We all like to ring in the Christmas spirit in our own way.
This year, I put on the Buddy the Elf costume (a big hit), and Mom dressed up as Jovie for an “elf date” around Gig Harbor. Let’s be honest, we were attracting attention as we ran around Gig Harbor’s coffee shops and grocery stores to help bring some Christmas cheer. It was so fun, and your mom got a lot of compliments that she makes a great-looking blonde. I can’t argue with that.
We also stopped by your elementary school to bring sweets to the front office and more Christmas cheer to the students. I was surprised by how many students knew Elf movie lines and recited them on the spot, like, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” I also jumped into a game of football at recess and made a catch for a 5-yard gain.
Mom and I stopped by your classroom, and you looked at us quickly, smiled, and looked right back at your teacher, as if we disappeared — or maybe you wished it, ha! I get it. Parents are embarrassing enough in front of your friends without being in an elf costume. Unfortunately, you have some pretty outgoing parents, so you’re going to have to adapt every festive season, particularly Fourth of July, Halloween, and the entirety of Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. I think you can handle it.
As for how you get into the Christmas spirit, it certainly involves the classics like Christmas lists and seeing Santa. You and Matteo are also all-in on your Elves on the Shelf, Elfie, and Tinsel. Every morning, you hunt for them to see where they repositioned themselves, and occasionally, they leave you a small present or a trick. See, elves aren’t so bad.
Your neighborhood friends Aliyah and Austin don’t have the same Elf on the Shelf tradition, so you created an elf for them out of a paper cup and paper so they could join the fun. You asked their mom to move the elf each night after they went to sleep so that they’d think they had a “real elf.” It’s beyond funny how you put together how to make the magic work, yet not quite connect all the dots. You were also incredibly thoughtful to help your friends enjoy Christmas a little more.
Whether you dress up in yellow tights and put yourself out there or just make a little magic happen in the background, what really matters is that you help people feel special around the holidays. That’s really the whole point.
Love, Dad