(S)he's baaaaack!

Our Elf on the Shelf returned at the end of November.  However, there was one big change this year... "Mr. Elf" became "Sophia".  (I tried to convince them to name her Caitlin, but it was a no-go.  Shucks.)  Sophia has been hiding in a different place each night, encouraging good behavior from the kiddos.  The best example of how she's changing their behavior went something like this:

Parker: (carrying on about something good that he did)
Taylor: (super sassy tone) "I don't caaa-aare."
Parker & Sydney: (loud gasp! Then a look towards Sophia)
Taylor: "I MEANT to say that... I'm happy for you."

heeheehee.

If only I had the control that this darn elf has. 

Anyways, our elf hasn't done anything too crazy.  Ain't nobody got time for that.  Sometimes she writes notes or, since she's now a girl, has been putting on some Barbie clothes or wearing some hair bows.

The kids get up and want to look for her first thing.  It's so much fun!

The kids woke up to a note hanging from the ceiling above the stairs, telling them to go find her.  This was their first sighting of the elf!

Taylor's birthday message from Sophia (covered up by little thank you notes from Taylor to the elf)

Sophia sent the girls (+ Parker) on a scavenger hunt after school.  

The scavenger hunt told the kids all about the season of advent and sent them around the house.

They were all really excited about it.

It led them to a present, with the instruction that Parker had to open it.

It's a... Lego advent calendar!  Yay!

Silly Sophia.

The girls are writing notes to Sophia (and sometimes she writes back!).  Taylor wrote this one on her own.  They're also coloring pictures for her.