Mickey on the Mantel

Last year we tried the whole Elf on the Shelf thing. The girls had very little interest in it. I thought maybe it was because they were too young. Then I thought maybe it's because that thing is creepy as heck. So this year I decided to sell the Elf and buy something I thought the girls would like.

Introducing: Mickey!

They are still a little "meh" about the whole thing, but at least he's cute! The first day he sat on the kitchen table with a book and a note telling the girls to have Mommy explain why he was there and why we celebrate Christmas. I told them that Mickey would be watching them and letting me know if they are being good. Evie retorted with, "Mommy. He can't move. He's a stuffed animal."

Touche, my love.

I don't know if they actually believe that Mickey goes running around the house at night or if they just pretend to be interested to humor me. But they do seem to enjoy finding him in the morning.

Mickey does occassionally leave a note, usually along the lines of, "I saw you doing something you weren't supposed to be doing. you better straighten up or your mother will go off the deep end." On one such morning Emmy was the one to find Mickey. She knocked him off the table, stole the note, and dumped water on it. The symbolizm there pretty much sums up parenthood.

As you can see, I haven't gone too crazy with it. No waking up to the house being covered in balloons or anything like that. Honestly, I've already forgotten to move him twice and had to stuff him into the refrigerator handle and shove him at the top of the tree as I heard the pitter patter of stampeding daughter feet coming down the stairs.

Nailed it.