The Self on the Shelf

Our elf, Harry, has reappeared. Every year, on Thanksgiving, his story shows up on my daughter's bed, and we read it, and in the morning she finds Harry. 

I thought that this year she might have outgrown Harry a bit. 

WRONG 

She is more into him than ever, if that's even possible. 

Here's the deal : First of all, Harry has to remember to hide. I must admit that sometimes Harry stays up late and forgets to hide. He nearly did that the VERY FIRST MORNING, so when Kid came down the stairs, Harry had to leap to a new place. 

Harry misjudged the leap and landed on his head, where he stayed all day. We aren't allowed to touch him, because that is the law, and heaven forbid if we break that law. So, Harry had to lie on his red pointy cap all day with his blood rushing to his head. Not good.

Second, Harry is starting to get a bit overwhelmed with all the gifts and letters he receives every single day from Kid. He appreciates them all, but he is starting to run out of places to put them.

Third, Harry maybe sort of is running out of places to hide. Kid has proclaimed that he can't hide in the bathrooms; since she doesn't want him to see her "doing her business." (Her words.)

Fourth, looking for Harry can be a bit stressful. When it's a school day, like today for example, and Kid has to eat and dress and brush teeth and instead is running all over the house, looking for the elf, it becomes Agita City. 

Fifth, the kid is already starting to miss Harry. And it's not even December. She wants it to be Christmas, but not really, because then there would be no more Harry. I'm just saying that we had a long, long conversation on this very topic. 

Sixth, Harry has a really - what's the word - knowing expression. The sideways glance, the grin - it's  starting to freak me out a little.

Wearing the "Classic Couture Collection." Really? Really?

Seventh, we were in Barnes and Noble the other day, and I saw that you can now buy clothes for Harry. And a DVD of his life. And a female companion. It took a lot of ingenuity and perhaps maybe a few lies to keep kid away from that whole scene.

Still, Christmas will come, as it always does, and Harry will fly back to the North Pole. A new year will arrive, and eventually, Kid will turn nine. At that point, I'll wonder if she'll be into this whole deal next year. Perhaps this could be the Harry's Last Hurrah.

As in Point number 5, I'm going to try not to miss it already, before that even happens.