Sparkle is back!

Our scout elf made her return from the North Pole yesterday.  K was more than excited to see her!  As soon as Christmas decorations starting popping up in stores (you know, right before Halloween) she started to ask when Sparkle would come back to our house.  I kept telling her the day after Thanksgiving, which in 5 year old time is a million years away.  So to say K was happy to see her yesterday morning is an understatement.

I posted the first picture of Sparkle this year on Facebook to share with my family that is literally spread out across the globe and for my friends.  I put a caption about how I didn't want to hear how creepy the elf was, or how bad of a mother I was for "lying" to my child, or that it was all a bit over the top.  Last year, several comments were made - most in a passive aggressive way (posting right after I posted a picture, about how as a mother they would NEVER even dream of having an elf).  I tend to take things like that more personally than I should...I wish I didn't, but I do.  Hey, we all have our flaws.  All that said, I have decided to post my Sparkle pictures here on my blog so that I'm not so annoying on Facebook.  :)

Side soapbox here: why do we all feel like our way is better?  I've seen so many people posting about this and that and how their way is THE way.  Whether it's decorating before or after Thanksgiving, having your kids believe in Santa, if you have an elf or not, shop on Black Friday or stay home, etc. etc. etc.  Who cares???  Everyone should do what is best for their family!!!  Do what makes you and your family happy and forget what everyone else thinks!  (I'm trying so hard to take my own advice here friends!)

Stepping off...

So, back to Sparkle.  My friend Leigh Anne and I were texting on Thanksgiving and she asked me if Sparkle was going to be hosting a North Pole breakfast.

A what?

Let me just hop on over to Pinterest for a second....

Oh crap.  That's a North Pole breakfast.

Well, heck yeah Sparkle is going to do that!  Why?  Because I didn't know about it and now I do, and I am so up for that challenge.  I'm sure there is a support group out there for me somewhere.

So I went to pull out all those random Christmas cups, plates, etc. that students have given me over the years, and before I knew it my table was ready for a North Pole breakfast.  Well, all expect for the actual food.  K-cup hot chocolate - check.  Anything else?  Nope.  And this was Thanksgiving y'all.  And right as all the stores were opening up for Black Friday.  Yeah....panic mode set in because I am not going to fight Black Friday crowds for breakfast foods.

Lucky for me, but not so lucky for him, my husband's boss had called and asked him to run several reports....on Thanksgiving.  Yeah - he was pumped let me tell you.  (I know, I know, he has a job and I'm very thankful for that, but I just wanted him to have a break for one day!)  So Cody had not left for his traditional hunting trip just yet, and I did the "Honey I love you so much would you please just do this one tiny thing for me before you leave" face and he totally fell for it.  I love that man more than he will ever know.  So one trip to the convenient store later, I had doughnuts...okay, maybe two trips because apparently I failed to communicate that I wanted BOTH chocolate and powdered doughnuts instead of one or the other.  I'm telling you - I married a saint y'all.

So a few cut chocolate chips and lots of senseless pretzel breaking later, I had Rudolph and Frosty doughnuts.  Whip up a little letter on the computer - print - cut - finished.

North Pole breakfast - BAM!

K woke up the next morning singing, "Where is Sparkle, where is Sparkle?  I don't know, I don't know!"  That right there made it all so very worth it.  Well, that and her face when she saw everything!

Sparkle also brought K her new Christmas pajamas and some matching ones for Caroline which she was so excited about!

Yep, that's her tongue sticking out folks.  She's one classy gal.  Also gotta love that bed head look she has going for her!  ;)

So there you have it folks.  Sparkle is back and going strong in our house!  In a world where kids grow up way too quickly, I'm happy that we can have a little bit of Christmas magic in our house again this year.