Do you ever wonder if these elves on shelves popping up around our homes really do have a way to communicate with each other? What would they say about this?

If you spend any time around children at Christmas time you've no doubt crossed paths with the Elf on the Shelf.

Amazon
Amazon
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The Origin of Elf On the Shelf

Do you know the story of how these, creepy to some, little helpers of the big guy at the North Pole came to be?

This little elf is much more than just a Christmas toy. It all began with a book written by Carol Aebersold. The story depicts these elves as Santa's eyes and ears around the globe, informing him on which of his lists each child belongs. The book comes with an elf figurine.

The Nice List or The Naughty List

The book was (is) a bit of a guide for helping parents. According to the book, they report back to Santa on how the child (or children) they're 'living' with have been behaving, what a great incentive to help parents get their kids to make good choices throughout the month of December.

Here Comes the Disturbing Elf on the Shelf Trend

Santa holding magical lights in hands
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The enhance the magic of Santa and all things Christmas, the elf is moved each night into a new location to surprise the kids each morning. Some of these overnight moves can get pretty creative. Creative to the point of making some parents feel like they have no creativity at all.

My wife and I have often felt inferior to other parents regarding where the Elf on the Shelf moves to each day. There are hundreds of websites and social media posts to grab a new idea, but have you seen this latest trend?

I don't know whether to laugh or not. If for nothing else, you're about to get a new elf movement idea.

The Shelf on the Elf

Read that closely.

SHELF on the ELF.

Just kidding, that's not the shelf I'm talking about.

Son: "There's a shelf on the elf!"

Dad: Don't you mean elf on the shelf?

Son: "No! There's LITERALLY a shelf on our elf"

A. Skupien
A. Skupien
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This next elf looks like it was up to something with the Wicked Witch of the East from Wizard of Oz.

RELATED: This Illinois Man is an Elfin' Creative Christmas Genius

A. Carlson
A. Carlson
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When I first saw these, I thought this was how the 'elf' shenanigans ended in these homes. What a tragedy to have befallen Santa's little helper.

SEE MORE: 28 Elf on the Shelf Ideas You Should Totally Steal

This next post from Instagram shows just how the Elf on the Shelf revolution begins... it begins with an uprising just like this.

28 Illinois Elf On The Shelf Ideas You Should Totally Steal

Elves have been busy the last couple weeks and now ere in the home stretch to Christmas. Is your creativity stretched to its limit? These ideas will help.

LOOK: The top holiday toys from the year you were born

With the holiday spirit in the air, it’s the perfect time to dive into the history of iconic holiday gifts. Using national toy archives and data curated by The Strong from 1920 to today, Stacker searched for products that caught hold of the public zeitgeist through novelty, innovation, kitsch, quirk, or simply great timing, and then rocketed to success.

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