RTT: Joker, Elves and Elvis

 

Looky, looky, looky! I figured out how to change my banner to that new Christmasy poinsettia picture up there! I never change my banner pic, so this is rather a big deal for me. Clearly, I'm in the Christmas spirit. Last night, we all cuddled up, drank hot chocolate and watched The Polar Express. Happy, happy, joy, joy.

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The Most Complex Venn Diagram Ever Created to Summarize a Steve Miller Song:

(Tangential comment: Willie Nelson is spelled wrong. This bothers me. Bill Hicks was best friends with one of my college boyfriends. Just saying.)

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Yesterday I went to Target to do a little pre-Christmas stocking stuffer shopping. As I was pushing around my little cart, I kept crossing paths with a woman and her cute little daughter. The woman, who was clearly, because of her clothes, an Orthodox Jew, was doing her best to be patient with her little girl, who was about 4, and was gaily singing at the top of her lungs the entire time. What song was the little girl singing? Silent Night. Poor woman.

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I'm seriously thinking of having Santa give Jude one of these guys...

 

It's an Elf Magic Boy. Check out the link. They come with a whole story of how to take care of your Elf, how to bring him to life with the enclosed Magic North Pole Snow, and a little bag that I guess you're supposed to put little presents in every night. Like a big, expensive, gimmicky Advent calendar. But still...it's pretty cute. I keep seeing these Elf on the Shelf things...

 

 

Which are also pretty cute. But I fear...Jude is already 8. How much longer is Santa gonna be happening? Yesterday, one of the nastier little boys at school told him that there was no Santa, that it was just the parents sneaking around. Jude told me he thought this was ridiculous, because why would Daddy and I sneak out on Christmas Eve after cooking that giant dinner to buy presents? I love his logic. I guess, if he's smart, he'll milk it for a few more years, even if he is no longer a believer. But he's such a painfully earnest child. He may not be able to handle the deceit. And it seems like the Elf Magic Boy would remain fun even after belief has stopped, but the Elf on the Shelf would not. What do y'all think?

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And speaking of elves, I just remembered a true story I heard years ago, which I always loved. My friend, Kaaren, had some friends, a couple who were both musicians, who had a little boy, probably 5 or 6 at the time. The dad, being a kind of hipster musician type, constantly schooled the little boy in rock and roll - the kid knew his rock history. On Christmas morning, the little boy opened all his presents, and became particularly taken with a present which his mother had labeled "From the Elves".  I can't remember what the present was, but the boy carried it around with him everywhere - just really loved it. Several days later, the little boy casually told his dad "Santa can talk to people in heaven, you know." "He can? How do you know that?" his dad asked. "Well, how else would he have known what Elvis wanted me to have for Christmas?" Yes, the boy had misread "Elves" and was certain that The King himself had sent him a Christmas gift from beyond the grave.

 

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So in honor of that little boy, I will start my annual random Christmas carol posting with a little something from Mr. Elvis Presley. Definitely the sexiest Christmas song I know...

 

 

 

Alright everyone, sleigh ride over to Stacy's for more randomness.

Comments

[Andrea]

I suppose it should shame me in some way that my son was still believing at age 12. My line was always just that it is a magical time of year! He is truly enjoying his star wars Lego advent calendar at age 14. Have fun...whatever that looks like for your home!

[Claire]

Elf on a Shelf is working for my 4 year old but if he were 8, I think I would consider the other. That's about - I think - when kids start questioning. And yes, def the sexiest Xmas song!

[VandyJ]

We have told Turbo that gifts from Santa stop coming when you stop believing. We are trying to stave off the inevitable since we have Bruiser who gets to believe for quite a while yet. We are hoping that Turbo just doesn't tell us that he's figured it out, all in the name of more presents.

[The Bug]

I was probably 5 or 6 when I figured out the santa thing, but I knew that my mom was WAY more generous than santa so I was actually thrilled to find out she was really in charge :) Yes, I was that spoiled. And, no, it didn't really do my any favors when I grew up.

[Jan]

Take it from me - NEVER tell him there is no Santa, especially since he's such a sweet and earnest child. Or you may end up having an experience like this one: http://www.janssushibar.com/?p=503

[Lisa]

Gretchen, i know everybody else is weighing in on Christmas stuff but I have to say that the toilet seat sign is genius. I use a wheelchair, so there's just no hovering for me, and it's my pet "pee"ve that people seem to think they are too good to SIT on the toilet seat, but the person who comes after them deserves to sit in THEIR pee!

[self sagacity]

My 4 year old believes in elves and thank god. Your post made me smile this morning. Thanks for the cheer. Happy Holidays.

[Sprite's Keeper]

I love the Elvis story. And why couldn't it be from Elvis? He's a king in his own right!

[MamaBadger]

I am sharing that toilet seat sign. With everyone I know. Hysterical. Now can you find one about people who need to learn the double flush?

I'm not weighing in on Christmas. I've been vague enough that my kids won't know where I stand ever. (I've had the elf on the shelf scare me to death on the krapper at a friends house, though. She put it there to encourage them not to fight in the bathroom in the morning. Instead it almost gave me a heart attack!)

[Gina]

I cannot believe how popular the Elf on the Shelf has become. Wow! I'm glad my kids are older. I love the chart on the bathroom stall.....but really, who is going to sit on a public toilet?

[Cathy Kenendy]

I made a goof and told my second daughter there was no Santa thinking she already knew the truth. She was heart sick! What a bad parent I am, right? Oh I loved the sign on the bathroom door - too funny!

[Christina @RantRaveRoll]

Yes, the smart ones will milk it. My daughter milked the whole tooth fairy, easter bunny, and santa claus thing for almost 3 years after she figured it out. I think she was hoping to lose all her baby teeth

[Stacy Uncorked]

My best friend's son, who is as earnest as Jude, believed in Santa until he was 12 or 13...but my friend isn't sure if that's the actual age, or if he was playing along to make her happy, because now that he's 16 or 17 he still like his Santa gifts. ;) The magic can live on in infamy! :) At least that's what I'm hoping for with Princess Nagger. She's already suspicious and keeps accusing me of being Santa.

I love those elves - and thanks for reminding me, I need to definitely dig ours out from the Christmas mayhem in the shed.

Elvis sent a present...I love it! :)

[Aimee]

I don't get the elf on the shelf tradition, and considering the effort people put into it each December, I'm so glad I never started it. As the month goes on, there are always Facebook posts from moms moaning that they forgot to move the elf, or that they can't find it, or that they're sick of it.

Believing - well, I still want to believe in Santa, so it's not surprising that both boys do (ages 11 & 8). Kids have told them he's not real, but they're so used to people having varied religious beliefs that they take other kids' opinions with a grain of salt.

Honestly, I don't know if Nicky still really believes, but he says he does, and that's good enough for me. As for presents, I still receive a gift from "Santa Daddy" at my parents' house each year. :) No matter what they believe or say they believe, the boys will always have something on the hearth from Santa on Christmas morning.

That Venn diagram is fabulous.