Elf on the Shelf fun

We've never been big on Santa, our kids have known from a pretty young age that there is no Santa. They have never liked the thought of a big fat man watching them while they sleep and coming down our chimney on Christmas Eve. So we've been honest with them when they asked if Santa was real and told them (more like assured them) that mom and dad are the ones who buy them the gifts and put them under the tree on Christmas Eve. However we can pretend and have fun with the idea for the sake of those who do believe in Santa but in our home we really don't make a big deal about it. I've got a few Santa decorations that are special to me and have been passed down from both sides of the family so they are on display during the month of December and they do bring back happy memories for both of us. But don't worry, our kids still have a total blast during the month of December. We have many other fun traditions so we don't feel like they are missing out or scarred in any way because we don't make Christmas about Santa. We have many other fun family traditions that make December meaningful, fun and exciting while keeping our focus on the main reason for celebrating Christmas- Jesus. I learned about a fun tradition last year called Elf on the Shelf and started seeing it pop up again this year on the day after Thanksgving. I was a bit intrigued by the whole thing and thought it might be a fun to incorporate it into our family for the month of December. However, I adapted it since our kids are older and they don't believe in Santa and would never buy into the whole elf reporting to Santa business. So we simply have an elf named Bill who does funny things each night after they go to bed and then when they wake up they find him and we all share a laugh. Here are some of the highlights of what Bill the elf has been up to over the past couple of weeks.
The first night Bill went bungie jumping into Pepper's water bowl.

 Another morning he was waiting by Pepper's food bowl with a treat and Pepper's ball. Pepper and Bill have a love/hate relationship. Pepper thinks Bill is a fun toy and quite often Bill gets tossed across the room and picked up again in Pepper's mouth. And since Bill never stops smiling he seems to enjoy the whole thing. LOL

 Bill made a another friend.

 He went camping under the Christmas tree, even my oldest child complimented me on this arrangement. Maybe he is "slightly" into elf on the shelf but just won't admit it.

 Bill played in the snow.

 He challenged a wooden Santa figurine (made by my mother in laws boyfriend) to a game of Battleship.

 He got stuck in rush hour traffic.

 And my most creative one yet, went poopoo in the potty

 mini marshmallows is what our elf poops.

I'm not sure I can get much more creative than that so I'll be trying to come up with a few more good ones the next few nights.