Alabaster’s Final Report

This is our last report for 2010. Once again the Olson’s were a great host family. The mom and dad just barely make it back to the Nice List by going to the Best Christmas Pageant Ever last night and by turning Petey into a good elf. The kids were excellent this December. Hopefully they can keep Christmas in their hearts throughout the next year remembering the importance of love and caring for others even when Christmas isn’t right around the corner. Petey, Jangle and I can’t wait to come back next year to help them through the Christmas season.

Holy Wrapping Paper Batman!

This morning our whole house was covered in wrapping paper!

This is Petey- the newly un-Grinch-like South Pole –soon-to-be-North-Pole Elf. Jangle accidently got wrapped up in the package next to him.  

They even tried to wrap up the boys when they were sleeping!

This was the landing strip the Elves made in our front yard.

 

Then there was a note left by Petey that said:

Dear Santa,

Please teach me to be a North Pole Elf. The Olsons have taught me about Christmas and I want to learn more. I’m sorry for going on strike and telling you to shove it. If it is ok with you I will come home with you to the North Pole. If not, I will wait here for the Penguins to pick me up and take me back to the South Pole.

Petey

Looks like we have one more elf we will have to pack up tonight to send home with Santa!

Alabaster’s Report

Santa is almost here!!

Today the Olson’s had a change of plans. They weren’t able to take us snowtubing. The dad spent most of the day on the roof. We assumed he was building a landing strip for Santa. He wasn’t. So we had to build one ourselves tonight. I hope it is long enough. We got to watch them open some presents and it made the South Pole Elf so excited he changed from a Grinch into a real elf! If its ok with you we would like to bring him home to the North Pole and start his training to be a Christmas Elf. Maybe if he is a quick learner he can come back with us next year. We love our time here with the Olson’s but we are excited about coming home to get ready for next Christmas. I hope they like the extra Christmas presents we wrapped for them tonight. Petey the South Pole Elf was a great helper.

Breakfast of Champions?

Emily had a friend sleepover last night and Ana slept over at one of her friends houses since it was the start of Christmas break!  I had to work of course, but Todd was going to stay home with the kids. We were going to celebrate our family Christmas together after I got home from work at noon because the girls would be spending Christmas with their dad this year. So friends had to be gone by 10:00 a.m. so we could do our family Christmas.

I got a text from Todd this morning that said the boys had found the Elves. Alabaster was found hanging on our freezer door. Inside was Jangle with a note that said:

You have a busy day today. You better start the day with a healthy Elf breakfast!

He had a container of ice cream with sprinkles and cookies. And of course whipped cream! I think they must have done this on the day they knew mom would be gone, because I would NEVER have let them eat ice cream for breakfast!

And on top of that, Santa had left us a note. Well, it was more of a reprimand..for Todd and I. We were accused of a Crime against an Elf which is punishable by having our names placed on the naughty list. Apparently, by not allowing the kids to participate in whatever the Elves had planned the other night, we were committing a crime. Santa told us our names were now on the Naughty List and he sent a bag of “coal” for each of us!

Unfortunately our plans for the day were cut short when I fell on the ice down our front stairs. We were still able to have a nice dinner and open presents, and lo and behold we were able to do one of the activities the elves had planned for us! We got tickets for “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” play. So, after dinner we packed up the Elves and headed down to St. Paul for our 2nd annual Christmas play.

Alabaster’s Report

We are sad. We had a fun night out planned for the family and they didn’t go! Sam had a bit of the grinch in him, so the mom and dad got angry and sent him to bed. This is a major infraction and the parents should be held accountable.

The little one plays nicely with us but he rarely sleeps! We get bored waiting for him to go to sleep. And he gets in trouble for not staying in bed too. I think I remember this being a problem last year too. At least he is still little so he gets away with it.

We’re starting to think they don’t believe in Christmas magic anymore, Santa. It is very sad indeed. Every time a child stops believing in Christmas magic, your sleigh loses some of its magic flying power. It gets harder each year to get the reindeer to pull it when kids stop believeing in our magic. Plus- how muc fun is it to get underwear for presents?

Sam is playing that same bouncy game with balls. He was excited and seemed to like it. Emily’s friend isn’t doing a very good job with her elf duties. Maybe she isn’t really and elf?

Ana is gone again. We sure miss her when she’s gone. We might have to get out our magic elf dust and sprinkle the doubters tonight.

We are starting to get homesick but we still have a few days left. We hope all is going well at your workshop and you’re not too shorthanded.

The Elves Surprise

I got home from work and the kids were all excited. The elves had left us an envelope with a picture of an elf on it and a note that said not to open it before I got home but there was a surprise in it. Both Alabaster and Jangle had talked to me earlier so I kind of knew what we were doing- at least I knew a little bit. So I told the kids to hurry up and get their stuff on so we could go, since we were on a tight schedule. Holy cow did I get attitude from Sam. He was crabby and grumpy, and grinch-like and was just a pain. We got in the car and I asked him to give me the envelope and he THREW it at me. I got mad and told them that we weren’t going to go. So after we picked up Jack we went back home and stayed there for the rest of the night. When Papa got home he sent Sam to bed and everyone was in a bad mood because we missed out on the Elves surprise. It was sad, but I just couldn’t take Sam out in public with his bad attitude. I felt bad, and sad, and so did everyone else. It was kind of a crappy night. We still aren’t sure what all the Elves had planned for us. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to do some of it another night.

Alabaster’s Report

We were so good today Santa (oops we mean the KIDS were so good) :) We cleaned the whole house for them. We figured after all the messes we make that’s the least we could do.

It snowed again today, and all the kids except Sam said that was their “low” for the day. The wouldn’t do very well at the North Pole. Tonight Emily lost her shoe. I wonder if her toes got cold walking in the snow? We had a tea party with Santa, reindeer and bears tonight. Even the South Pole Elf joined in. They are doing a good job of teaching him.

We can’t wait for their surprise tomorrow! We had to tell the mom so she could help us plan things- but she’s done a good job of keeping a secret. We hope the kids enjoy the surprise! It should be really fun. (They better take us with them).

Oh, and Santa- both the boys had Christmas concerts at church. Jack needs a little more practice I think, but at least he was a very good boy. Sam sang really well, but he didn’t know his had was on backwards I don’t think.

Ana had a good bouncy ball game and made a loooong shot. Her mom jumped and yelled a lot. I think that means it was good since she was smiling and usually if she’s mad she doesn’t smile!