Otis the Elf

This year our family started the Elf on the Shelf tradition. It’s a really cute idea where a little elf watches over your kids and reports back to Santa about them. Every morning when you wake up he is in a different spot doing different things. Often times he’s mischievous, but our elf, Otis, is just a playful silly elf. There won’t be any trashing of rooms or vandalizing. He came with a book that explained who he was and what he did. He also said not to touch him, or else his magic would be gone, and he needs his magic to fly and report back to Santa every night.

So far he showed up on day 1 in the cookie jar. That’s where Santa left him the night he dropped him off. He had to stop by the house that night to read the letter Alyssa wrote him that was hung on the fridge.

Day 2 he had himself a little tea party on the mantle above the fireplace.

Day 3, he got into the candy jar, ate one and left the wrapper there. Alyssa very quickly said she would be his big helper and throw it away for him. She’s sucking up to Otis obviously and its adorable. He also ate another later in the day since Alyssa found a different wrapper sitting behind him. Otis likes hershey kisses apparently .

The note says “Alyssa, I still have my magic, don’t worry”. On the first day, she was so excited after we read the book and found him in the cookie jar she went to grab his hat so she would pull him out of the jar and get a better look. She quickly let him go and her eyes filled with tears. She said “oh no. I’m so sorry Otis, I am so so sorry. I am just so sorry, I didn’t mean it. Oh no Mommy, I am sooo sorry. Oh Otis I am so sorry I just made your magic go away”. My poor girl felt so bad for Otis. The book said if you touch him his magic goes away. I assured her he knew it was an accident and he would still have his magic. She was very relieved to see his note.

And since “Otis” cant live off hershey kisses alone, I made us a meal plan for the week. This weeks meal plan I didnt label a certain dinner for Monday or Wednesday or Thursday. I am just deciding on 7 meals for each breakfast and dinner and I will most likely wait until the day of to decide what I feel like cooking that night.

Breakfasts:

Stovetop oatmeal with banana, peanut butter, ground flax  (twice)

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches on homemade rolls with cups of milk

Almond Bran Flake Cereal with milk topped with sliced banana (twice)

Pumpkin greek yogurt pancakes

Egg and cheese on homemade english muffins

Dinners:

Grilled balsamic chicken, brown rice, salad (some frozen peas or green beans for Cassidy, Alyssa eats salad though)

Baked Chicken Nuggets, baked french fries with old bay, mixed veggies

Pan fried tilapia, broccoli, quinoa

Hamburgers, sweet potato fries, peas

Beans and greens cheesy soup

Leftovers one night

Dinner at a friends house one night

Now if Otis would only learn how to cook all these meals and do the dishes afterwards too…