Fact or Fantasy

I don't like change. At all. It is not something I embrace and it is not something I am comfortable with. So, I try to keep my babies as babies in spite of the fact that they are now six and a half and three and a half. I also have always been a fan of some of the blurred lines between fact and fiction. There was a TV show I loved - I think it was called Fact or Fiction? To me it didn't always matter if it was actually fact or fiction, I liked the entertainment value. Recently, watching Inside Out (awesome by the way if you haven't seen it!), and I laughed so hard when the boxes of facts and opinions got dumped and mixed up. There was a great line to accompany that - something like "it happens all the time." So my ability to answer all of my little ones questions is sometimes quite challenging. 

My T Bear is quite intuitive. She consistently asks questions about God and Heaven, the afterlife, and if certain things are real. I want her to maintain her childlike innocence for as long as possible. Tonight, after watching one of her favorite shows Sofia the First she asked me if wee sprites are real. Umm... There certainly is no manual for how to answer that question! I said, "yes, I think they are." Her response was, "no, they are fantasy." Wow. Okay. What does any 2015 mom do?? Google it. Thankfully the first response we found confirmed that they are in fact real but you cannot see them unless you have some crazy ability to see through their "curtain." Wow. Who writes this stuff anyway?? That answer was sufficient for now. Then I feel guilty for hiding the truth of the world from her. I want her to believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, wonder, magic...everything an innocent little girl should believe in. At what point is that wrong? Does it matter? I mean, I believed  in Santa until my parents had to literally show me that they were the ones leaving the presents. I turned out okay, at least in my own estimation!

High: Realizing just how intuitive my T is. 

Low: Facing the reality that my babies will not be innocent babies forever. 

Our Elf on the Shelf 2014 Adventures: Day 12

Both kiddos loved this one! Eli was in his own bathtub filled with marshmallows (of course - what else would an elf bathe in?) in our bathroom. T Bear thought it was funny; Mad Man just wanted the marshmallows!

Our Elf on the Shelf 2014 Adventures: Day 13

I'm so bummed I didn't get a picture of this one! We have an outdoor decoration hanging inside on our stairway. It has a Santa, a reindeer, an elf, and a snowman on it. Each is climbing a different part of a ladder. Eli made himself at home on the reindeer's antler. The kiddos loved it!

Our Elf on the Shelf 2014 Adventures: Day 14

Oh Christmas tree! T found Eli right away. She has been waiting for him to be in the tree! 

Our Elf on the Shelf 2014 Adventures: Day 15

My grandfather carved and painted a few of my Christmas decorations. I hold them dear. It is fitting for Eli to be hanging upside down on one of the Santas that my grandfather created. He loved Christmas and was a fun-loving man. I bet he would have gotten a kick out of this whole Elf on the Shelf concept!  He would have been seriously creative. Here's to you Grandpa. 

Our Elf on the Shelf 2014 Adventures: Day 16

This is one of my favorites so far. Every year I bring out all of my old Christmas stuffed animals, along with the new ones the kiddos have accumulated. I always take a perspective picture with the kiddos and all of the animals. Of course Eli has to have a snuggle with these stuffed animals!