Good News Monday: Suzie the Elf is Back on the Shelf

It's been a Pitcher family tradition for 3 years now and finally, she's back.

Tara's friend, "Suzie the Elf on the Shelf" is here. For the second straight year she was first spotted in the bathroom. My guess is she had to hold it for a year and when nature calls, you have to be ready.

If you're thinking to yourself, "Elf on the Shelf", what's that? Think of it this way, have you ever wondered how Santa could know if you're naughty or nice?  It's been a secret for a very long time, but now we know.

Santa sends friendly elves to scout for him.  When the elf appears at your home, you quickly must give it a name. Every night while Tara is sleeping, Suzie flies back to the North Pole to report to the jolly man himself.

There's only one rule - you can't touch Suzie because she might lose her magic. You can talk to her of course, but she can't talk back. She hangs around until Christmas Eve when her job is done until next year.

According to my daughter, you can't 'buy' the elf,  it just shows up at your house. The nice thing is that if the elf does show up it comes with a book with instructions. When Suzie showed up, she was sitting on the book.

I was fortunate that I knew some of the rules ahead of time and didn't touch Suzie then because she would lose her magic. Needless to say, I had to wait till the next day to read the book.

The most exciting part is figuring out where will Suzie show up the next day. When the child's elf goes to Santa it almost always returns in a different location in your house. This year, Tara is giving Suzie suggestions on a landing spot.

Welcome back, Suzie. We've missed you and are looking forward to more adventures together this holiday season!