Elf on the Shelf 2012

When we first got our Elf on the Shelf (the boys named him Buddy) 2 years ago, the only thing he did at night was move around the house...one night he might be sitting on the couch, the next he might be perched on the washing machine. Looking for Buddy's newest hiding place every morning was excitement enough, and the boys loved it. 

Then last year, Buddy got up to some mischief overnight...just hiding was too boring, so while everyone was sleeping he kept himself busy going fishing, making s'mores, redecorating our tree with underwear, etc. (You can check out all of Buddy's 2011 antics HERE.) Jackson, Cody and Luke laughed hysterically at each new Buddy discovery (him painting their noses red while they slept was a favorite), and the little bit of extra work was worth it to hear the belly laughs.

So now, Buddy has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle in that he has NO choice but to do something funny and creative every night. Which was hard enough for him to do last year...but now a whole month's worth of NEW ideas? That's pretty rough. Thanks to Pinterest, Buddy isn't completely lost...we'll see what all he can come up with. :)

Locked Out

The first night Buddy arrived, he couldn't get in our house! Guess he forgot his key...

Elf Key and Letter from Santa

Our boys had been having some typical sibling issues, and Santa wanted to remind them that Buddy was watching and reporting back on their behavior. So Santa sent a little note on his personal letterhead, and Buddy also found his personal key to our house. Whew! No more getting locked out. 

Drinking Syrup

We had just watched the movie "Elf" the night before, where that Buddy says, "We elves try to stick to the 4 main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup." So apparently OUR Buddy got  hungry and raided the pantry for one of his favorite snacks.

Sledding

Buddy and a friend decided to try sledding on our banister. Of course, the boys thought he was riding in a roller coaster...which is fun, too! 

 Elf Bling

Buddy raided my jewelry tree and decked himself out in red and green....doesn't he look pretty? ;)

Tagging

Buddy went to town with the dry-erase markers and wrote Christmas messages all over the bathroom mirror. Cody was most upset that Buddy spelled a word wrong (he wrote "Buddy ROX" across the bottom). 

Red and Green Pancakes

In honor of December 1st, Buddy got out the pancake mix, skillet, spatula and some food coloring, so we made red and green pancakes for breakfast. What a great idea! :)

Santa's Beard

Buddy brought a little countdown to Christmas where the boys have to add a cotton ball to Santa's beard every day until Christmas. He went a little cotton crazy and gave himself a beard, too. 

Packing Lunches

Buddy decided to give Mom a hand and pack up the boys' lunches overnight. Nice try, Buddy, but wine, honey, cans of pumpkin and a pepper shaker aren't exactly lunchbox fare...

In the shower

Buddy must have stepped in reindeer poop on the way home from the North Pole last night, so he decided to take a quick shower. :P

TP Tumble

Buddy rolled all the way down the stairs in a tube of TP. Silly elf!