Baby Rabies
  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
  • The Book
  • Pregnancy
    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Parenthood
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Parenting LOLZ
  • Photography
    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

      Photography

      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

      Photography

      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

      Photography

      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

      Reviews

      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

      Reviews

      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

      Reviews

      Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part…

      September 4, 2017

  • Subscribe

Baby Rabies

pregnancy & parenting

  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
  • The Book
  • Pregnancy
    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Parenthood
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Parenting LOLZ
  • Photography
    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

      Photography

      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

      Photography

      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

      Photography

      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

      Reviews

      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

      Reviews

      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

      Reviews

      Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part…

      September 4, 2017

  • Subscribe
InappropriateElfParenthoodSchool Age Days

Enjoy The Simple Magic. Write An Excuse Note For Your Elf.

by Jill December 16, 2014
December 16, 2014

15 minutes ago, I was tucking Kendall into bed, except not actually “tucking.” More like tossing a lump of a blanket rumpled inside a duvet cover on him. On the floor. His mattress is still on the floor because we still haven’t put his bed up after moving.

I snuggled up next to him on that mattress. On the floor. Under the lump of a blanket. To my right, my sweet 6 year old, still young enough to delight in me snuggling with him before his sister tonight, but old enough to tell me about the boy who yelled that he hated him on the playground today. To my left, a hideous little Christmas tree that we bought for him when he was just 3 years old.

Er… I mean, our elf, Jake, brought it for him.

The ugly little black and yellow tree (BLACK AND YELLOW SO UGLY OMG) sits in a corner, not a single ornament on it, which is a shame considering all the money we spent on them 3 years ago. Jake the elf brought one ornament a morning for him. One little sports themed ornament to go on his sports themed tree. (I love ya, Mizzou, but you make for an ugly Christmas tree.)

Instead, a large string of lights haphazardly wraps around it, and then snakes through a pile of laundry and over a disassembled bookshelf.

“Why do you think he said he hated you?” I asked him, his profile lit by the multicolored strand of lights in the dark. 

“I don’t know. I just… I caught him, I was chasing him,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Did he want to be chased?” I worried aloud. 

“Yes, mom. We were playing chase. It’s okay. I still like him.” He seemed unfazed by this. 

“Well, sometimes people say they hate other people when they are embarrassed or their feelings are hurt. I don’t think he actually hates you…. but it IS so important that you are kind, you know? Even if he says that, ” I remind him.

“I know, mom. I am,” he assures me. 

********

We’ve opted out of a lot this holiday season. Our house is without outside lights for the first time since we became homeowners 7 Christmases ago. We got the tree decorated, and the mantle is set with our stockings and framed cards and Santa visit pics. But then we just… stopped. No more. That’s enough. We put the half-full boxes of decorations up in the attic.

There are no thoughtfully decorated little trees in the kids rooms, no string of lights above their beds. If I do any cookie decorating with them this year, it’s likely going to be thanks to this GENIUS little hack, via CoolMomPicks.com that just blew my mind last night.

There is no elf this year. None. Not on this blog, and not in our house.

I’ve got gorgeous moving announcement/Christmas cards from Minted sitting on my counters right now. I’ll mail them out eventually. I hope.

This scaled back approach to the holidays this year wasn’t a noble, conscious decision on my part. Don’t hail me as some wise soul. We struggled and lamented over the lack of lights outside our new house. I’ve felt tinges of guilt over the seeming lack of magic being crafted over here. This move, the timing of it, it’s been difficult in ways like this. (Though difficult isn’t a word I really like to use when describing the move to our dream home- one that I am very grateful to have.)

The magic of the season is so very important to me. I DO believe in Santa.. and in elves. I believe in the joy and whimsy they can add to this special time of year. I want to make magic happen for my children.

But tonight was magic. This month has been magic. The freedom that’s come from not stressing over the making of magic has been magic.

The holidays are not an assignment. Our to-do lists are largely dictated by only us.

Cookies don’t have to be made, nor trees beautifully and thematically decorated, and elves don’t have to be moved.

The magic is in the simplicity.

It’s in  the colors of the haphazard string of lights that illuminates my son’s face as we talk about what it means to be kind… even to people who don’t show us love. And I am present. I am truly there. I’m not worried about where I’m going to put the elf next, or if our cards will make it to everyone before the 25th.

It’s entirely possible that next year I will have it in me to craft and create more magic. It’s possible that the elf will come back, and that we will string lights so spectacular around our home that we will win some kind of neighborhood contest. Next year, or the next. But not this year.

This year, the simple magic is enough.

My heart sparked and leapt to write this when I saw the following picture in my newsfeed, posted by a long-time friend/ex-boss of a boss of mine.

ElfExcuseNote

If you’re feeling like the simple magic is getting swallowed up by the assigned magic this year, it’s not too late to just… stop. Browse ideas for family Valentine cards, put away those decorations you still haven’t hung. Write an excuse note for your elf. 

You’ve got 10 more days to let yourself breathe and enjoy the simple magic.


50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Moms Pregnancy Guide
Available now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

  • 275
    Shares
Christmaself on the shelfelf on the shelf excuse notesimple christmas
previous post
17 Times This Toddler Has Lived It Up #LoLoYOLO
next post
A $6 Gift Your Kids Will Love

Keep reading

Can I Come Home?

Momfirmations Are Exactly What You Need To Hear...

You Could Turn Your Baby Gear Into A...

If Your Productivity Needs Help, Check This Out

Saying Goodbye To Gymboree But Not Gymbo! Gymboree...

My Favorite SIMPLE Organization System

Saying Goodbye To The Mom I Needed To...

Nothing Prepared Me For My 2 Year Old’s...

The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For...

Word Of The Year Ideas For Parents

6 comments

Heather H December 16, 2014 - 7:47 am

I wrote a similar note due to starting our elf late this year. We had lost power the day before Thanksgiving and spent much of our energy recovering from that and getting the house back together. And then I kind of forgot about it and the kids didn’t mention anything until a week later. I finally busted out that effing elf a week ago.
They do enjoy it. We don’t go all out with scenes. And we forget to move it every night, haha.
A side note, the letter seems to have been made the most impact over just finding the elf in the morning.

Reply
Kelly Aden-Sack December 17, 2014 - 2:31 pm

Just a little thing here. I have an address list in excel format for all of the people I send Christmas cards to. This list is versitile enough to cover about any occasion. I then link a label document in word to said list. It will automatically print all of my mailing labels when I need them. I also print sheets of return labels. That way, when the time comes, it’s print, stick, stamp, mail. Makes it much easier. When addresses change, change your spreadsheet.

Reply
Jill December 19, 2014 - 12:45 pm

In theory, that will be awesome… once I finally find time to do it! 🙂

Reply
Jamie McMillan December 26, 2014 - 2:34 pm

I ran with the cookie idea and half added it even more.
Peak Freans shortbread cookies, white icing and candy snowman cake toppers. Cookies done.
And those half-assed cookies tasted way better then any I’ve made before.

Reply
gmail sign in March 7, 2017 - 10:36 pm

This is great, That’s a great website, it really is what I was looking for, thank you for sharing!

Reply
Holiday Note To (S)Elf | Jill Krause December 2, 2019 - 12:12 pm

[…] Your Elf On The Shelf can come and go whenever works for you your elf.  December 11 to the 18th? Great! December 3rd… just the one day? FINE. It’s totally fine. If they visit every day of the month, that’s an impressive accomplishment and you should reward yourself when they return to the North Pole for the year.  But if your elf needs to submit a “doctor’s note” and take the rest of the month … […]

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

@babyrabies

Instagram did not return a 200.

Buy Jill’s Book

50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Moms Pregnancy Guide

Up Your Phone Photography

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

©2019 | BabyRabies.com


Back To Top