I folded.

That little four year old of mine is pretty convincing.
Had he taken the bratty approach and cried and demanded the elf, I would have felt better about my decision on banning him out.
But he didn't.
He just talked about him.  A lot.
And told me what his friends' elves were doing...
and his PE teacher's elf...
and said things like, "maybe next year he will find our house...  you think, momma?"

Well, you know what this momma thought.

I thought we had to have one.

I did not think I liked paying $30 for the thing, but the $20 one at Hobby Lobby looked like any random stuffed animal from a grabber machine at your local CiCi's Pizza, so I paid the price --considered the book the extra ten bucks-- and brought him home.

I was so stoked to see my little Maddox's face, and had the video rolling for the event.

He didn't buy it.

He said, "momma, this is a toy.  You bought this."  ...because I don't work well under pressure, I said, "what?"  all shocked-like.
He said, "He has a tag.  My friends elves are real, I think.  I am pretty sure you just drove to Cabela's and picked this up."
I am terrible in times like these, so I just said, "just like Santa, he's just for fun.  We will have to wait until we go to bed to see if he comes alive or if he's just a little toy."
But he kept asking me if I bought him... and I am not completely sure how this game goes yet, so I continually dodged the question.

I read him the book that explains the game... but he said that he could touch ours.
I read him the part that specifically says that touching him will take away his magic, three times-- he reminded me, "its just for fun momma... and I like touching him.  It's how I know he's fake."

And then he got bratty and ugly... and the Elf almost had to go back to his shelf at the Hallmark store.

The funny thing to me is that Beckham was with me when I bought the little elf, and in my head-- I thought he was probably thinking, "if I could just talk...." but in reality, he would probably just like to rub it in Maddox's face that we spent the day cruising Hobby Lobby, chatting it up in Chick-fil-a, and snacking on our icecreams through the isles of Kroger, like we owned the place!

So anywho...
that's the story of "Shimmer"...
Our elf.
Maddox named him.

And I will take pictures of his nightly adventures and do a collage of his journey.
(or Lance's journey... because night one went to Lance wanting to make up his mischief and me rolling my eyes.)

I folded to the elf.
It is true. 
But hopefully Shimmer brings at least $30 worth of giggles from the boys.