I just have to share that I LOVE our Elf on the Shelf – Effie.  Besides adding some fun to our day, I love that my kids walk in the room and Effie is the first thing they look for!  Today they were distraught when they couldn’t find her.  Then I started hearing “Effie – where are you?” and I almost gave in and told them – but I knew the answer would come soon enough.  It wasn’t too long before I heard “Hey – she’s in here!”  Effie was fishing in the bathroom!

I have really enjoyed using Effie in a number of ways.  First, one of Effie’s jobs is to share Christmas spirit!  One day she found and put out all my Christmas books in our class library.  She also decorated our door.  Every now and then she leaves a Christmas book on the front board for us to read together.  She occasionally brings us notes to let us know how we are doing.  She’s even brought a special delivery from the big man himself!  I know I could be doing more curriculum integration, but for the first year, we are just having fun!  If nothing else, it has brought us closer together as a class and given us common experiences to talk about.  Maybe next week we will write about our favorite Effie day, or make her good-bye cards before she heads home.  All I know is that I love this little elf and the fun its added to my day!