Photography Ellie Borromeo
To the children,
“I’M BACK!” are the words I’ve written quite tall, spelled out with marshmallows on your living room wall. In red velvet and white fur, I’ve come to see you, bringing great tidings from ol’ You Know Who! Don’t you remember? I’m here with a plan; it’s a mission of sorts from a far-away land. ’Twas jolly Saint Nick who assigned me my post – to spend time with you, my favorite holiday host. Can you hear the bells jingling and the songs of great cheer? Christmas is coming and soon will be here! Can you handle the wait?! I’m sure that you can’t. I wonder what wishes you’ll ask Santa to grant. It’s my job to see to it that you’re good girls and boys; trust me, if not, you may not get toys.
Now, in the mornings you might find me dangling from the tree, or zip lining on green garland; it’s not easy being me! I’m like a Christmas ninja; I tend to move quite fast. The things that I get into are varied and vast.
Now I may get into mischief, as I often tend to do, but don’t let yourself be fooled; I’ll keep my eye on you. I watch you by day as you learn and as you play, and I watch very closely how you act and what you say. By night I report to Father Christmas himself regarding what I have seen from my warm, wooden shelf. Are you polite and sincere to your family and peers, or have you been naughty, causing them tears? Don’t fret, my friends, if you haven’t been good; there is still enough time to do what you should.
It’s actually quite easy to be good and be kind. You simply must love; it’s how you’re designed. If you see someone hurting, don’t giggle or stare; just give them a smile, for you too could be there. Be sure to be sharing in all that you do for when you’re kind to others, they’ll be kind to you. Know that you’re special and that Santa knows, too; it’s not hard to tell that there’s good inside you.
So, Christmas is coming, and it will come with much bliss. But if you remember one thing, I hope that it’s this: You have a chance to be the best you can be, and you must do it year-round, not just for Santa and me.
To you with love and with lots of good cheer,
Your favorite scout elf
(the one from last year)
Elf on the Shelf
To the parents,
So we meet again, my parental partners in crime; the Christmas season has come and we don’t have much time! Let the shenanigans begin and let the mischief ensue; the kids think it’s me, but it’s totally you! Break out the flour and the action heroes, too. Be sure to buy more candy; Hershey’s Kisses are tried and true. Get ready to brew the coffee and plan our little schemes, such elaborate little scenes your kids have only seen in their dreams! Snow angels made in salt or a wild adventure indoors – with Chewbacca, Luke and Leia from our favorite movie, Star Wars.
I could ride a big T-rex through a jungle of strewn clothes, or decorate the dog with red ribbons and green bows! The options here are endless, and the kids will love it all, but sometimes you kind of scare me; you’ve got a lot of gall! Duct tape on my feet? Do you know how bad that hurts?! I admire your wild spirit, but it’s aggressive in small spurts! Like when you hang me upside down from the ceiling or the range; my head gets pretty heavy and I end up feeling strange. Anyway, no big deal, I know that you mean well. Let’s just keep it clean out there until we say farewell.
So, I’ve been watching your children for a little while now, and I must say you’ve done well, even if you’re not sure how. They’re learning much from you and they’re taking it all in, but don’t fail to be a pupil because you can learn from them. The simple things in life are always the very best; sometimes you have to see that and just forget the rest.
P.S. Buy more toilet paper, too – the kind with lots of layers; I just like to climb in the tube and roll it down the stairs!
With much appreciation and happy holiday cheer,
Your sneaky scout elf
(the one from last year)
Elf on the Shelf
