers!! HILARIOUS!

Two years ago, when Anthony was in kindergarten, he came home and said the big kids on the bus said there was no such thing as Santa Claus. I was so sad! How dare those big kids ruin Anthony's fun. We worked through it, and he kinda believed, but he just wasn't sure. The seed of doubt was planted. We began using the phrase, "You have to BELIEVE to RECEIVE" whenever he asked us if Santa was real. This year, all it took was watching The Polar Express a week ago and bringing back the elf.  Anthony is truly a believer and we are sure going to enjoy it while it lasts!!

Here’s the letter from Santa explaining Clyde’s return-

December 1^st, 2013
Dear Anthony…you are still one of my favorites!
You are so very special! I know that you are filled with love for your parents, all of your family and your friends. I know that you love Jesus too and so do I! That makes us especially special!
Once again I have sent you something special for this Christmas season. Do you remember my dear friend, Clyde? He is an elf from my workshop and he wanted to help you get ready for Christmas again this year.
Do you remember that Clyde tends to be a little naughty? I know that when you continue to make good choices, you will help Clyde learn to make good choices too!
One important thing to remember about Clyde…elves are not exactly the same as humans. He will stay still during the day and because he is magical, you shouldn’t touch him, for fear his magic will leave him. You can talk to him and tell him stories about you and your family – he will hear you and love you. While Clyde is quiet during the day, he loves to play at night after everyone else is sleeping. That’s when he gets in trouble, so you’ll have to watch him carefully!
When I told him that he was going to come and stay with you again, he was so excited! He really loves hanging out with boys – he likes to play rough, and will love to hear about all of the fun things you do.
Have fun, and I’ll be back to pick him up on Christmas Eve when I come to drop off some extra special surprises for you!
I love you very much!
SANTA
 
Do you have an Elf on the Shelf?  What is your favorite elf “trick” to play?