The kids went to bed about an hour later then normal tonight because we spent the evening decorating our Christmas tree.  After we got the kids in bed, the Hubs (taking a leap of faith) moved Buddy the Shelf Elf without checking first to make sure the kids were asleep.  I didn’t notice the move until Scorch came out to the kitchen with some fabricated excuse for being awake and immediately noticed that Buddy wasn’t in the same place he had been 15 minutes earlier.

I thought the kid’s eyes were going to bug out of his head.

“Where’s Buddy? Where did he go? Why isn’t he where he was? Did he leave? Is he coming back? OhMyGosh- where is Buddy?”

Never one to miss an opportunity to freak my kids out, I immediately told Scorch that Buddy must already be on his way to the North Pole to report into Santa (all the while praying Scorch didn’t see Buddy in his new perch on top of the cupboards) and that if he, Scorch, didn’t get into bed right this second and not get out again, Buddy may not come back.  Ever.

Off he ran without a peep.

Two minutes later Bean comes out telling me she needs to go potty for the umpteenth time. The minute she got in the kitchen, her eyes immediately went to where Buddy was when she went to bed.  She stops in mid-sentence and asks me where Buddy was. I gave her the same song and dance about the trip to the North Pole all the while ushering her to her bedroom.  I haven’t heard her say a single word since getting back into bed.

So tonight I’m thankful for a freaky looking elf with a fishy backstory and how easy he makes it to scare my kids into compliance!