Our Elf on the shelf was perched on our family room fireplace this morning wearing Rapunzel’s braid (he’s experimenting) with all of the neatly folded laundry from the night before (courtesy of Hanna) tossed all over the room.

 
This is very funny at 10:30pm but loses some of its appeal when you are trying to get ready in the morning and all you can see is a pile of work that had already been done ahead of you. And as we tripped through the various towels, underwear, socks and smoking jackets I knew this was what Christmas was all about–big messes, total chaos and an endless stack of laundry.

 
Chloe wondered why the Elf was cross dressing.

 
Ellie gave it a one-shoulder-shrug but lit up with delight when she realized the clothes had been previously folded by her sister. “Does Hanna have to re-fold EVERYTHING?” No Ellie, I’ll have to do that. I really hadn’t thought this through.

 
Hanna came down the hall and nearly threw the Elf out the window when she realized her efforts had been destroyed by this thing. Sure, it was funny when Mom was picking chocolate chips out of the Elf’s unmentionables.

 
On a semi-related note when I opened the fridge this morning, an entire container of mini tomatoes fell onto the floor and before I could catch the door from closing on itself, it had caught several of the tomatoes and spewed juice and seeds all over the kitchen.

 
I’m embarrassed to say, I considered grabbing the elf, abandoning the lame laundry trick and moving him into the kitchen, where seeds and tomato juice all over the floor would make my kids love Christmas even more.

 
What the hell have I gotten myself into?