Elf on the Shelf Shenanigans

By Karen Vine Fuller, Contributing writer | December 22, 2023

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Theo and Hazel Riggs have special see-through bags for their elves so they can see them and not touch them (so the elves don’t lose their powers).

Have any elves spent the night at your house lately? If so, you’re probably familiar with Elf on the Shelf, a Christmas tradition centered around Scout Elves who fly report to Santa each day to let him know if kids have been naughty or nice. These reports to Santa help kids stay on their best behavior through the holiday season. The elves don’t talk and kids are not allowed to touch them or they lose their magic. Here, some Buzz families gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the elves in their lives and some of their adventures.

Jordanna and Keith Riggs have three littles: Theo, 5, Hazel, 3, and Rosalie, 1.5. During the month of December, they also have two elves that live at their house, Kirby and Bella.

Theo, Hazel, and Rosalie Riggs were surprised to find their elves, Kirby and Bella, escaping from a shark jumping out of the toilet!

“The children love waking up and seeing what sort of mischief the elves got into!” Jordanna shared. “Theo is the rule abider and is very serious on the ‘no touching the elves’ rule; otherwise, they could lose their magic.” Kirby and Bella have had some crazy adventures, including barely escaping from a shark that was coming up from the toilet and opening a can of potato chips but realizing it was actually a trick can with a fake snake popping out to surprise them. Kirby and Bella got a good laugh from that one.

David and Nathan Coffey are all smiles posing in their Christmas pajamas with their elf Casaur.

Holly and Matthew Coffey first had an elf visit their house in 2018. Holly said, “Our oldest son, David (9), named him. He was 4 years old and very confidently declared that his name would be Casuar. And so it continues to be!” David’s 6-year-old brother, Nathan, is passionate about Casuar.

“Our elf isn't wild and crazy and he's definitely not naughty (we already have enough cleaning up to do with two little boys...who needs to clean more during the holidays?!?).”

Casuar moves from room to room every night and the Coffey boys love waking up every morning and trying to find where he'll be.

The Coffey’s elf, Casaur, had fun swinging in a hammock he set up in between the Christmas stockings.

“It isn't always obvious where Casuar is hiding each morning, so David and Nathan have fun searching for him before school each morning. As parents, we also enjoy the extra accountability [for the kids] to be nice brought about by his presence!”

These elf stories got us thinking. We already have the Elf on the Shelf. There is a Mensch on the Bench that celebrates Hanukkah and there is even a Snoop on the Stoop with the rapper Snoop Dog in an elf outfit. He does not report to Santa. He just chills at your house.

James Harden hanging in the garden.

What if there were some Houston versions of “elves” who visit your house…? Just for fun, how about:

“Queen Bey (Bee) on the Tree” with a Beyonce doll that spends time hanging on your Christmas tree.
“Mack in the Sack” with Mattress Mack (Jim McIngvale) taking naps in different beds and couches around the house.
Texans legend JJ Watt could be “Watt Doing a Squat” and you could take him to the gym with you or include him in your workout.
“James Harden in the Garden” with the Rockets legend strolling through your yard.
Don’t forget Astros pals Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker. “Altuve Watching a Movie” sitting in front of the TV - Jose would be guarding his bowl of popcorn like he does second base. Alex Bregman likes to stay healthy so you could find “Breggy with the Veggies” chilling on your kitchen counter or in your refrigerator drawer. Then King Tuck is a “Kyle with a Pile” so find him in the laundry room with the dirty laundry or on a stack of magazines.
And the Texans rookie quarterback “CJ Stroud in a Crowd” likes to go to big events, especially football games at NRG Stadium!

May your holidays be filled with cheer and good friends and the joy of Christmas morning for kids that stayed on Santa’s good list thanks to a scout elf who reported their good behavior.

Merry Christmas, y’all!

Editor’s note: Find more Elf on the Shelf adventures in this Dec. 2021 story.