The Elf on the Shelf

She definitely sees you when you're sleeping; this is Punch's room.

My sister-in-law Eileen showed me her family's Elf on the Shelf up in Maine a couple years ago. Now we have one in our house, who is watching Punch and moving around from high spot to high spot every night, by magic. Can you please not put that in the bathroom? It's creepy, said Figgy. It was creepy, watching us from high atop the bathroom mirror.

I do feel a bit commercial about the whole thing, like maybe we should have Baby Jesus's empty crib moving around the house. And I love a statue my friend Jean has; it shows big Santa kneeling at the baby Savior's crib. Still, Punch named her elf Sparkle, and we texted a photo to Eileen's daughter, Izzy, 7, up in Maine. Then Eileen texted us a photo of Izzy and her elf, named Snowy.

It's a muracle, Punch said when Sparkle showed up the first morning. She takes everyone up to see it--her child services caseworker and the county nurse today, Nikki and Anne yesterday. She'd surely show the mailman if she could.

Note to self: Talk more about the birth of Jesus here in our house. Slip it in, sneak it in.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Boot camp in the park.
2. 30-minute nap.
3. Turkey sandwich.