Week 25: It's An Elf's Life For Me

It's Christmas week, and to help prepare and spread some holiday cheer, I volunteered to be an elf in my town's much-loved Santa house last week Monday night. 

To help look the part, I ordered an elf costume from Amazon, which my teenagers found quite entertaining. Even my best friend added "heckle Shannon" to her calendar that night. 😂

As someone who had always told her kids the truth about Santa (I'm proud to say my kids never ruined the "magic" for other kids), it was a new experience for me to see all of the family's visit Santa Claus. It was one I enjoyed!

Like most things for children in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the process of reserving a spot to get in to see the Big Guy is a timely one (the line starts hours in advance) because the slots are highly sought after. But those who get in sure are treated to a special experience!

There's an elf outside to confirm your reservation time, another elf just inside the door (me, last week Monday) who greets you when you enter and assists the Clauses (Mrs. Claus was home tending to the reindeer while I was there), and another elf at the exit door who makes sure the kids have their treats on the way out. 

I had a great time listening to the kids' request to Santa! Some of my favorites were a boy who asked for a dog (his parents' faces were priceless), a girl who said she wanted a cat tail (Santa thought she meant the plant that grows in/near water), and the siblings who tattled on each other for not being as well behaved as they said they were. Ha!

I'll for sure sign up for another volunteer spot next year! But I'm going to have to up my elf game, because some of the longtime volunteers are really decked out; I hope to exude magic like them next year!!