GELK

So, our 'Elf on the shelf', GELK, made his appearance on the morning after Thanksgiving this year.  He has been moving around sitting on different perches, observing the behavior of the Hurley Girls and reporting to Santa each night if they have been "Good" or "Bad".  GELK got his name last year when he made his debut at the Hurley house.  After much debate Grace Elizabeth Lily Kathryn won out and GELK was thus named.  Last year GLEK was a fun idea but Grace was too young to understand any of what he meant. This year Grace is a little wiser and starting to understand the theory or myth of Santa Claus and has attempted to behave in front of GELK.  She has been excited to look for his wareabouts each morning and giddy when she finds him. This morning GELK was no longer perched in the living room - He had decided, upon his retun from the North Pole last night, to sit a-top the wall sconce in the dining room/kitchen.

This morning Grace came downstairs business as usual. Ate breakfast, watched a show, played with her sister and never thought to look for GELK. But as Lily was headed up to her nap Grace proclamed...

"GELK is gone!"

So I asked her... "Where do you think he is?"

To which she replied  in a dejected tone...

"Oh man... He's telling Santa something..." 

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.  He's telling Santa something?  What could he be telling Santa? Is there something that I missed? Is she feeling guilty?  It was simply priceless!  

Grace is a good kid. She is willful at times. She likes to be the boss, but hey, who doesn't? She is genuinely kind and cares how others feel. She wants to please, but will not sacrifice herself or compromise what she  feels is right and fair. There is a lot I find admirable about that... But if one time a year I can blackmail better behavior out of her by telling her GELK is watching... I'll take it.  I just hope GELK is telling Santa what a good girl I've been all year!