MIERCOLES MUDO: Elfo Marinero

The Elf's Busted Out

Rich, the Elf on the Shelf, couldn't wait to come out.

Our elf, Rich, escaped on Thanksgiving night and has been flying (yes, flying) around our home at night. This mischievous elf, whose box is a transporter to the North Pole, is running out of places to hide and has challenged my husband and I to be creative. We're having fun with it and expect this will be the last year that our son believes in Rich's magic. Santa's, too.

Our arbolito absent a half-dozen ornaments destroyed by our dog, Albert.

It's this time of year that I miss my mom and our family's large holiday gatherings. Thankfully, I'll get to spend Christmas with her in California, something I haven't done in years. I'll appreciate the time we have together, because not having her here to speak Spanish with or to hover over while she cooks has finally caught up with me. As much as I miss her, I know that my son misses her ten times more.

This being our first holiday with a dog has yielded more than it's fair share of surprises ... like its obsession with the tree. Hello -- shiny objects. Duh. The dog has meticulously picked off any ornament within its reach, leaving my son terrified at the thought of it finding his elf. Seems the poodle side of this canine is dominant because he's not only sneaky, but smart, having learned how to open a kitchen barrel that's supposed to only open by a foot lever, which was the reason we bought it.

Leo Tolstoy's ANNA KARENINA. Love this cover with the violets!

I haven't been online much the last couple weeks, spending most of my free time reading Anna Karenina before watching the new film. Turns out I like Tolstoy and am considering rereading Les Misérables, before seeing that movie, too. We'll see if time allows it. Maybe I'll read it on the plane.

Now to figure out how to transport our elf to California without taking away its magic. :-)