These little helpers leave evidence of their existence all around. For instance, when we initially decorated the tree on Monday night, I made sure all the ornaments were spaced uniformly about the tree. Obviously a problem for the elves. Today I found a cluster consisting of half the ornaments on the tree near the front. At knee level.
Yes, it makes for quite the interesting look. And if the elves can't keep their hands off ornaments, our Fisher Price nativity set didn't have a prayer.
If I leave the room for three minutes, I find the figures rearranged like so:
These elves have quite the eye for interior decorating. I can tell "Mess" is the look they're going for here. Thank goodness I had the foresight to just put out the toy creche. I would hate to see what the elves would have done to our porcelain counterpart. I doubt I'll be putting that out any time this decade.
I found one of the cute little elves hard at work "fixing" what I had undone. They work hard to make sure the look they're trying to achieve stays put.
I'm trying to enjoy the flourishes these little elves work so diligently to add each day. I suppose I could have waited a few weeks to decorate in order to avoid all the rearranging they do. But really, it's kind of funny to discover what they've done. I think a camel sitting on top of the stable instead of the angel is pretty hilarious. I'm sure in ten years I'll be missing the finishing touches they put on my work. I'm just hoping they don't pull the tree over on themselves in their attempt to get the ornaments right. I bet that will happen tomorrow.
And don't worry. If you're feeling a little jealous that YOUR house doesn't have elves, I could certainly lend you mine for an afternoon. They work quickly, believe me.
I have a little elf too. We don't have a tree this year but I have two silver chargers full of bright, sparkly ornaments on the coffee table and on a bookshelf. Of course this is SOOO tempting to grab. I kept moving them just in time, then putting them back. Today when I found the little elf's tongue covered in sparkling glitter, I knew the move needed to be permanent.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't busted out our Christmas decorations yet or bought the tree... I can only imagine how potentially disastrous it's going to be! I love that you have elves redecorating for you.
ReplyDeleteMy little elves are going to be sad this year because we are not decorating at all. Since we will be in Michigan for all of four days in Dec. I am not going to lug out the decor. So my elves would love to come and help your elves re-decorate anytime.
ReplyDeleteKelly, as a faithful subscriber to Kell's Belles I'd like to request a weekly feature. How about every Wednesday you detail the (mis)adventures of Welch Rarebit? Maybe you could call it Welch Wednesday. Just consider how awesome it could be.
ReplyDeleteJack prefers baby Jesus on top of the stable.
ReplyDeleteI like the perspective you took with this latest blog. As a mom who likes things "tidy" it can be hard to find your decor constantly rearranged or destroyed and then handle it lovingly! Good call on the toy manger! As for the rest,,,well hey, it's Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get a transcript of what was going through their minds as they re-did the tree and the nativity. "What was that mom-lady thinking?! You can't even see these shiny things when they're all up high and on the sides! Good thing I caught this... *Gasp*! What would the neighbor kids say? Doesn't she know kids shouldn't play on the roof? Here, this looks like a sturdy fellow. It's okay little kid- you're safe now. Tsk tsk tsk. It's amazing I've turned out so clever."
ReplyDeletewhat a cute perspective...instead of feeling like tearing your hair out...
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I get to your read your blog. I feel like I'm going to be much better prepared once my little one and future little ones start doing the same things. You sure have cute elves!
ReplyDeleteI love my great-nieces but, and not to be the Grinch who Dumped on Christmas Elves or anything, but to avoid lamentable misnomers and irrevocable, misplaced slander against the general elf community I must at this time disclose the following…
ReplyDeleteIn mystical lore, elves are generally cute, HELPFUL woodland creatures whereas PIXIES are the cute, MISCHIEVOUS sect of the wee folk who are too naughty for Heaven and to sweet for That Other Place. And so pixies are earthbound until they are more one or the other.
Having said that, shall we now re-think, re-visit and re-classify the Durham "elves" more accurately based on how helpful their Yule time behavior is... or is not… as the case may be? Hmmmm? I’m just saying. Just keepin’ it real.
Mimi, I fully believe these particular Christmas Elves believe they are helping me out (see Summer's post above--I think she captured their thought process beautifully!). Plus, have you ever heard of Christmas Pixies? Me neither.
ReplyDeleteMimi, "slander" is spoken. "Libel" is written. I'm just saying. Just keepin' it real.
ReplyDeleteI kid! Because I love.
Your point is valid. However, I feel the "elves" moniker is an appropriate one, chiefly due to the fact that Kelly's established premise was so brilliantly executed, that we the readers could assume the point of view of both the elves AND the omniscient narrator simultaneously. And seeing the situation through the eyes of the girls, they indeed thought they WERE being helpful. And therefore in their minds they were acting in complete accordance with elvish characteristics. And although the underlying irony was undeniable, I don't feel Kelly's prose ever betrayed that platform.
Okay, then, the "elves" have it!
ReplyDeleteI think I like this theory that so long as we THINK we are being good and helpful, we are! Case in point, I THOUGHT I was being very helpful by clearing out the storage room whilst simultaneously earning everyone involved some cold hard cash when I was seven and garage saled Kelly's dad's Hardy Boy novels that he'd carelessly left lying around the house when he went off to college. Glad I was right and that all the grief I've endured since then, via the spoken word and in print, was misplaced slander and libel!
Love to the Durham Christmas Pix-- uh -- Elves!
Hardy Boys novels?! Believe me, you were being helpful.
ReplyDelete